How We Evaluate Lenders, Score Franchises & Produce Market Intelligence
Every number on this site can be traced to its source.
Every ranking, rate range, and recommendation on PeerSense is grounded in verifiable public data. We do not accept advertising revenue, sponsored placements, or pay-to-play rankings from lenders. This page explains exactly how our data, scoring, and editorial processes work.
Last updated: May 2026 · Written by Ed Freeman, Founder & Managing Director
How We Match You to the Right Capital Source
PeerSense is an advisory firm, not a lender. We align each borrower with capital sources from a curated network and are paid a fee at closing by the borrower, never by the lender. A match is built by testing a deal against the criteria that actually decide approval, not by blasting it to a long list and hoping.
The nine factors we match on
Asset & property type
Multifamily, industrial, office, retail, hospitality, self-storage, data center, business/M&A, franchise
Leverage (LTV / LTC)
How much of the value or cost the deal needs financed
Cash flow (DSCR / debt yield)
Whether the property or business covers the debt
Sponsor strength
Experience, track record, liquidity, and net worth
Loan size
Every source has a size band it will and won't do
Geography
Where the source actively lends or invests
Speed & certainty of close
How fast the deal must close and how firm execution must be
Recourse & structure
Recourse vs non-recourse; senior, bridge, mezzanine, or equity
Capital type
Bank, agency, SBA, private credit, bridge, mezzanine, or equity
How the match is made
- 1
Understand the deal
We capture the nine factors above from the borrower, along with timing and goals.
- 2
Screen against real mandates
The deal is tested against the real, current mandate of each source in our network — what they actually fund today, on the full picture of the deal, not lane averages.
- 3
Present only genuine fits
Only the sources whose mandate truly fits see the deal, presented the way that source underwrites — which is why a well-matched deal reaches the right desks faster.
- 4
Place and close
We manage the process to closing. Our fee is paid at closing by the borrower, so our incentive is your best terms, not any lender's.
Why this beats a generic broker blast: most brokers send a deal to a long list and hope something sticks. PeerSense matches the borrower's specific profile against each source's real mandate, so the deal reaches the sources most likely to fund it. We never name a capital source publicly, and we never accept payment from a lender for placement.
Our Data Sources
SBA Loan-Level Data (2.1M+ records)
Public loan-level data from the U.S. Small Business Administration covering every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan originated since FY2010. Fields include lender, amount, NAICS code, franchise brand, state, approval date, and loan status. Updated quarterly.
Source: SBA.gov Open Data
Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED API)
Real-time benchmark rates including Prime Rate, 10-Year Treasury, SOFR, and related indices. These benchmarks are used to contextualize the rate ranges shown on our product pages and are updated daily.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs)
Publicly filed Franchise Disclosure Documents provide Item 19 financial performance data, franchise fee structures, territory information, and litigation history. PeerSense cross-references FDD data with SBA lending patterns to produce franchise-specific financing intelligence.
Source: State franchise registration filings
Lender Guidelines & Transaction Experience
Rate ranges and deal parameters are sourced from published lender term sheets, recent transaction experience, and direct capital source relationships. Rates are approximate and include a verification date.
Source: Direct lender relationships (a curated capital network)
How We Rank SBA Lenders
Our SBA lender rankings are derived entirely from public SBA origination data. We rank lenders on the following criteria:
Total Loan Volume ($)
Total dollar amount of SBA loans originated
Number of Loans
Total count of individual loans closed
Average Loan Size
Indicates deal size specialization
Industry Breadth
Number of distinct NAICS codes served
Franchise Activity
Volume of franchise-specific SBA lending
Geographic Coverage
Number of states with active lending
Weights are applied to produce a composite score for each lender. Rankings are recalculated quarterly when new SBA data is released. PeerSense does not accept payment for lender placement.
Franchise Performance Index (FPI)
The FPI is PeerSense's proprietary composite score measuring franchise fundability, how likely an SBA lender is to approve financing for a given franchise brand. It is calculated from six weighted factors:
| Factor | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| SBA Loan Volume | 25% | Total dollar volume of SBA loans to this franchise brand |
| Loan Count | 20% | Number of individual SBA loans originated for this brand |
| Default Rate | 20% | Charge-off and default rate vs. SBA portfolio average |
| Lender Diversity | 15% | Number of distinct lenders willing to finance this brand |
| Avg Loan Size | 10% | Average deal size indicates borrower sophistication |
| Growth Trend | 10% | Year-over-year change in SBA lending activity |
FPI scores range from 0 to 100. Franchises scoring 80+ are considered highly fundable by SBA lenders. Scores are recalculated quarterly. Browse franchise scores at /franchises.
How We Report Rate Ranges
Rate ranges on PeerSense product pages represent approximate market pricing based on:
- Published lender term sheets and rate cards from our curated capital source network
- Recent closed transaction data from PeerSense advisory engagements
- Federal Reserve benchmark rates (Prime, 10-Year Treasury, SOFR) via the FRED API
- Industry-standard spread ranges for each product type and risk profile
Important: Actual rates depend on property type, LTV, DSCR, borrower experience, geographic market, and conditions at the time of application. Rate ranges shown are indicative and not a commitment to lend. All rate data includes a verification date.
Editorial Standards
No Pay-to-Play
PeerSense does not accept advertising revenue, sponsored content, or payment for lender rankings or placement. All rankings are data-driven.
Author Attribution
All content on PeerSense is written or reviewed by Ed Freeman, a licensed capital advisor with direct transaction experience in the products discussed.
Source Verification
Statistics cited on PeerSense are sourced from government data (SBA.gov, FRED), SEC filings, or direct lender documentation. We do not cite unverifiable third-party estimates.
Correction Policy
If you identify an error in our data or content, contact us at info@peersense.com. Corrections are published within 48 hours with a dated update note.
Disclosure
PeerSense is a capital advisory firm, not a lender. We earn fees at closing when we successfully place a borrower with a capital source. This compensation model means we are incentivized to find the best terms for borrowers, not to push specific lenders.
Questions About Our Data?
If you have questions about our methodology, want to report a data error, or are a journalist seeking to cite PeerSense data, contact PeerSense directly.