$1M to $100M+. Flexible terms. Faster execution. Higher cost — but you close the deal.
Private credit provides flexible, non-bank financing for deals that don't fit conventional or CMBS structures. Rates from 8-14%, terms from 1-7 years, with creative structures including mezzanine, preferred equity, and unitranche. Ideal for transitional assets, complex capital stacks, and borrowers who need speed and certainty.
Written by Ed Freeman, Capital Advisory — PeerSense. Updated March 2026.
Private credit is non-bank lending provided by private funds, family offices, insurance companies, and institutional investors. Unlike a traditional bank loan that originates from a regulated depository institution, private credit capital comes from pools of investor money managed by specialized credit funds. These lenders are not constrained by the same regulatory capital requirements that banks face, which gives them the flexibility to structure deals that banks simply cannot approve.
In middle-market lending — transactions between $5 million and $500 million — private credit has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the capital markets. The reason is straightforward: banks have systematically pulled back from complex, time-sensitive, or higher-leverage transactions since the 2008 financial crisis. Regulatory changes including Basel III capital requirements and increased scrutiny from bank examiners have made it economically unattractive for banks to hold certain types of loans on their balance sheets. Private credit funds stepped into that void.
Here is how a typical private credit transaction works in practice. A borrower — whether a middle-market company, a real estate investor, or a private equity sponsor — needs capital that does not fit neatly into a bank's underwriting criteria. Perhaps the borrower needs to close in three weeks instead of three months. Perhaps the property is transitional and does not yet have stabilized cash flow. Perhaps the borrower's financial history has a chapter that requires explanation. Perhaps the deal requires a higher loan-to-value ratio than any bank will approve.
The borrower (or their advisor) presents the opportunity to one or more private credit funds. These funds have their own underwriting teams, their own credit committees, and their own risk parameters — but those parameters are set by their investors and fund documents rather than by federal banking regulators. A private credit fund can look at a deal holistically, weigh the collateral, the sponsor experience, the business plan, and the exit strategy, and make a lending decision in days rather than months.
Once approved, private credit loans are documented similarly to bank loans — with promissory notes, security agreements, and typically a mortgage or UCC filing depending on the collateral type. The key difference is in the terms: private credit lenders charge higher interest rates (typically 9% to 18% depending on structure and risk) but offer significantly more flexibility on leverage, collateral requirements, covenant structures, and repayment terms. Many private credit loans are interest-only during their term, with a balloon payment at maturity. The borrower's exit strategy — a refinance into permanent CMBS financing, a sale, or a conventional bank loan once the asset stabilizes — is a critical part of the underwriting.
Private credit is not a last resort. It is a parallel capital market that serves borrowers whose needs do not align with the standardized processes of regulated banks. For many transactions — acquisitions with tight timelines, value-add real estate plays, leveraged recapitalizations, or businesses in transition — private credit is the optimal financing structure from the start.
Understanding the differences between private credit and traditional bank lending is essential for choosing the right capital source. This is not about one being better than the other — it is about which structure fits your specific transaction.
| Factor | Private Credit | Traditional Bank Lending |
|---|---|---|
| Speed to Close | 2–6 weeks typical. Some bridge lenders close in under 2 weeks with clear collateral. | 60–120 days minimum. SBA loans can take 90+ days. Complex credits take longer. |
| Flexibility | High. Customized structures, creative collateral packages, bespoke covenant packages. | Low. Standardized products, rigid underwriting criteria, policy-driven approvals. |
| Loan Size | $1M–$500M+ common. Some funds go to $1B+ for the right sponsor. | Varies widely. Many banks cap CRE exposure at $10M–$25M per borrower. Larger deals require syndication. |
| Interest Rates | 9%–18% depending on structure, leverage, and collateral quality. Mezzanine and preferred equity can reach 15%–20%+. | 6%–10% for conventional. SBA loans at Prime + 1.5%–2.75%. Lower rates reflect lower risk tolerance. |
| Recourse | Many private credit structures are non-recourse or limited recourse at higher LTVs. Carve-outs for bad acts only. | Almost always full recourse for middle-market borrowers. Personal guarantees standard. |
| Covenants | Negotiable. Many direct lending deals have covenant-lite structures. Focus on collateral value and exit strategy. | Strict financial covenants: DSCR minimums, debt-to-equity ratios, liquidity requirements, reporting requirements. |
| Documentation | Streamlined. Focused on collateral, business plan, and exit. Less emphasis on historical tax returns. | 3 years of tax returns, personal financial statements, business plans, environmental reports, appraisals. Full documentation required. |
| Approval Process | Principal-based decision-making. Credit committee of 3–5 people. Quick iteration on terms. | Committee-based with multiple layers. Loan officer, credit analyst, credit committee, sometimes board approval. |
| Relationship Requirements | Transaction-based. Private credit funds evaluate each deal independently. No deposit relationship required. | Relationship-driven. Banks strongly prefer existing depositors. New borrower relationships take time to establish. |
| Prepayment | Typically 1–3 year minimum interest periods or modest prepayment penalties. Negotiable on larger deals. | Prepayment penalties vary. SBA loans have 3-year declining penalty. Some bank loans lock you in for 5–10 years. |
| Transitional Assets | Yes. Private credit funds specialize in value-add, lease-up, renovation, and repositioning plays. | Rarely. Banks want stabilized cash flow, proven NOI, and low vacancy. Transitional assets are typically declined. |
| Complex Ownership | Comfortable with multi-entity structures, foreign nationals, trusts, and syndicated ownership. | Prefers simple ownership. Foreign nationals, complex entities, and non-standard structures create friction. |
2–6 weeks typical. Some bridge lenders close in under 2 weeks.
