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Refer a client with confidence
When a client needs financing your bank can’t provide, or a deal needs a lender who moves quickly, introduce them to Benchmark. We’ll take good care of them, keep you in the loop, and send them back to you for everything else.
Who refers to us
Built for the professionals business owners already trust
Most of our clients come to us through someone they already work with. Here’s when partners typically call us.
Bankers
A client falls outside your credit box, needs an SBA structure your bank doesn’t offer, or needs short-term capital while you work on the long-term loan.
Attorneys
A client is buying or selling a business, closing a partnership buyout, settling an estate, or needs funding on a deadline tied to a transaction.
CPAs and bookkeepers
You see the numbers first: a client is growing faster than their cash flow, carrying expensive debt, or planning an expansion or equipment purchase.
Realtors
A buyer wants to purchase owner-occupied commercial property, an investor needs a bridge or construction loan, or a deal needs a quicker close.
Business brokers
A buyer needs acquisition financing, with or without a seller note, so the deal can get to closing.
Insurance, financial advisors and others
Anyone who hears a business owner say “we need capital.” If you’re not sure it’s a fit, call us anyway.
Why partners refer
Your client relationship stays yours
- A dedicated advisor. You and your client work with one person from introduction to closing.
- You stay informed. With your client’s OK, we update you at key milestones.
- Many lenders, one conversation. SBA, conventional, real estate, equipment, working capital and more, nationwide.
- We don’t compete with you. We won’t solicit your client for services you provide.
- Straight answers. If we can’t help, we’ll say so quickly and explain why.
Programs
What we can help with
- SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 loans
- Commercial real estate purchase and refinance
- Construction and bridge loans
- Business acquisition and partner buyouts
- Equipment financing
- Working capital, merchant funding and invoice factoring
How it works
Three steps to introduce a client
- Get your client’s permissionBefore you share anything, confirm your client wants an introduction and agrees to you passing along their name and contact details.
- Call your Benchmark advisorCall (800) 793-7550 to introduce the client and talk through their financing needs. A short conversation helps us come prepared.
- We take it from thereWe contact your client within one business day, recommend the right program, and keep you posted at key milestones with their permission.
The introduction
What to share, and what not to
A few basics are all we need to start. Your client will send financial documents to us directly through an encrypted upload link, so you never have to handle them.
- Business name and the owner’s name
- The best phone number or email to reach them
- About how much they need and what it’s for
- Anything about timing or deadlines we should know
Please don’t send Social Security numbers, tax returns, bank statements or IDs by email or text.
Questions
Common questions from referral partners
What size requests do you handle?
We handle everything from smaller working capital and equipment requests to multimillion-dollar SBA and commercial real estate loans. If you’re not sure a request fits, call us and we’ll tell you quickly.
Can my client apply directly?
Yes. Send them our online application and ask them to list you as the referral source so we can keep you updated.
Will you keep me updated?
Yes, with your client’s permission. We’ll let you know when we’ve connected, when the request is submitted, and when it’s approved or closed.
Do you pay referral fees?
Ask your advisor. Any arrangement is put in writing and must comply with applicable law and the rules that apply to you. Bank employees should follow their institution’s policies, and attorneys and CPAs should check their professional conduct rules, which may limit or require disclosure of referral fees.
What if my client has been declined elsewhere?
Send them anyway. A decline from one lender often means the request needs a different program or structure, not that it can’t be done.
Have a client in mind?
Let’s talk about how we can help
Get your client’s OK, then call your Benchmark advisor. Ten minutes on the phone is usually enough to know whether we’re a fit.
Benchmark Commercial Lending arranges commercial financing through a network of third-party lenders and funders and may also lend directly. All financing is subject to approval. Referral partners are not agents of Benchmark and may not make commitments on its behalf. Financing is for business purposes only.