Commercial Lenders of America

What Commercial Lenders of America does

Commercial Lenders of America (CLA) is a private, Chicago-headquartered commercial real estate and business lender founded in 1994, operating under the brand CLAmericaCash.com. It originates commercial mortgages for property purchase, refinancing, and construction across multifamily, office, retail, industrial, hotel, healthcare, and special-use assets, with individual loan sizes up to $100 million. Beyond balance-sheet commercial real estate lending, the firm distributes SBA loans, hard money and bridge loans, working capital loans, equipment financing, mezzanine financing, accounts receivable financing, lines of credit, and conventional mortgage structures (Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate, Balloon, Interest Only), positioning itself as a full-stack non-bank credit provider to borrowers turned away by conventional lenders.

The business model is transaction-fee driven: revenue is generated through origination points/fees and interest income/spreads on funded loans, with pricing tiers such as bridge loans at 1–4 points and 6.50%–12% rates depending on collateral type. Underlying technology is a web-based loan application and processing platform supplemented by phone-based inside sales; the firm has no disclosed API, SDK, or proprietary AI/automation layer. Its go-to-market combines direct online applications, toll-free phone sales (833-25-LOAN-4), and a referral network of brokers, attorneys, accountants, and realtors, with marketing through email and major social platforms. Core financial partnerships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD/FHA, SBA, USDA, REITs, conduit lenders, banks, and institutional investors provide funding capacity and secondary-market access.

CLA employs 51–100 people, serves borrowers across all 50 U.S. states and internationally, and advertises a 72-hour funding timeline backed by a no-upfront-fees policy. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no public revenue figures, no named management team in the source data, and no certifications, patents, or regulatory actions on record.

Name

Commercial Lenders of America

Legal name

Commercial Lenders of America

Website

https://clamericacash.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Commercial Lenders of America is a private Chicago-based commercial real estate lender offering loans up to $100 million across all 50 U.S. states, serving real estate investors, businesses, and property owners with SBA, hard money, bridge, and multifamily loan products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Real Estate Credit (522292), Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Debt & Structured Finance / Mortgage Brokerage (BPAJABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Mortgage Brokerage (FSAEAEAB), Bridge & Short-Term Real Estate Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAG), SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI), SME Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Lending (FSABABAG)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate lending
• SBA loan programs
• Hard money loans
• Bridge loan financing
• Business working capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Lending: Origination of commercial mortgage loans for property purchase, refinancing, and construction. Includes apartment loans, office buildings, retail, industrial, and multifamily properties. Revenue generated from loan origination fees, interest income, and points charged on loans.
2. Hard Money / Private Money Loans: Short-term high-value loans based on property collateral rather than borrower credit. Higher interest rates than conventional loans. Revenue from origination fees and interest.
3. SBA Loans: Small Business Administration backed loans for business owners. Revenue from loan origination fees and interest spread.
4. Working Capital & Business Loans: Unsecured business loans for working capital, equipment financing, and other business needs. Revenue from origination fees and interest.
5. Bridge Loans: Short-term interim financing between loans. Revenue from origination points (1-4 pts) and higher interest rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Commercial Lenders of America originates commercial real estate and business loans, including commercial mortgages (up to $100 million), SBA loans, hard money/bridge loans, apartment/multifamily loans, working capital loans, equipment financing, and various mortgage products (Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate, Balloon, Interest Only). The company also serves as a debt placement intermediary, providing short-term interim and private money loans for real estate investors and business owners turned away by conventional lenders, with no upfront application fees and a 72-hour funding timeline.

Product overview

Commercial Lenders of America is a commercial real estate lender offering a comprehensive portfolio of loan products for real estate investment and business financing. The core offerings include commercial real estate financing (up to $100 million), SBA loans, hard money loans, apartment/multifamily loans, bridge loans, equipment financing, and various mortgage products (Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate, Balloon, Interest Only). The company also provides specialized financing including Fix N Flip loans, working capital loans, accounts receivable financing, mezzanine financing, and lines of credit. These products serve borrowers across all 50 U.S. states for various property types including apartments, retail, hotels, healthcare facilities, industrial buildings, office buildings, and special use properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Real Estate Financing

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RCN Capital: Direct competitor in hard money, fix-and-flip, and bridge lending for real estate investors. Operates a similar nationwide origination model with similar borrower profile (investors turned away by conventional lenders), making it the closest comparable to CLA.
• Lima One Capital: Specializes in fix-and-flip, rental, and multifamily bridge loans for real estate investors, with very similar product mix (short-term, asset-based, high-LTV) and target borrower as CLA.
• CoreVest Finance: Single-family rental and bridge lender to real estate investors, acquired by Redwood Trust. Comparable product overlap (bridge, rental, fix-and-flip) and similar institutional capital partner model.
• Kiavi (formerly LendingHome): Online direct lender for real estate investors offering fix-and-flip and rental loans, with proprietary digital platform. Comparable in serving the investor segment CLA targets, with greater tech sophistication.
• New Silver Lending: Hard money and bridge lender for fix-and-flip and rental investors. Closely overlaps CLA's hard money, bridge, and fix-and-flip product lines targeting similar borrower profile.
• A10 Capital: Balance-sheet CRE bridge and value-add lender for middle-market commercial properties. Comparable product focus on commercial bridge and transitional CRE lending.

Broad incumbents

• Arbor Realty Trust: Publicly traded multifamily and CRE lender and servicer offering agency (Fannie/Freddie), bridge, and mezzanine products. Comparable multifamily and CRE bridge product mix and GSE partnerships at much larger scale.
• Walker & Dunlop: Large CRE finance platform with heavy multifamily agency lending (Fannie, Freddie, HUD/FHA) plus bridge and capital markets. Comparable GSE-driven multifamily origination franchise at significantly larger scale.
• JLL (Capital Markets): Global CRE services platform with debt placement, equity, and investment sales. Overlaps CLA in commercial mortgage brokerage and debt placement for institutional and middle-market clients.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with debt and equity origination across CRE property types. Comparable in CRE debt placement and capital markets advisory at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commercial-lenders-of-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commercial Lenders of America