Mon-Fri 8-6·Service Areas(510) 397-7870
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Berkeley, CA · Commercial loan broker

Grow your Berkeley business with the right financing

Answer Capsule: Walnut Commercial Capital brokers business loans in Berkeley by comparing multiple lender offers side by side, so you see upfront costs, terms, and total repayment before committing.

Getting funded in Berkeley is simple: share your goal, we prepare your file the way underwriters read it, then you compare real offers with a local advisor. No cost to apply.

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LocalBerkeley, CA broker
Many lendersOne application
No upfront feesTo you
Licensed brokerNot a lender

Two Paths to Business Funding in Berkeley

Path one: walk into a single bank on Shattuck Avenue, fill out an application, and hope their one set of terms fits your café, biotech lab, or bookstore. Path two: work with a licensed commercial-loan broker who shops your scenario to multiple lenders, lays out competing offers in plain English, and lets you pick the structure with the clearest cost and the best fit for your Berkeley business.

Walnut Commercial Capital takes the second path. We're based at 2200 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608, Berkeley, CA, and we broker small business loans berkeley-wide, from the Gourmet Ghetto to the Lorin District, from Elmwood to West Berkeley's maker spaces. Every deal starts with transparent cost disclosure: you'll know the factor rate or interest calculation, the origination expense, and the total payback dollar figure before you sign.

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Call (510) 397-7870 to compare your options.

Who We Help in Berkeley

Berkeley's economy runs on independents: the roastery replacing espresso machines, the engineering consultancy adding staff, the vintage shop expanding into the storefront next door. We broker business funding berkeley businesses need when growth, equipment, payroll, or property purchases outpace cash on hand.

Answer Capsule: We broker loans for Berkeley retailers along Telegraph and College, food manufacturers in the 4th Street Corridor, professional-services firms near BART, and any established business with revenue history. Whether you're a cannabis dispensary navigating state compliance, a nonprofit bookstore managing seasonal swings, or a clean-tech startup ordering lab gear, we match your scenario to lenders who understand Berkeley's commercial landscape and your industry's cash-flow rhythm.

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Typical clients include restaurants within walking distance of UC Berkeley's campus, light-industrial tenants in West Berkeley's converted warehouses, and service providers in the mixed-use blocks around Downtown Berkeley BART. If you've been operating at least six months and can document revenue, we'll find lender programs that fit.

Loan programs

Core Loan Programs We Broker

SBA 7(a) Loans

The SBA 7(a) loan offers the longest terms and government-backed structure many Berkeley businesses use for acquisition, renovation, or debt consolidation. Approval hinges on credit, cash flow, and collateral, but the cost transparency is unmatched: you'll see the prime-plus spread, the guarantee fee, and the amortization schedule itemized.

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Working Capital Loans

Cash-flow gaps hit Berkeley seasonal businesses hard, think outdoor-gear shops before summer or tax preparers after April. Working capital loans deliver lump sums repaid daily or weekly, often structured as merchant cash advances or short-term notes.

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Business Lines of Credit

A business line of credit berkeley companies draw on repeatedly works like a credit card with a higher limit and lower cost. You pay interest only on the outstanding balance, making it ideal for inventory buys before a busy Saturday farmers' market season or bridging receivables for consulting firms waiting on university contracts.

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Equipment Financing

From commercial ovens for a Shattuck bakery to CNC routers for a maker collective, equipment financing spreads the asset cost over its useful life. The gear itself serves as collateral, which often means faster approval and lower rates than unsecured working capital.

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Commercial Real Estate Loans

Berkeley's tight property market means buying your building can lock in occupancy cost and build equity. Commercial real estate loans finance purchases or cash-out refinances for owner-occupied or investment properties.

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Invoice Factoring and Beyond

For Berkeley B2B service firms, graphic designers, IT consultants, engineering contractors, invoice factoring turns outstanding receivables into same-week cash. We also broker merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, and specialized programs for cannabis, nonprofits, and startups.

