Business Loan Referral Program for Commercial Mortgage and Real Estate Brokers

The Clean Split: You Handle the Property, We Handle the Business

Because the products do not overlap, there is no competition for the client and no confusion about who is arranging what.

Signals in Your Pipeline That a Client Needs Business Capital

• The owner is buying or leasing a second location and has not budgeted for the build-out.
• The property deal is fine, but the business bank statements show tight balances and overlapping debits.
• A tenant needs equipment before the doors open.
• A contractor or distributor client is waiting 60 to 90 days on large receivables.
• The owner mentions payroll or a tax bill in the same conversation as the closing date.

You do not need to diagnose the product. One line on what the money is for and when it is needed is enough.

How the Referral Works, Step by Step

1. Sign up on the partner page. About two minutes. We call within one business day to walk through the partner agreement.
2. Get your partner link and co-branded landing page once the agreement is signed.
3. Introduce the owner with their permission: name, number and one line on the need.
4. One specialist runs the file, collecting a short application and the 3 most recent business bank statements (4 in NY, CA or VA).
5. The owner reviews offers with the specialist and decides.
6. The financing funds and you are paid per the partner agreement.

What a Good Referral Looks Like

• A year or more in business (sometimes six months).
• $20,000+ in average monthly revenue in a business bank account.
• A defined use of funds tied to the business, not the property purchase.
• A request from $20,000 up to $2 million on non-SBA products, or up to $5 million through the SBA.

Startups and pre-revenue companies are not a fit, and neither is personal borrowing. Meeting the criteria is not a guarantee of an offer.

Lining Up the Business Financing With Your Closing

Property closings run on their own calendar. Business financing should not delay it, so introduce the owner early.

How Commission and Payment Timing Work

We do not publish commission figures. RAN Funding pays partners a share of the commission it earns from the lender when a deal funds, set in writing in the partner agreement before you refer anyone. You are paid at funding, typically by ACH, and nothing is paid on a file that does not fund. The client does not pay you.

More detail: business loan referral fees.

Licensing, RESPA and Disclosure

No license is needed for a basic referral introduction through RAN Funding’s program. Your own license still governs what you can accept.

• RESPA. RESPA’s Section 8 limits on referral fees apply to settlement services for federally related mortgage loans on residential property. A referral of a business’s operating financing is a different transaction, but never tie a referral payment to a residential mortgage or its settlement.
• Your license and brokerage. Real estate and mortgage licenses, and the brokerage you work under, may restrict outside compensation. Check with your broker of record or compliance team.
• California. Paid introductions to commercial lenders fall under the California Financing Law; see our California commercial financing guide.
• Disclosure. Tell the client in writing, before the introduction, that you may receive a referral commission.

When Business Financing Is the Wrong Answer

If the business needs the capital to make the property payment itself, the deal is too tight. Faster business products usually cost more than bank or SBA financing, and stacking a short-term payment on top of a new mortgage can strain the owner’s cash flow. A good referral solves a business need with a clear payback, not a property shortfall.

Two Illustrative Scenarios

Hypothetical examples, not descriptions of specific clients or results.

• The second location. A dental practice is buying a small office building through a commercial mortgage broker. The broker introduces the owner to RAN Funding for the chairs and imaging equipment, financed separately from the building.
• The tight statements. A distributor refinancing its warehouse shows strong revenue but low daily balances because customers pay in 60 days. The broker refers the owner for receivables financing so the business side is steadier before the mortgage underwriter reviews it.

Common Questions