Prepare for your lender meeting.
This guide is for U.S. small-business owners and commercial real-estate investors who want to organize a clearer request before a lender conversation. Use it to think through the questions you may hear, gather the records behind your answers, and note what you still need to confirm.
This is preparation guidance—not a lending decision or a promise of approval. Each lender and transaction can require different periods or documents.
01 / Prepare your answers
Common lender questions
You do not need a perfect script. Use these prompts to organize the facts, assumptions, and open questions behind your request.
Request and purpose
Be ready to describe the request in a few clear sentences.
How much are you requesting, and what will the proceeds fund?
Separate the amount requested from the total project cost and name the intended uses.
Why is the financing needed now?
Explain the business, purchase, refinance, renovation, or other timing behind the request.
What borrower contribution or other funding sources are available?
Identify the cash, equity, grants, seller credits, or other sources you expect to bring.
Repayment and financial picture
Connect the request to the cash flow and obligations behind it.
What is the expected source of repayment?
Describe the operating cash flow, property income, sale, refinance, or other repayment source you are evaluating.
How does current and projected cash flow support the request?
Bring the assumptions behind revenue, expenses, debt service, occupancy, and changes you expect over time.
What existing obligations, maturities, and liquidity should the lender understand?
Prepare a complete view of current debt payments, upcoming maturities, recurring obligations, cash reserves, and available liquidity.
Borrower and guarantor strength
Clarify who is borrowing, who stands behind the request, and what experience is relevant.
Who owns the borrowing entity, and who has authority to act for it?
Know the ownership percentages, entity structure, decision-makers, and any co-borrowers.
Who may be asked to provide a guaranty or additional support?
Identify proposed guarantors and be prepared to discuss the financial information or authorizations a lender may request.
What operating, investment, or project experience is relevant?
Summarize experience managing the business, owning similar property, completing comparable projects, or handling the proposed plan.
Property and deal details
For real-estate requests, organize the property facts and transaction plan.
What is the property, its intended use, and its current status?
Be ready to discuss the address, property type, purchase or refinance status, and the business or project it supports.
What do the leases, occupancy, and operating results show?
For an income-producing property, summarize tenants, lease terms, rent roll, occupancy, income, and expenses.
What valuation, collateral, project budget, and timeline should be considered?
Bring available valuation or inspection information, existing liens, the proposed collateral, a sources-and-uses budget, milestones, and the expected completion timeline.
02 / Bring the supporting picture
Bring-to-the-meeting checklist
Use this as a starting point, then confirm the lender’s requested periods, documents, and transaction-specific requirements. The interactive readiness checklist helps you track the preparation items in your browser.
Request summary
Financial records and cash-flow assumptions
Ownership and guarantor information
Property and project materials
03 / After you organize the request
Next steps
Ask the lender how the process works, what timeline to expect, how the request may be structured, and which fees may apply. Clarify collateral and guarantee expectations, identify missing documents, and write down who owns each follow-up.
RivetRatio provides preparation guidance—not a lending decision or a promise of approval. The lender makes its own decision based on the borrower and transaction.