Commercial Real Estate Loans in Massachusetts

A commercial real estate (CRE) loan is a mortgage secured by income-producing property used for business purposes — like an office building, retail center, warehouse, or mixed-use asset. Approval centers on the property's value and the income it produces, and the loan funds the purchase, refinance, repositioning, or construction of that asset.

Commercial real estate includes office, retail, industrial and warehouse, mixed-use, hospitality, and certain specialty properties. Multifamily buildings with five or more units are also generally treated as commercial, though Norfolk Capital underwrites those through our multifamily loan program.

Generally, no. A purely commercial property is zoned for business use, and residential occupancy isn't permitted. Mixed-use buildings, however, often include legal residential units alongside commercial space — common throughout Boston and other Massachusetts cities. Local zoning ultimately decides what's allowed, so any project that mixes residential and commercial elements should be confirmed with the municipality. Norfolk Capital finances investor-owned commercial and mixed-use properties, not owner-occupied homes.

Residential mortgages are built around the borrower's personal income, credit, and consumer protections; commercial loans are built around the property and the income it generates. Terms, structures, and underwriting all reflect that — CRE loans tend to be shorter-term with amortization periods that extend past the loan's maturity, leading to a balloon payment or a refinance at the end of the term.

We offer private, asset-based commercial real estate financing for acquisition, refinance, value-add and repositioning, and bridge to stabilization or permanent financing. For new builds, see our new construction loans. We do not offer SBA-backed or owner-occupied consumer loans — our focus is the investor side.

Yes. Banks and SBA programs work well when the deal can wait through their underwriting and the property fits their criteria. Norfolk Capital is the alternative when you need to close quickly, when the property is in a transition (lease-up, repositioning, recent vacancy), or when you want a relationship-driven lender who'll actually look at the deal. For more on our broader lending model, see our private money lending page.

Common uses include acquiring an income-producing commercial property, refinancing or cashing out of an existing one, funding value-add improvements and repositioning, bridge financing while stabilizing the asset, and ground-up commercial construction. If your project doesn't fit neatly into one category, we can structure financing that does.

Because we're a direct private lender and underwrite around the property rather than agency or bank criteria, qualified commercial deals can close significantly faster than conventional or SBA loans. Apply with the details of your project and our team will walk you through a realistic timeline for your specific deal.