Commercial Real Estate Financing

Access CMHC's most competitive programs on qualifying multifamily assets.

CMHC-insured mortgages offer the most competitive long-term financing terms in Canada for qualifying multifamily projects. BNQ Financial structures and executes CMHC financing mandates on behalf of borrowers — navigating the submission process, coordinating with approved lenders, and managing the transaction from application to funding.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Purpose-built rental apartment projects (CMHC MLI Select and conventional programs)
• Acquisition of stabilized multifamily assets qualifying for reduced CMHC insurance premiums
• Affordable housing projects
• Co-operative and social housing financing
• Refinancing of existing CMHC-insured mortgages at renewal

BNQ Financial acts as structuring and execution partner, coordinating with CMHC-approved lenders. Qualification subject to CMHC program criteria.

Short-term capital to bridge the gap — acquisition, transition, or repositioning.

Commercial bridge loans provide short-term financing for transactions that need speed and certainty while a longer-term capital solution is arranged. BNQ Financial structures bridge facilities for acquisitions, asset transitions, and situations where conventional financing is unavailable or too slow to close the deal.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Acquisition financing where speed is critical
• Bridge to CMHC
• Opportunistic purchases requiring rapid execution
• Construction take out ahead of lease-up completion or stabilization
• Estate, receivership, or distressed situations

Short-term, interest-only structures available. Fast execution — term sheet within 48–72 hours of complete submission.

Financing for assets in transition — between construction and stabilized performance.

Stabilization loans bridge the gap between construction completion and the occupancy or income levels required for conventional financing. BNQ Financial provides stabilization capital that gives operators the runway to lease up, reposition, or complete renovations without the pressure of a construction loan maturity.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Newly completed developments in lease-up
• Office or retail assets undergoing tenant repositioning
• Mixed-use projects with phased occupancy
• Properties recovering from deferred maintenance or renovation
• Assets transitioning from one use class to another

Structured around the specific stabilization timeline and exit strategy. Private capital. Canada-wide.

From raw land to construction financing — covering the full development cycle.

BNQ Financial structures financing for land acquisition and ground-up construction across residential, mixed-use, and commercial asset classes. We work directly with developers and builders to structure a capital stack that supports the project from site acquisition through construction completion and, where applicable, into the permanent financing phase.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Land acquisition financing — serviced and unserviced
• Construction financing for purpose-built residential and commercial
• Mixed-use development financing — residential over retail
• Phased construction draws aligned to project milestones
• Mezzanine and subordinate debt in the capital stack

Each mandate structured around project specifics, zoning, pre-sales, and exit strategy. Conventional and private capital. Canada-wide.

Short-term financing against completed and unsold residential inventory for builders and developers.

When a construction loan matures and units remain unsold, builders and developers face pressure to pay off the construction loan. Inventory loans provide short-term financing against ready unsold inventory — giving developers the runway to sell at the right price. BNQ Financial structures inventory facilities against low-rise and high-rise residential units, townhomes, and condominium suites, assessed on current appraised value and the pace of absorption in the market.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Construction loan maturity with unsold low-rise or high-rise units
• Townhome or condominium inventory financing during a soft sales period
• Builder needs to release equity from completed units to fund the next phase of development
• Developer seeking time to re-price or re-market inventory without lender pressure

Short-term facilities against completed unsold inventory. Low-rise, high-rise, and townhome product. Canada-wide.

Financing for properties that don't fit a single-use category.

Mixed-use properties — residential over retail, live-work developments, multi-tenant urban assets — often fall outside the traditional parameters. BNQ Financial structures financing based on the asset's blended income profile and overall value, not a rigid product category.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Residential over ground-floor retail or commercial
• Urban infill developments with multiple use components
• Acquisition or refinancing of established mixed-use assets
• Construction financing for mixed-use ground-up development

Assessed on the blended income and asset profile. Conventional and private capital. Canada-wide.

Income-producing commercial assets — from retail plazas to logistics and distribution.

BNQ Financial provides financing for stabilized and transitional retail and industrial properties. Whether you are acquiring an income-producing asset, refinancing an existing portfolio, or bridging a property through repositioning, we structure financing based on real cash flow, asset quality, and DSCR.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Strip mall, retail plaza, and anchored retail acquisition or refinancing
• Industrial and logistics properties — single and multi-tenant
• Sale-leaseback structures
• Vacant or transitional retail and industrial — bridge financing
• Portfolio-level financing across multiple commercial assets

Stabilized and transitional assets considered. Conventional and private capital. Canada-wide.

Specialized financing for healthcare real estate — a sector most lenders don’t understand.

Medical office buildings present a distinct financing profile — long-term tenants, recession-resistant demand, and often owner-operated or anchor-tenanted by healthcare practitioners. These characteristics are an asset, but many conventional lenders lack the underwriting framework to recognize them. BNQ Financial structures acquisition, refinancing, and development financing for medical office buildings and healthcare-anchored commercial properties, assessing each transaction on the strength of its tenancy, cash flow, and asset quality.

TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS

• Acquisition of stabilized medical office buildings or healthcare plazas
• Refinancing of owner-occupied or tenanted medical office assets
• Ground-up development or conversion of properties for healthcare use
• Bridge financing during tenant transition or lease-up of healthcare space
• Portfolio-level financing for healthcare real estate operators and investors

Stabilized and transitional healthcare assets considered. Conventional and private capital. Canada-wide.