CRE Funding
Ready Checklist™

Before anyone looks at money, they look at whether the business is real, current, and able to sign for itself.

• Your LLC or corporation is active in the state where you actually operate
• Your EIN confirmation letter is on file — the CP 575 or a 147C, not just a number you remember
• The business address on your bank account, licenses and tax filings all match
• Your operating agreement or bylaws list the correct owners and percentages
• Every license and permit your trade requires is current
• Your entity is registered in the state where the bank account was opened

This is the part most owners skip, and the part lenders weigh heaviest. Behavior beats promises.

• A dedicated business checking account, opened with your EIN and not your Social Security number
• Six or more months of statements that show steady deposits, not one good month
• No returned payments, overdrafts or negative balances in the last six months
• Business credit reporting activated with Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax
• Two to four vendor or trade accounts reporting your payment history
• A business phone and address listed with the credit bureaus, not a home number

You do not need a finance department. You need the four documents every underwriter asks for, ready before they ask.

• Twelve months of profit and loss — a clean spreadsheet is fine
• A current balance sheet showing what you own and what you owe
• Three to six months of bank statements exported as PDFs
• Every debt obligation listed with its balance and monthly payment
• A one-page answer to: what is the money for, and what does it return?
• A revenue trend explained in plain language — growth, dip, or seasonality

A strong file sent in the wrong order still gets declined. Sequence is the strategy.

• A use-of-funds statement with real amounts against real costs
• A business profile: what you sell, to whom, and for how long
• Ownership and guarantor details for every signer
• A short written reason you are applying to this lender specifically
• Your credit inquiries checked so you know what a lender will already see
• One lender at a time, in an order you planned on purpose
• A follow-up plan for the day after you submit