60–120 days minimum. SBA loans 90+ days.
Customized structures, creative collateral, bespoke covenants.
Standardized products, rigid criteria, policy-driven.
$1M–$500M+. Some funds go to $1B+.
Many banks cap at $10M–$25M per borrower.
9%–18% depending on structure and risk.
6%–10% conventional. SBA at Prime + spread.
Often non-recourse or limited recourse.
Almost always full recourse. Personal guarantees standard.
Negotiable. Many covenant-lite structures.
Strict DSCR minimums, debt-to-equity, liquidity requirements.
Streamlined. Focus on collateral and exit strategy.
3 years tax returns, PFS, full documentation.
Principal-based. Small credit committee. Fast iteration.
Multi-layer committee. Loan officer to board approval.
Transaction-based. No deposit relationship needed.
Relationship-driven. Prefer existing depositors.
Yes. Specialize in value-add and repositioning.
Rarely. Want stabilized cash flow and low vacancy.
The bottom line on private credit vs. traditional bank lending: if your deal is straightforward, your timeline is flexible, and you have strong financials with an existing banking relationship, a traditional bank loan will almost always be cheaper. But if you need speed, flexibility, higher leverage, or your deal has any complexity that falls outside standard bank underwriting, private credit is not just an alternative — it may be the only viable path to closing. The higher cost is the price of certainty and execution.
Private credit is not a single product — it is an umbrella term covering several distinct financing structures, each designed for different situations in the capital stack.
Typical Rates: 9%–14% | Terms: 6–36 months | Size: $1M–$100M+
Bridge loans are short-term financing designed to "bridge" a borrower from their current situation to a permanent capital solution. In commercial real estate, bridge loans finance acquisitions of transitional properties — assets that need renovation, lease-up, or repositioning before they qualify for permanent financing. In corporate transactions, bridge loans provide quick capital for acquisitions, recapitalizations, or operational needs while longer-term financing is arranged.
Bridge lenders underwrite primarily on collateral value and the borrower's exit strategy. They care less about current cash flow (since the asset is often transitional) and more about what the property or business will be worth after the business plan is executed. Most bridge loans are interest-only with a balloon payment at maturity.
When to use a bridge loan: you are acquiring an asset quickly and need certainty of close, you are buying a property that is not yet stabilized, you need capital faster than any bank can move, or you are restructuring existing debt while you arrange permanent financing.
Typical Rates: 12%–20% | Terms: 1–7 years | Size: $250K–$50M
Mezzanine debt sits between senior debt and equity in the capital stack. It is subordinated to the senior lender, meaning if the borrower defaults, the senior lender gets paid first. Because of this higher risk position, mezzanine lenders charge higher rates and often include equity participation (warrants, profit sharing, or conversion rights) as part of their return.
In practice, mezzanine financing is used to fill the gap between what a senior lender will provide and what the borrower needs. If a bank will lend 65% of the purchase price and the borrower has 15% equity, mezzanine fills the remaining 20%. This reduces the amount of equity the sponsor needs to contribute, increasing their return on equity if the deal performs well.
When to use mezzanine financing: you need to reduce your equity contribution on an acquisition, your senior lender's proceeds fall short of your total capital need, you want higher leverage without replacing your senior lender, or you are funding growth and do not want to give up ownership equity.
Typical Rates: 8%–14% | Terms: 3–7 years | Size: $10M–$500M+
Unitranche is a single-tranche loan that combines senior and subordinated debt into one facility with one set of documents, one lender (or lending group), and one blended interest rate. Behind the scenes, the unitranche lender may split the loan into a senior and junior piece internally, but the borrower deals with a single counterparty and a single set of covenants.
