If you’ve ever had a borrower ask, “Hey, do you know anyone who can help me buy a building for my business?” and your only response was, “Not really”—this episode is for you.
Because the truth is, every mortgage broker runs into commercial opportunities. But most don’t do anything with them.
Not because they don’t want to—because they don’t know how.
That’s why I brought Michael Barnett, CEO and co-founder of Loanspark, onto The CEO1440 Show. Michael started in residential, just like most of us. But he saw the cracks in the system and built a solution: a plug-and-play lending platform that gives mortgage brokers access to commercial, SBA, and business-purpose loans—without having to be an expert in commercial finance.
What Is Loanspark—and Why Should You Care?
Loanspark is what’s called an embedded lending platform. Don’t get distracted by the buzzwords. What it really means is:
- You bring the deal
- They bring the expertise
- You both get paid
Whether you want to refer the deal or broker it yourself, they’ve got options.
More importantly: they’ll actually teach you the ropes if you want to learn.
What Kinds of Deals Can You Send to Loanspark?
If it’s business-purpose or commercial in nature, they probably have a home for it. Here’s a high-level breakdown of what they cover:
Commercial Real Estate
- Warehouses, offices, self-storage, retail, restaurants, and more
- Mixed-use buildings
- Multifamily (5 or more units)
- Loans up to—and over—five million dollars
Business Purpose Loans
- DSCR loans for 1 to 4 units
- Fix and flips
- Bank statement and stated income loans
- Ground-up construction
SBA Loans and Business Financing
- SBA 7(a) and 504
- Lines of credit
- Working capital loans
- Equipment or expansion financing
Even if it’s a tricky scenario—like an eight-unit mixed-use with a nail salon in the basement—they’ve likely seen it before and know how to structure the file.
Refer or Broker: You Choose
Loanspark gives you two paths:
1. Refer the Loan
- Do the intro, then hand it off
- Loanspark handles the process
- You get 20 percent of the gross margin (for example, around $6,000 on a $1 million deal with 3 points)
2. Broker the Loan
- Work the file with their support
- Get a bigger cut of the commission
- Learn the process and build confidence for future deals
“We’ll teach you everything you need to know—from how to speak about the loan, to appraisals, insurance, environmental reviews, all of it,” Michael said. “You don’t have to be an expert. That’s what we’re here for.”
