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Commercial Real Estate Lending — Western Alliance Bank CRE Solutions

Western Alliance Bank commercial real estate lending serves owner-occupied property buyers, real estate investors, multifamily sponsors, developers, and borrowers refinancing existing CRE debt. The CRE team finances industrial, multifamily, medical office, professional office, retail, mixed-use, self-storage, and owner-occupied headquarters buildings across US markets, with concentrated expertise in the Southwest and national specialty property verticals including hotel franchise finance.

Every commercial real estate loan runs through experienced CRE underwriters who evaluate property cash flow, borrower sponsorship, and local market dynamics. Stabilized CRE transactions close in 30 to 60 days. Construction and bridge loans take longer due to plan review and appraisal sensitivities. Loan documents, draw requests, and monthly reporting flow through the Western Alliance Bank Business portal. The bank operates as an Equal Housing Lender under OCC supervision, and all paired deposit relationships are FDIC insured.

Contact CRE Team Business Loans Overview
Western Alliance Bank commercial real estate dashboard showing multifamily property financing, construction draws, and investor CRE portfolio

Western Alliance Bank CRE Lending Summary — April 2026

  • Owner-occupied CRE term loans from $500K to $25M with up to 80% LTV and 20-25 year amortization
  • Investor CRE loans on industrial, multifamily, office, retail, mixed-use up to 75% LTV
  • Multifamily loans on 5+ unit properties through large garden and mid-rise complexes
  • Construction loans for ground-up development and substantial rehab at 65-75% loan-to-cost
  • CRE refinance for rate, term, and cash-out proceeds across stabilized asset types
  • Equal Housing Lender. OCC regulated. Paired deposits FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor
  • Specialty hotel franchise finance team for branded hospitality construction and acquisition

Western Alliance Bank CRE Loan Products

Match each CRE opportunity to the right loan product. The matrix below summarizes size, LTV, term, amortization, and primary use case across core CRE structures.

CRE ProductLoan SizeMax LTV / LTCTermAmortization
Owner-Occupied Term$500K – $25M80% LTV5, 7, 10 yr20–25 years
Investor CRE — Industrial$1M – $50M75% LTV5, 7, 10 yr25–30 years
Investor CRE — Office$1M – $25M65–70% LTV5, 7 yr25 years
Investor CRE — Retail$1M – $25M70% LTV5, 7, 10 yr25–30 years
Multifamily — Stabilized$1M – $50M75–80% LTV5, 7, 10 yr30 years
Construction — Multifamily$2M – $75M65–75% LTC18–36 monthsInterest-only draws
Construction — Industrial/Office$2M – $50M65–70% LTC18–30 monthsInterest-only draws
Bridge / Transitional$1M – $25M70% LTV12–24 monthsInterest-only
Self-Storage$1M – $25M70% LTV5, 7, 10 yr25 years
Hotel Franchise (Branded)$3M – $50M65–70% LTV5, 7, 10 yr25 years

LTVs and terms subject to underwriting, property condition, and sponsor profile. Equal Housing Lender. See HUD fair lending guidelines. FDIC covers paired deposit accounts.

How Western Alliance Bank Underwrites Commercial Real Estate

CRE underwriting at Western Alliance Bank combines property-level cash flow analysis, market evaluation, and sponsor capability review.

Western Alliance Bank CRE analyst reviewing rent roll, operating statement, and market comparables for investor multifamily property

Property Cash Flow, Debt Service Coverage, and Appraisal

Western Alliance Bank CRE underwriting starts with net operating income (NOI) analysis. Income statements are normalized for vacancy, collection loss, and market-standard expenses. Debt service coverage ratios (DSCR) typically require 1.20x to 1.30x on stabilized properties and 1.25x to 1.40x on construction stabilization. Commercial appraisals performed by state-certified appraisers set loan-to-value limits. Environmental Phase I reports document site conditions. Property condition reports identify deferred maintenance items on existing buildings. For multifamily assets, rent roll analysis validates scheduled income against market rents.

Owner-occupied CRE underwriting adds business cash flow analysis — the operating business must demonstrate independent debt service capacity. Business loan covenants pair with the CRE mortgage in most owner-occupied structures. Borrowers with existing treasury relationships receive faster approval because the bank already has operational visibility.

Commercial Lending
Western Alliance Bank commercial real estate loan closing with sponsor, title agent, and bank representative

Sponsor Evaluation, Guarantees, and Market Analysis

Sponsor underwriting examines track record in the specific property type, liquidity, net worth, and prior lender references. Non-recourse options exist on certain stabilized investor CRE transactions above specific size thresholds. Most middle-market CRE carries partial recourse or limited guarantees (bad-boy carve-outs, completion guarantees, interest carry guarantees). Full recourse applies to smaller investor CRE, construction loans, and owner-occupied transactions.

Market analysis covers submarket vacancy trends, rent growth patterns, and supply pipeline. CRE relationship managers have sector expertise in industrial logistics, medical office, multifamily, retail, self-storage, and hotel franchise finance. The HUD framework informs fair lending compliance across multifamily transactions.

