The commercial real estate landscape is constantly changing, and that means that the loan options available to borrowers are also in a state of flux. The options available today may not be there even a week from now, especially during periods of great economic uncertainty and rising interest rates.

So what? 

If you're in the market for a commercial mortgage, it's essential to stay up to date on the latest changes in order to get the best terms on your loan. And one of the best ways to do this is to sign up for a commercial mortgage alert service.

Understanding the Rapidly Changing CRE Landscape

The commercial real estate landscape has undergone — and is regularly undergoing — a great deal of change. This has been driven by a number of factors, in the past, which include:

• The rapid rise of e-commerce

• Long-term systemic issues in the retail sector

• The growth in popularity of coworking space

• Needs of the Millennial and Generation Z workforces

• Shifts in market demographics and household formation

These factors — and, to be fair, many, many others — are having a major impact on the types of properties that are in demand, as well as the loan products that are available to borrowers. As a result, it's more important than ever for borrowers to stay up to date on the latest changes in the CRE landscape.

How Location Impacts Your Loan Options

Location is one of the key factors that lenders consider when determining loan terms. This is because different locations present different risks and opportunities for borrowers. For example, properties in major metropolitan areas are typically seen as being less risky than properties in rural areas. As a result, borrowers who are looking for the best loan terms must consider their property’s location and what that means for a lender.

Sometimes a location can have a clear-cut impact on the types of financing available. For example, a Freddie Mac Small Balance Loan for a multifamily property in Manhattan has a larger potential maximum amount than the same loan in Birmingham, Ala. Similarly, at the submarket or neighborhood level, a lender may offer very different office financing in an up-and-coming area compared to a traditional downtown.

How to Stay Aware of Changes in Lending

There are a number of ways that borrowers can stay up-to-date on changes in the CRE lending landscape. One of the best ways to do this is to sign up for a way of receiving a commercial mortgage alert. These services alert you to changes in the lending landscape, which can help borrowers stay on top of the latest dynamics. Additionally, borrowers can also stay informed by reading industry publications and speaking with a loan advisor.

How to Get a Commercial Mortgage Alert

There are a number of commercial mortgage alert services available to borrowers — some free, some fee based. Find out more about your best options below.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts are free and highly useful, provided they’re set up correctly. If you aren’t familiar with Google Alerts, it is a free service provided by the search engine which notifies you when new web content relevant to your interests appears on the web. You can set any number of alerts.

You can set up a Google Alert for “Los Angeles office loans,” for example, and select how frequently you’d like to be emailed when new content arrives. You can choose to receive alerts as they happen, or instead get digests once per day or week. Just be warned — if you opt for instant notifications, you may get overwhelmed with emails depending on how general your alert is.

This is a great way to find out about recently closed commercial real estate loans. You will be alerted when news or blog posts match your criteria, and you can get a better understanding of financing terms and options specific to your target market or asset class.

Commercial Mortgage Alert

Green Street’s Commercial Mortgage Alert is another great option. The weekly publication’s experienced commercial real estate analysts provide in-depth coverage on major financing news and trends, plus a subscription also gives you access to Green Street’s CMBS and CRE CLO databases.

However, this subscription service is probably not for most investors. For one thing, it’s not location specific. And if you’re interested in small financing packages, you may not care so much about a company seeking a $600 million refi in Midtown Manhattan. And finally, the subscription's price tag — upwards of $8,000 — could be a big turnoff, unless you’re a large investor making many commercial real estate financing decisions every year.

Industry News Sources

Of course, there are plenty of highly relevant and useful news sources that are free (or at least significantly more affordable). Many offer insights into commercial real estate finance, providing concrete examples of recently closed financing deals. This can help you understand what options may be available for you, and many include location-specific news and trend pieces.

Some of the most well-known industry publications include:

• Commercial Observer

• Commercial Real Estate Direct

• TheRealDeal

• The Business Journals

• Commercial Property Executive

While most of the above websites offer free content to an extent, several of them do keep some of their articles behind paywalls or only allow a limited number of free articles per month. That said, the subscription cost may be worth it, particularly if you are interested in financing information from a specific market the publication covers.

Enlist a Brokerage Firm

Utilizing a brokerage firm can also be a great way to navigate the landscape of commercial real estate finance. However, this generally does come with a not-insignificant cost, and of course your experience will depend on the specific brokerage firm you use and the individuals you work with.

Still, brokers are generally among the best positioned to provide you with critical information about the types of financing available to you, and their expertise is often concentrated within an asset type in a specific market or even submarket.

Let Janover Do the Work

The folks at Janover offer a solution that is comprehensive. Instead of waiting for a commercial mortgage alert to see what terms and financing types might be available in your area, the Janover platform connects you with multiple lenders to source the most attractive deals for your investment strategy. Whether it’s a retail acquisition loan or a multifamily refinance, the thousands of lenders in the portal will provide you with genuine quotes — all from a quick form that takes only a few minutes to fill out.

The best part? This service is free of charge and available in every market, large and small, nationwide — for every kind of commercial real estate investment type. And our loan advisors will walk you through the entire process and beyond, advocating on your behalf.

If you haven’t already guessed that Janover is Commercial Real Estate Loans’ parent company, this serves as a disclaimer that we are, indeed, part of Janover. The results speak for themselves, though.

If the Janover platform sounds like it might be up your alley, just fill in the form below, and we’ll be in touch.

In Conclusion

Keeping your ear to the ground in the world of commercial real estate finance really is important, however you choose to do so. Understanding how comparable deals have closed can provide you with priceless insights into what may be available when it’s time for you to refinance, acquire, or develop your next property. 

Setting up a commercial mortgage alert — or enlisting the aid of services, either paid or free, that can keep you informed is the key to staying ahead of the curve.