Unitranche has become one of the most popular structures in middle-market private credit because it dramatically simplifies the borrowing process. Instead of negotiating separate senior and mezzanine facilities with different lenders, different intercreditor agreements, and different covenants, the borrower negotiates once. The blended rate is typically higher than senior-only debt but lower than what the borrower would pay for separate senior and mezzanine facilities.
When to use unitranche: you want simplicity and speed in a leveraged transaction, you are a private equity sponsor executing a platform acquisition, you want higher leverage (up to 5x–6x EBITDA) without managing multiple lender relationships, or you value certainty of execution over optimizing every basis point of cost.
Typical Returns: 13%–20%+ | Terms: 2–7 years | Size: $1M–$100M
Preferred equity is not technically debt — it is an equity investment that sits above common equity in the capital stack but below all debt. Preferred equity investors receive a priority return (a "preferred return") before common equity holders receive any distributions. If the deal underperforms, preferred equity absorbs losses after the debt is repaid but before common equity.
In commercial real estate, preferred equity is commonly used when the senior lender restricts subordinate debt. Many CMBS and bank lenders prohibit mezzanine financing in their loan documents but allow preferred equity because it is structured as an equity investment rather than a lien on the property. This makes preferred equity a critical tool for sponsors who need to reduce their cash equity contribution without violating their senior loan covenants.
When to use preferred equity: your senior lender prohibits subordinate debt, you want to reduce your equity requirement without adding another lien, you are restructuring the capital stack on an existing asset, or you need patient capital that does not require current debt service payments.
Typical Rates: 8%–15% | Terms: 3–7 years | Size: $5M–$500M+
Direct lending refers to loans made directly by a private credit fund to a borrower without a bank intermediary. This is the broadest category of private credit and has become the primary alternative to syndicated bank loans for middle-market companies. Direct lenders provide senior secured loans, typically floating rate, with the fund acting as the sole lender or one of a small club.
The advantage of direct lending over syndicated bank loans is certainty. In a syndicated deal, the lead bank commits to the borrower and then sells pieces of the loan to other banks — a process that can fall apart if market conditions shift. Direct lenders hold the entire loan (or their committed portion), which means the borrower has certainty from term sheet to close. Direct lending funds also tend to be more flexible on structure and more willing to work with borrowers through amendments and modifications.
When to use direct lending: you are a middle-market company with $10M–$200M in EBITDA, you need a senior credit facility without the uncertainty of bank syndication, you are executing a leveraged buyout or recapitalization, or you want a lending partner who will hold the loan and work with you directly through the life of the credit.
Private credit serves a diverse borrower base. The common thread is that each of these borrowers has a financing need that traditional bank lending does not efficiently address.
Companies in this range are often too large for small business lending products but too small — or too complex — for the investment-grade bond market. They use private credit for acquisition financing, working capital facilities, growth capital, and recapitalizations. Many middle-market companies turn to private credit after experiencing the slow pace and rigid requirements of traditional bank lending, particularly for transactions that need to close on a defined timeline.
CRE investors are among the most active users of private credit. Bridge loans for value-add acquisitions, mezzanine financing to fill capital stack gaps, and preferred equity for deals where senior lender documents restrict subordinate debt. Real estate investors also use private credit for construction financing, land loans, and ground-up development where traditional banks require excessive pre-leasing or pre-sales.
PE sponsors use private credit extensively for leveraged buyouts, add-on acquisitions, and portfolio company recapitalizations. Unitranche and direct lending facilities are the preferred structures because they offer certainty of execution — critical when a sponsor is competing in an auction process and needs a committed financing package to submit with their bid. Private credit funds also provide delayed-draw term loans and revolving credit facilities that give sponsors flexibility to execute their value creation plans.
This is a significant portion of the private credit market, and there is no stigma in it. Banks decline loans for many reasons that have nothing to do with the viability of the borrower or the asset: the deal does not fit the bank's current risk appetite, the borrower's industry is on the bank's restricted list, the timeline is too tight for the bank's approval process, the ownership structure is too complex, the borrower is a foreign national, or the bank is simply at capacity for that asset class. Private credit funds evaluate these deals on their individual merits and frequently fund transactions that multiple banks have declined.
When a business opportunity has a hard deadline — a competitor acquisition, an expiring lease option, a discounted asset purchase, or a partner buyout — the 90-to-120-day timeline of traditional bank financing is not viable. Private credit lenders who can underwrite, approve, and fund within 2 to 4 weeks provide the execution certainty these transactions demand. The higher cost of private credit is justified by the economics of the opportunity itself.
