Service
Commercial property financing.
Multi-family house, office building, practice or warehouse — banks that know how to read property types and cash flow.
Context
Commercial property is calculated differently — and so are banks.
With owner-occupied homes, banks primarily assess the buyer — creditworthiness, income, equity. With commercial property, they additionally run the numbers on the property itself: what does the cash flow support after operating costs, vacancy and reserves? How does the location compare against the regional rent index? What renovation backlog weighs on the yield?
That makes things more complex — and automatically rules out a share of the banks. Classic mortgage lenders will often still take on multi-family houses, but for office or mixed-use buildings the field narrows. For practices, warehouses and mixed-use, only the specialist institutions remain.
We know these institutions. We prepare the cash flow the way it will be assessed, and we select banks that work routinely with your property type. That saves time, avoids blanket rejections — and gets you terms that are genuinely comparable.
Property types
Four property types that frequently land on our desk.
Multi-family & apartment houses
The classic buy-to-let investment — small to mid-sized multi-family houses with three to twelve units. Banks assess location, local rent index, state of renovation and cash flow. Equity is typically 20 to 30 percent.
Office buildings & medical practices
Owner-occupied practices or office buildings, often combined with residential units above. What matters here is the owner-occupancy ratio — and the creditworthiness of the occupying business.
Warehouse, logistics & production space
Industrial halls, small logistics properties, production sites. Specialist banks only — not every classic mortgage lender will take these on.
Mixed-use & renovation properties
Mixed-use buildings (residential + commercial + practice), listed heritage buildings, renovation or conversion projects. Complex, but financeable — when the structure is right.
How it works
From property profile to approval.
- 1
Property & buyer profile
We review the property (use, location, local rent index, state of renovation) and the buyer profile (private individual, asset-holding GmbH, holding company) together. The financing logic depends on both.
- 2
Cash-flow structuring
For commercial property, banks calculate on a cash-flow basis: rents minus operating costs, vacancy and a maintenance reserve. We prepare this so it holds up to scrutiny.
- 3
Bank selection
Commercial property financing is not every bank's day-to-day business. From more than 500 partners, we select the five to ten that work routinely with your property type.
- 4
Offers & structuring
A written comparison and a clear recommendation. On request, we stay by your side through to disbursement — including bank communication, the notary appointment and the flow of documents.
Building blocks
Six tools for commercial financing.
Classic commercial financing
An annuity loan secured by a land charge. The standard case for multi-family houses, offices and mixed-use properties — comparable to private mortgage financing, but with a different assessment logic.
Asset-holding GmbH as buyer
Often attractive for tax purposes (5.5 percent corporate tax plus solidarity surcharge on rental income). On the bank side, it takes specialist partners — we know them.
Cash-flow financing
For profitable existing properties, the financing can be geared to cash flow — a higher loan-to-value ratio becomes possible when the rent reliably covers the repayment.
Commercial KfW subsidy loans
For the energy-efficient renovation of commercial property (KfW-276 / 277, via Germany's state development bank). Frequently overlooked — and it can improve terms considerably.
Leasehold & land structures
Leasehold properties, divided plots, complex ownership structures. These require banks willing to take on the extra valuation work — which is not a given.
Refinancing existing portfolios
Refinance an existing portfolio, release cash, restructure the follow-up financing. Often the step that makes growth possible in the first place.
Pitfalls
Four mistakes that cost commercial investors dearly.
Using a private mortgage for commercial property
Some buyers try to present commercial property through a classic private mortgage. Banks recognise this, the approval collapses — or the terms are worsened after the fact.
Calculating cash flow too optimistically
If you set operating costs, vacancy risk and the maintenance reserve too low, you build yourself an illusion. Banks calculate conservatively — so do we.
Thinking about the tax structure only after purchase
Asset-holding GmbH, holding company or private purchase — this decision has to be made before the purchase contract, not after. Restructuring afterwards costs real estate transfer tax or advisory fees.
One bank for everything
If you finance all your properties through the same bank, you depend on a single exposure limit. Spreading across two or three banks creates more room for growth.
Related services
Topics that often belong together.
Frequently asked
What investors want to know upfront.
- Which properties do you typically finance?
- We support small to mid-sized commercial properties: multi-family houses, practice and office buildings, mixed-use properties, logistics and commercial spaces.
- How much equity do I need for commercial property?
- Rule of thumb: 20 to 30 percent of the purchase price plus purchase costs. For particularly high-yield existing properties with a solid cash-flow history, 15 percent is possible; for renovation or special-purpose properties it is often 35 percent or more. We assess this property by property.
- Is it worth buying through an asset-holding GmbH?
- For tax purposes, often yes — an asset-holding GmbH (a German property-holding limited company) taxes rental income at around 16 percent instead of your personal income tax rate. But: not every bank readily lends to an asset-holding GmbH, and acquisition costs are higher. We discuss this before you sign — and work with tax advisers in complex cases.
- How do banks assess the cash flow?
- Banks take rental income minus operating costs (roughly 15 to 25 percent), less a vacancy assumption (2 to 5 percent) and a maintenance reserve (around 8 euros per square metre per year). What remains has to cover repayment and interest — usually with a safety margin of 110 to 130 percent.
- Which banks specialise in commercial property?
- There are classic property banks with a commercial focus, specialist mortgage banks, some commercial banks with multi-family-house programmes, and development banks such as KfW for energy-efficient renovation. Which partners make sense for your specific case depends on property type, buyer structure and region.
Your first consultation — free and without obligation.
30 to 60 minutes in which we listen to your situation, answer first questions and tell you transparently whether and how we can help. No sales pitch. No pressure.
- I.We get back to you within one working day by phone or e-mail.
- II.We arrange an appointment — in person, by phone or via video call.
- III.We assess your situation and tell you openly how we can support you.
Start your enquiry
A few quick steps to your personal assessment. Response within 24 hours, strictly confidential.
- Key facts about your plans and equity
- Occupation and net household income
- Preferred advisor, or leave it open
- Your contact details
Takes about 2 minutes. No credit check at this stage.