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Mezzanine Loans in San Francisco, CA

Find lenders offering mezzanine loans in the San Francisco, including Oakland, Berkeley, San Mateo, and surrounding areas. Compare rates, terms, and programs from 8 lenders.

Lenders
8
Typical Rate
10% - 18%
Down Payment
Reduces equity to 5-15% total
Term
1-7 years
Closing Time
30-60 days

San Francisco Commercial Real Estate Market

San Francisco's CRE market has undergone significant recalibration as remote work reduced traditional office demand, particularly in the Financial District and SoMa neighborhoods that housed major tech tenants. The city's office vacancy rate climbed to historic highs in 2024-2025, creating opportunities for value-add investors and adaptive reuse conversions to residential and life sciences uses. The Mission Bay submarket, anchored by the UCSF Medical Center campus and the Chase Center, has shown more resilience with biotech and healthcare tenancy. South of Market and the Dogpatch neighborhood continue to attract AI and machine learning startups, and the city remains one of the highest-rent markets in the country despite the correction.

Key Economic Drivers

  • AI and machine learning companies (OpenAI, Anthropic, and venture-backed startups)
  • UCSF Medical Center campus and Mission Bay biotech cluster
  • Salesforce, major tech headquarters, and financial services firms
  • Tourism and convention activity centered on Moscone Center

Market Insight

San Francisco adopted a transfer tax incentive for office-to-residential conversions in the downtown core, waiving the city's 5.5% transfer tax for qualifying projects to accelerate repurposing of vacant office towers in the Financial District.

Mezzanine Loans in San Francisco, California

Mezzanine financing sits between senior debt and equity in the capital stack. It allows borrowers to increase leverage beyond what a first mortgage provides, reducing the equity needed for a deal. Secured by a pledge of the borrower's ownership interest rather than a lien on the property. In the San Francisco metro area, borrowers can access 8 lenders offering Mezzanine financing, including Oakland, Berkeley, San Mateo, and surrounding areas. Loan amounts typically range from $1M to $100M with rates from 10% - 18%.

Who Should Consider Mezzanine Loans?

  • Reducing equity requirement
  • Large acquisitions
  • Development projects
  • Recapitalizations

Key Requirements

  • Strong sponsor track record
  • Viable business plan
  • Senior lender approval for subordinate debt
  • Adequate debt service coverage for total debt

Advantages

  • Reduce equity needed
  • No lien on property (pledge of ownership)
  • Flexible structures
  • Can be interest-only

Considerations

  • High interest rates
  • Subordinate position = higher risk
  • Requires senior lender approval
  • Complex documentation

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