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www.america2030.net

 ©2017 AMERICA2030, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cross-Border M&A Professionals

USA, Canada, European Union, Western & Eastern 

Europe, Asia, Far East, Middle-East

HOW TO WRITE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR  LENDERS

Personalize Each Submission

Investors looking for funding  should tailor their documents to match the recipient's interest if they 

wish to be taken seriously. Because of competition and internal policies in the industry, lenders often 

don't publish their criteria, rates, or preferred deals. Each deal is evaluated on its own merit and a 

decision to work with a borrower is based on a small window of opportunity via a properly written 

Executive Summary.

Document Format

PowerPoint presentations are great when you are in a meeting setting, but should not be used as a 

request to do business. Your ES should be limited to 1-2 pages of text in a Word document or PDF.  Use 

a file name that indicates the project name and the amount of the loan. For example, Riviera 

Apartment Purchase – $8M or The Fuel Depot- $20M. If you feel the need to send a complete business 

plan or photos of the property, include those as separate documents. 

The Process

At first we submit to lenders the ES in 1-2 pages to gauge their interest and to intrigue them to your 

project. If the lender is interested, we will than submit a business plan or more info. A lender will be 

turned of if you only have a business plan to submit. A lender will not take the time to read the 

business plan at onset to figure out the deal. Most business plans are too lengthy and industry specific 

and lenders are financial people who are interested in numbers and not why your widget is better. 

Your Objective

Tell the lender in 1-2 pages in the ES what it is that you want and need. If you want a loan, be specific. If 

you want an investor, equity or debt  or joint venture, be detailed and to the point. The objective 

answers the first question for the lender. Give the loan amount, LTV, and terms you are asking for. 

Describe the property to be developed, acquired or what the funds will be needed in business 

expansion or acquisition. If the property or business is existing, provide quick birds-eye overview of 3-5 

years of financials.

The Project

The lender wants to know how the loan will be secured and what the risks are. What is the property or 

business worth? You should always have an appraisal before asking for a loan. The type of property 

and class should be indicated. What are you paying for it. Do you have a purchase contract? Are there 

deadlines.  Why are you buying this property or business or why are you asking for funds. Lenders are 

specific about which cities they will invest in and need to evaluate the proposed project based on 

current financials and business dynamics.

The Management

Many investment proposals indicate that the buyer will make improvements and change management 

to improve occupancy rates and cash flows or expand the business through new acquisitions, or 

capital purchases. Indicate the experience of the management team, developer, or contractor and their 

track record. Indicate why you think you will manage the property or business better than the current 

owner. The lender may also ask for resumes.

This article will provide some tips to creating an Executive Summary (ES) 

targeting lenders of commercial real estate and business loans.

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www.america2030.net

 ©2017 AMERICA2030, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cross-Border M&A Professionals

USA, Canada, European Union, Western & Eastern 

Europe, Asia, Far East, Middle-East

Strategic Investments

Financial Consulting & Expeditors

Investment Partnerships

New Debt & Debt Restructure

Energy & Green Energy Financing

Renewable Energy Funding

Loans Backed By Securities 

Capital Markets

Bond Issuance & IPO

Debt & Equity For Infrastructure Projects

Mergers & Acqusitions

Investment Banking

HOW TO WRITE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR  LENDERS

Financial Summary

Your financial summary should include the acquisition costs, income, expense, cash flow, and financial 

indicators.  The borrower's down payment or equity should be clear. Indicate current and stabilized 

NOI, occupancy rates, and optimal IRR, debt coverage ratio, and capitalization rate. Briefly describe 

projected 3-5 year profit of funds are given to you.

Personal Financial Statement

Strength of the borrower is one of the main deciding factors in every deal. Some investors believe they 

can hide behind the corporate veil or use an LLC as the purchasing entity. Most loans are recourse 

loans and the lender will ask for a PFS and borrowers Net Worth for anyone with 20% or more 

ownership. A majority ownership in a business is defined by 70-80% ownership. Along with the PFS the 

lender will ask for three years' tax returns. This does not need to be included in the ES, but should be 

mentioned in the cover letter.

The Market

Understanding economics is necessary when determining the market demand and why the market is 

stable or improving or why this is a great time for the lender to be involved in your business. Secondary 

market research from a credible source goes a long way. Include rents and occupancy rates in the 

surrounding area for similar property types and class or other competitive businesses in similar trade 

and their success. It's your story, so be unique and creative, but brief.

Integrity Of The Borrower

One of the biggest challenges in the lending business is extracting information from Executive 

Summaries and gathering information to present to our lending groups. Loan requests and business 

proposals should be prepared with the intent to answer most of the lenders critical questions quickly. A 

lack of financial information or a reluctance to give information about the borrower raises a red flag to 

the lender.

Exit Strategy

Multiple exit strategies are a good thing. Your plan should briefly describe what improvements are 

needed and their cost, how much money you expect to make and the time-frame.  You should also 

indicate your contingency plan if things go wrong and how to access the profits or future financing 

plans.

The Executive Summary is a summary of the essential elements of your business plan and strategy. 

Many summaries come across as propaganda or include information that does not pertain to the 

property or business itself; instead, they contain mission statements, and photos of non-related 

properties, are boring  and not relative. Customizing the ES for a lender or investor, along with a well 

written cover letter will result in consideration and respect as a professional investor.

This article will provide some tips to creating an Executive Summary (ES) 

targeting lenders of commercial real estate and business loans.