Statista estimates the value of the commercial real estate market will reach $24.67 trillion in 2023. According to the Deloitte Center for Financial Services 2024 industry outlook, half the industry expects the cost of capital and capital availability to worsen through next year. Couple that with the $1.5 trillion wall of debt maturing before the end of 2025 and it’s easy to understand the trepidation in the market today.
But we’ve been here before.
The credit team at Peachtree Group has completed hundreds of transactions worth north of $15 billion. In our collective careers, we have seen borrowers navigate unstable markets, such as what we are experiencing today, in a variety of different ways.
Here are five tips for borrowers trying to navigate today’s difficult market, and secure funding for their project.
It has been a borrower’s market for several years now, and this is not one of them. Do not forsake the term sheet in your hand – the Fed has raised interest rates 11 times since March of 2022. Spending too much time on turns of a term sheet might leave you losing any spread concessions to increases in the benchmark or, even worse – lenders deciding to pull terms altogether. If you have an offer from someone you trust, you might want to take it.
On existing projects, your current lender is most likely your best friend. A lender willing to give you an extension is gold in this market. Getting additional terms out of your current lender is likely the least costly option, even if it comes with fees and a rate increase – it likely is still significantly less costly than what the current market will give you. However, I hope that you have been a good borrower – up to date on deliverables, communicative about the status of your project, etc. – make no mistake, the bank is doing you a favor, don't give credit committee a reason to say no.
Being one of the largest CPACE originators in the country, Peachtree has seen a significant increase in pipeline looking to apply proceeds retroactively. Properties are eligible for CPACE up to 3 years after certificate of occupancy in approved municipalities and proceeds can generally be up to 35% of stabilized value. It’s a source of capital that has become more interesting to first mortgage lenders as the proceeds could be used to paydown your first mortgage and size a new interest reserve.
We pride ourselves on being lenders who want to be part of the solution when a deal has a budget bust or stabilization is taking longer than anticipated. However, I always encourage borrowers to size up their budget contingencies (i.e., 7% vs. 5%) or structure additional interest reserves. Yes, it will increase your initial capitalization, but your lender will pick up 60-70% of that cost in the loan funding. It may mean more work on the initial capital raise, but it's usually less costly than going back to your lender and/or equity mid-project to get additional capital.
Lenders have access to data and information. They ultimately will discover the truth; it might as well come from you. This includes prior credit aberrations or issues and accurate property performance information. We have capital specifically for lending on special situations – there are a lot of deal-level risks that can be mitigated, but lack of trust with sponsorship is not one of them.
In uncertain times, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Peachtree is an experienced capital partner who understands commercial real estate's nuances. With funding options limited from traditional lenders, our team has the lending solutions, financial capacity, and expertise to close complex transactions in today's challenging capital market environment.
We are available to discuss your lending options that meet your business objectives. Visit us at www.peachtreegroup.com.
Daniel Siegel is president and principal of Peachtree's commercial real estate lending group.
Before joining Peachtree, he was with Ardent Companies as managing director and the head of high-yield investments leading the company’s debt investments. Prior to that, Daniel was vice president of acquisitions at Rialto Capital, overseeing the distressed loan acquisitions platform. During his tenure at Rialto, Daniel directly oversaw the acquisition of commercial real estate loans on domestic and international opportunities. Additionally, he developed the firm’s small balance loan acquisition platform and led the company’s first European acquisition.
Daniel has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Tulane University. Contact him at dsiegel@peachtreegroup.com.
ATLANTA (Nov. 12, 2025) - Peachtree Group (“Peachtree”) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire First Western SBLC, Inc. (“First Western”), doing business as PMC Commercial Trust (“PMC”), a Dallas-based nationwide direct lender specializing in Small Business Administration (“SBA”) 7(a) loans. The closing is subject to the receipt of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s consent as well as certain other closing conditions.
“This acquisition will allow Peachtree to expand its credit platform while bringing the speed, creativity and certainty we’re known for into the SBA lending space,” said Greg Friedman, Peachtree’s CEO and managing principal. “PMC was founded by my grandfather, Dr. Fred Rosemore, over four decades ago to help entrepreneurs access capital and pursue their business goals. Bringing that legacy into Peachtree’s platform will be both personally meaningful and strategically powerful, enabling us to deliver fast, flexible financing solutions to small business owners nationwide.”
Following the closing of this acquisition, Peachtree will offer small business owners streamlined access to SBA 7(a) loans ranging from $50,000 to $5,000,000 to finance acquisitions of real estate or other businesses, purchase equipment, provide working capital and refinance existing debt. This lending solution provides a highly efficient capital source for smaller transactions, particularly in the hospitality sector, and will extend Peachtree’s ability to serve owners across a variety of industries.
PMC, an indirect subsidiary of Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation (“CMCT”), is one of only 12 Small Business Lending Companies (“SBLCs”) actively licensed by the SBA to originate 7(a)loans. Since its founding in 1983, the firm has helped entrepreneurs access growth capital and holds the SBA’s Preferred Lender Program (PLP) designation, granting delegated authority to place SBA guarantees on loans without prior SBA review, allowing borrowers to close faster and advance their business plans.
This acquisition underscores Peachtree’s commitment to providing diverse and flexible capital solutions across the credit spectrum, positioning the firm to support both institutional borrowers and small business owners with the right financing at the right time.
“Expanding into SBA lending is a natural extension of Peachtree’s vertically integrated platform,” Michael Harper, President, Hotel Lending added. “With PMC’s PLP designation and focus on hotel owners, along with the network of relationships we can leverage through our originations team, we will be able to provide efficient capital solutions for smaller transactions while supporting small business growth in hospitality and other industries. This addition will broaden our credit capabilities and strengthen our ability to deliver strong returns for investors.”
This expansion will build on Peachtree’s established reputation as one of the nation’s leading commercial real estate lenders.
Peachtree is a top-tier financing partner recognized by the Mortgage Bankers Association as the seventh-largest investor-driven commercial real estate lender in the U.S. The firm will offer a full spectrum of financing solutions, including SBA 7(a) loans following the closing of this acquisition, permanent loans, bridge loans, mezzanine financing, CPACE (Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy) loans, preferred equity investments and Triple Net Lease (NNN) financing.
Atlanta Business Chronicle | Peachtree Group continues to play a major role in Atlanta’s evolving real estate landscape, providing over $150 million in recent financing across three key projects. The firm’s latest deal includes a $35.7 million loan for the $605 million Northbend redevelopment in Brookhaven, transforming Corporate Square into a mixed-use community with housing, retail, and green space. Earlier this year, Peachtree also financed the Atlanta Financial Center and the new Westin Atlanta Gwinnett near Gas South Arena, underscoring its growing influence as one of the Southeast’s most active private-credit providers.
Commercial Observer | Peachtree Group originated the three-year, floating-rate, $55MM bridge loan with two 12-month extension options for Hotel Amarano Burbank Hollywood, which Nimes Real Estate acquired in late 2019. The hotel is locate in Burbank, Calif., near Warner Bros. headquarters and Walt Disney Studios.