Lines of Credit
Western Alliance Bank Business portal showing construction loan draw schedule, inspection status, and completion percentages

Construction Loan Draws and Portfolio Reporting

Construction CRE loans at Western Alliance Bank fund through monthly or bi-monthly draws tied to construction progress. Each draw request includes AIA G702 and G703 forms, lien waivers from general contractors and major subcontractors, an inspection report from the bank's construction consultant, and an updated draw schedule. Interest reserves capitalize into the loan during the construction period. The business banking portal tracks draw status, remaining availability, and the next scheduled draw date.

Post-closing CRE portfolio management appears alongside deposit accounts and cash management inside the portal. Quarterly property-level financial statements and annual CPA-prepared financials upload to the portal on the reporting frequency defined in the loan documents. Rate maturities, balloon dates, and option windows surface in advance to support refinance planning.

Business Portal

Specialty CRE Property Types

Beyond core industrial, multifamily, and office, Western Alliance Bank has concentrated expertise in specialty commercial real estate categories with distinct underwriting norms.

Multifamily, Industrial Logistics, and Medical Office

Multifamily lending serves apartment owners from 5-unit garden properties through large mid-rise complexes with stabilized financing, construction loans, and bridge facilities for value-add repositioning. Industrial logistics financing has grown alongside e-commerce demand, covering warehouse, distribution, flex space, and cold storage with sensitivity to tenant credit and lease rollover. Medical office financing serves physician practices, medical office building (MOB) investors, and surgical center developers with underwriting that accounts for healthcare-specific operating characteristics and the regulatory context surrounding healthcare real estate tenancy. The healthcare business loan team often partners on combined practice and CRE transactions.

Hotel Franchise, Self-Storage, and Owner-Occupied Headquarters

Hotel franchise construction and acquisition financing runs through the dedicated hospitality banking team with relationships across major flag franchisors. Structures account for property improvement plan (PIP) requirements, franchise reserves, and RevPAR-based cash flow. Self-storage lending finances acquisition, construction, and expansion of storage facilities with underwriting tuned to occupancy ramp curves and market saturation analysis. Owner-occupied CRE — headquarters buildings, manufacturing plants, medical offices, and operating facilities used by the borrowing business — combines property-level mortgage underwriting with business cash flow analysis. This structure often qualifies for SBA 504 financing when the owner-occupancy threshold is met.

Western Alliance Bank CRE Customer Experiences

Sponsors and owner-operators describe working with Western Alliance Bank on commercial real estate transactions.

"Closed our 180-unit multifamily construction loan with Western Alliance. Draw process is clean, the inspector is responsive, and our rate locked at commitment saved us during the run-up."

Andrew Beckman — Managing Partner, Multifamily Development

"Owner-occupied CRE refi on our manufacturing headquarters closed in 42 days with a 25-year amortization. Better terms than our previous bank and a team that understood the operating business."

Patricia Nguyen — CFO, Industrial Manufacturing

"Our industrial portfolio — five logistics buildings, $32M total — runs with Western Alliance. Annual reporting is efficient, covenant monitoring is fair, and the relationship team knows every asset."

Robert Martinez — Principal, Industrial Real Estate Fund

Start a Western Alliance Bank CRE Conversation

Discuss owner-occupied CRE, investor properties, multifamily acquisitions, construction loans, or CRE refinancing with a Western Alliance Bank commercial real estate banker. Initial conversations define the property profile, sponsor experience, capital stack, and closing timeline expectations. Reach the CRE team at +1-800-444-7441 Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM Mountain Time to speak with a real estate banker experienced in your property type and market.

Contact CRE Team SBA 504 Information

Frequently Asked Questions About Western Alliance Bank CRE Lending

Answers about CRE loan types, LTV limits, loan terms, construction financing, and qualifying property types.

What commercial real estate loans does Western Alliance Bank offer?

Owner-occupied CRE term loans, investor CRE (industrial, office, retail, multifamily, mixed-use), multifamily stabilized and construction, construction loans for ground-up and rehab, bridge/transitional CRE, self-storage, specialty hotel franchise through the hospitality banking team, and CRE refinance. See the product matrix above for sizes and LTVs.

What loan-to-value ratios does Western Alliance Bank offer on CRE loans?

Owner-occupied up to 80% LTV, investor CRE 65-75% LTV depending on property type, multifamily 75-80% LTV, construction 65-75% loan-to-cost. Hotel franchise typically 65-70% LTV. See the FAQ table for product-level LTV limits.

How long are CRE loan terms at Western Alliance Bank?

5, 7, or 10 year terms with 20-30 year amortization on stabilized properties. Construction loans run 18-36 months. Bridge CRE 12-24 months. Balloon payment at term maturity with option to refinance or extend. Owner-occupied commonly uses 20-25 year amortization.

Does Western Alliance Bank offer CRE construction loans?

Yes. Ground-up and substantial rehab construction loans for industrial, multifamily, medical office, mixed-use, self-storage, and select specialty types. Monthly draws with inspections, lien waivers, and AIA G702/G703 documentation. 65-75% loan-to-cost. Conversion to permanent or mini-perm at stabilization.

What property types qualify for Western Alliance Bank CRE loans?

Industrial and flex, multifamily (5+ unit), medical office, professional office, retail, mixed-use, self-storage, owner-occupied headquarters and manufacturing, and hotel franchise via hospitality team. Credit-tenant net-lease also qualifies. Raw land without active development and purely speculative projects are generally outside bank appetite. See Security for compliance details.