Private credit has grown from approximately $500 billion in global assets under management in 2015 to over $1.7 trillion by the end of 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the alternative investment landscape. Major institutional allocators — pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, and insurance companies — have steadily increased their allocations to private credit as they seek yield in a market where traditional fixed-income returns remain compressed relative to historical norms.
This growth has had a direct impact on borrowers. More capital in the private credit market means more competition among lenders, which has improved terms, reduced pricing on lower-risk transactions, and expanded the range of deal types that private credit funds are willing to consider. A decade ago, private credit was primarily the domain of bridge lenders and mezzanine funds. Today, private credit funds compete directly with banks for middle-market senior lending, offering comparable (and sometimes better) terms with faster execution.
The current rate environment has further accelerated the shift toward private credit. As the Federal Reserve maintained elevated benchmark rates through 2024 and into 2025, the cost differential between bank and private credit financing narrowed. Bank loans that once carried rates of 5% to 6% now price at 7% to 9% for many middle-market borrowers, while private credit rates — which were already at 10% to 14% — have remained relatively stable. The result is that borrowers are paying a smaller premium for the speed and flexibility that private credit provides.
For commercial real estate specifically, private credit has become essential to market functioning. With many regional and community banks reducing their CRE lending exposure due to regulatory pressure and unrealized losses in their existing portfolios, private credit funds have become the primary source of transitional and bridge financing for commercial properties. Debt funds, insurance company lending platforms, and private REITs are now originating a significant share of the commercial real estate loans that banks originated a decade ago.
The outlook for private credit remains strong. Industry projections from major research firms estimate the asset class will reach $2.6 trillion or more by 2028, driven by continued bank retrenchment, increasing institutional allocations, and a growing recognition among borrowers that private credit is a permanent feature of the capital markets rather than a temporary cyclical phenomenon.
PeerSense is a capital advisory firm — not a lender. We do not have our own balance sheet, and we do not make lending decisions. What we do is evaluate your transaction, identify the right type of private credit structure, and connect you directly with the lenders who are most likely to close your deal on competitive terms. Our value is in knowing which lenders to call for which deal types, and in presenting your transaction in a way that aligns with how those lenders underwrite.
The process starts with a single conversation. We need to understand the basics of your transaction: what you are buying or refinancing, how much capital you need, what timeline you are working against, what the collateral looks like, and what your exit strategy is. From that conversation, we determine whether your deal fits into a bridge loan, mezzanine, unitranche, preferred equity, or direct lending structure — and we identify the specific lenders in our network who are active in that space at that loan size.
We then make a direct introduction. Not a mass email to 50 lenders. Not a shotgun approach where your deal package gets circulated to anyone with a pulse. A targeted introduction to one to three lenders who we have reason to believe will be competitive on your specific transaction. These are lenders we have worked with, whose credit committees we understand, and whose current appetites we track in real time.
PeerSense charges no retainers, no application fees, and no upfront consulting fees. Our referral fee is established in a written agreement before we begin work and is paid only at closing. If your deal does not close, you owe us nothing. This structure aligns our incentives entirely with yours: we only succeed when you get funded.
For transactions that require institutional-level capital solutions — warehouse facilities, forward-flow agreements, NAV lending, or structured credit — PeerSense facilitates introductions to licensed institutional advisors and capital markets professionals who execute those transactions. We do not operate as a broker-dealer, and we are transparent about what we handle directly and what requires specialized execution.
The fundamental difference is regulatory constraint. Banks are regulated depository institutions that must comply with capital adequacy requirements, concentration limits, and examiner scrutiny. These regulations limit the types of deals banks can profitably underwrite. Private credit funds operate outside these constraints — they are governed by their fund documents and investor mandates rather than banking regulators. This allows private credit lenders to move faster, accept more complex structures, lend at higher leverage, and work with borrowers whose situations do not fit standardized bank underwriting. The tradeoff is cost: private credit typically carries interest rates of 9% to 18%, compared to 6% to 10% for bank loans. But for many transactions, the speed, flexibility, and certainty that private credit provides more than justifies the premium.
Yes, in almost every case. Private credit interest rates range from 9% to 18% depending on the structure (bridge, mezzanine, preferred equity, direct lending) and the risk profile of the transaction. Bank loans for comparable credits might range from 6% to 10%. However, cost is only one variable. If a bank loan takes 90 days and your acquisition deadline is 30 days away, the bank loan is not actually available to you regardless of its rate. If a bank will only lend 65% LTV and you need 80%, the bank loan does not solve your problem. Private credit fills gaps that banks leave open, and the higher cost reflects the flexibility and speed that makes deals possible.
