The whole reason bridge debt exists is timing. If you wait 60 days for a bank, the deal walks. A bridge loan funds in a week against the asset, carries a higher coupon than permanent debt, and comes with a defined payoff date you agree to on day one. It is a tool, not a long-term answer.
Speed has a price. Sometimes it is the right price.
Bridge lenders underwrite the collateral and the exit. Your tax returns and six months of seasoned bank statements are not the bottleneck here, which is exactly why a good bridge can close in seven to fourteen days. Real estate investors lean on bridge capital to grab off-market deals. Operating businesses use it to close an acquisition on the seller's timeline or cover a cash gap they can already see resolving.
Because the loan is secured by something tangible and the term is short, pricing runs higher than a bank line. Your underwriter will build the exit into the plan before you sign: a sale, a refinance into permanent debt, or a receivable with a confirmed pay date. No exit, no bridge. That rule protects you.
Eligibility what we typically look for
Real estate or other hard asset pledged as collateral
Documented, dated exit plan
Personal credit score of 620+
Evidence you can actually service the debt through the term
Why founders pick this
Key benefits
Closes in seven to fourteen days
Underwritten on the asset and the exit, not two years of financials
Covers sale-to-purchase timing gaps without killing the deal
Funds time-sensitive acquisitions permanent debt cannot match
Seven to fourteen days is the honest window. We have pushed it under a week when the collateral and the exit were airtight. Speed is the whole product. If speed is not the point, use something cheaper.
A plan with a date on it. That usually means a signed sale contract, a refinance commitment letter, or a receivable the payer has confirmed. Bridge lenders will not underwrite "we will figure it out." Your underwriter will not either.
Yes, relative to bank debt. Rates typically land between 9 and 15 percent and there are origination fees on top. The question is never whether a bridge is cheap. It is whether the deal pays for the bridge and then some. Your underwriter will run the math with you before anything goes to committee.
Sometimes. Asset-heavy acquisitions with clean balance sheets can qualify. Service businesses with no hard collateral usually cannot. We will tell you straight on the intake call.