Collateral requirements vary by lender and deal type. For commercial real estate transactions, the property itself serves as primary collateral, typically with a first-lien mortgage. For corporate direct lending, collateral can include accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, intellectual property, or a blanket lien on business assets. Mezzanine lenders take a second-lien position or a pledge of the borrower's equity interests. Preferred equity providers take an equity interest rather than a lien. Some private credit transactions — particularly for strong sponsors with proven track records — can be structured with lighter collateral packages than what banks require.
Bridge loans can close in as little as 10 to 14 business days for clean transactions with clear collateral and experienced sponsors. Most private credit transactions close within 3 to 6 weeks. Direct lending and unitranche facilities for larger middle-market transactions typically take 4 to 8 weeks from term sheet to close. Compare this to 60 to 120 days for a traditional bank loan and 90+ days for an SBA loan.
Yes, and this is one of the most common uses of private credit. Many borrowers use a bridge loan or short-term private credit facility to acquire or stabilize an asset, then refinance into permanent bank financing or a CMBS loan once the property or business meets conventional underwriting standards. This strategy is standard in commercial real estate — acquire with a bridge loan, execute the business plan (renovate, lease up, stabilize NOI), then refinance into a lower-rate permanent loan. The exit strategy is a critical component of how private credit lenders underwrite the initial transaction.
PeerSense works on private credit transactions from $1 million to $500 million+. For operator-level deals (bridge loans, mezzanine, preferred equity), our most active range is $1 million to $100 million. For institutional capital advisory — warehouse facilities, forward-flow agreements, and fund-level financing — transaction sizes range from $10 million to $5 billion+. We do not have a minimum fee threshold; if the deal makes sense for our lender relationships, we will work on it.
No. PeerSense charges no retainers, no application fees, and no consulting fees. Our referral fee is documented in a written agreement before we begin work and is paid only at loan closing. If your deal does not close, you owe nothing. Schedule a call to discuss your transaction — the initial consultation is free and confidential.
For businesses and real estate operators seeking flexible capital
When bank financing and SBA don't fit — because of timing, credit, deal structure, or size — private credit fills the gap. PeerSense has direct access to non-bank lenders covering:
Private credit offers speed, flexibility, and certainty that traditional lenders can't match. We connect operators with institutional credit funds that understand complex deals and can move quickly.
$1M–$100M
Closes in 2–4 weeks
$250K–$30M
Fills capital stack gaps
Custom structures
Real estate & acquisitions
$1M–$50M
Non-recourse property improvements
$25M–$5B
Development, energy, data centers
PeerSense works at the institutional level on behalf of specialty finance companies, credit platforms, and non-bank lenders that need a capital partner — not a matchmaker, not a retail broker, but a peer-level advisor with active institutional relationships.
View Full Institutional Capital PageSenior secured warehouse credit facilities (bank and non-bank)
Senior revolvers and term loan facilities
Subordinated and mezzanine debt
Asset-backed securitization (ABS)
Forward-flow purchase agreements
NAV and fund-level facilities
Non-dilutive GP financing
SPV leverage and continuation vehicles
Real estate bridge and construction financing
Minority and control equity raises
Preferred equity and hybrid capital structures
Programmatic joint venture equity
M&A advisory — acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations
$10M–$500M+
Warehouse lines, forward flow, ABS, mezzanine, NAV facilities
$25M–$500M+
Senior secured facilities, revolving credit, lender finance programs
$2M–$75M
Direct lending, forward flow, co-investments, preferred debt structures
$25M–$500M+
Forward flow at scale, investment-grade structured credit, rated note programs
If your platform originates commercial loans and needs a capital partner for your pipeline, schedule a confidential call with our team directly.
View Full Institutional Capital PageUnderstanding where private credit fits in the capital structure
| Position | Source Type | Typical LTV/LTC | Priority | Risk/Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Senior Debt (1st Lien) | Banks / SBA / Agency | 50%–75% | Paid First | Lowest |
Mezzanine Debt | Private Credit Funds | 75%–85% | Subordinated | Middle |
Preferred Equity | Institutional / Family Office | 85%–90%+ | Above Common | Higher |
Common Equity | Sponsor / Owner | Remaining 10% | Paid Last | Highest |
PeerSense has access to non-bank lenders providing bridge loans ($1M–$100M) and mezzanine financing ($250K–$30M) that can close in as little as 2–4 weeks. For warehouse facilities, forward-flow agreements, and NAV facilities, introductions are made to licensed institutional advisors who execute those transactions.
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