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Local insight

The Berkeley Advantage: Local Context, Broker Flexibility

Berkeley businesses face unique challenges: zoning that separates industrial from residential, a customer base that values mission alignment, and real-estate costs that climb every year. A single lender may not understand why your zero-waste café needs six months of runway or why your biotech prototype requires custom lab equipment.

Answer Capsule: A commercial-loan broker brings you multiple lender options instead of one take-it-or-leave-it offer. We translate your Berkeley-specific scenario, seasonal foot traffic on Telegraph, university purchasing cycles, or eco-certification costs, into underwriting narratives that resonate with lenders across our network. You compare offers side by side, see every fee and term, and choose the deal that aligns cost with your growth plan.

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From our Emeryville office, we're a ten-minute drive down San Pablo Avenue or across the I-80/I-580 interchange to any Berkeley neighborhood. We know the difference between a 4th Street Corridor manufacturer and a Claremont boutique, and we tailor loan structures accordingly.

How it works

How the Process Works

1. Discovery call: Dial (510) 397-7870 and describe your business, your funding need, and your timeline. 2. Document gathering: We'll request recent bank statements, tax returns, and a summary of how you'll use the funds. 3. Lender outreach: We submit your profile to multiple lenders in our network, highlighting Berkeley market factors and your revenue trends. 4. Offer comparison: You receive a side-by-side breakdown, term length, repayment schedule, total cost, and any covenants. 5. Selection and closing: Pick the offer that fits, and we coordinate paperwork, underwriting questions, and funding.

Transparency lives in step four. You'll see exactly what you pay, when you pay it, and what happens if you prepay or refinance.

Why Cost Transparency Matters

Opacity costs Berkeley businesses thousands. A merchant cash advance advertised as "fast approval" may carry a 1.4 factor rate that doubles your repayment. A bank term loan with a "low rate" may pile on origination points, appraisal fees, and prepayment penalties that erase the savings. When you can't compare apples to apples, you can't make an informed choice.

We strip away jargon. Every offer we present includes the total dollar amount you'll repay, the effective cost of capital, and any trigger fees. If a lender charges for early payoff, we flag it. If another waives origination but raises the rate, we show the math. You decide which trade-off makes sense for your Berkeley business.

Who we serve

Serving Berkeley and Neighboring Communities

While our focus is business loans in Berkeley, we also broker funding in Emeryville, Kensington, Piedmont, El Cerrito, Orinda, El Sobrante, Alameda, San Pablo, Moraga, and Pinole. Each city has its own commercial character, and we tailor loan packages to match.

Learn more about our approach on the About page or explore our full Service Areas.

Serving the Berkeley area

Local guidance across Berkeley, CA

Walnut Commercial Capital in Berkeley, CA

We know which lenders fund which kinds of Berkeley businesses, and we position your file where it fits.

One local broker, many lenders, and no cost to apply.

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What owners say

Trusted by Berkeley-area business owners

★★★★★
They explained exactly what the lender wanted before we applied, so there were no surprises.
EVElena V.
Emeryville · Business Acquisition Loans
★★★★★
Straight answers and no runaround. We finally understood our options.
JOJames O.
Orinda · Business Acquisition Loans
★★★★★
They packaged our file properly and took it to the right people the first time.
NKNadia K.
Pinole · Short Term Business Loans
★★★★★
Local, responsive, and honest about what would and wouldn't work for us.
FLFrank L.
Piedmont · SBA Loans
★★★★★
Walked us through the whole process in plain English and kept us updated.
SASofia A.
Emeryville · Revenue Based Financing
★★★★★
Told us upfront what to fix before applying, which saved us a hard pull.
MDMarcus D.
El Cerrito · Same Day Business Loans

Individual client experiences; results vary by business and program.

Market context

By the numbers

We serve Telegraph Avenue retailers, 4th Street Corridor manufacturers, and Downtown Berkeley service businesses with SBA 7(a) loans, working capital, equipment financing, commercial real estate loans, business lines of credit, invoice factoring, and more.

01

There are more than 33 million small businesses in the United States.

SBA Office of Advocacy
02

Most firms that apply for financing seek $100,000 or less.

Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey
03

About half of applicant firms sought funds mainly to cover operating expenses.

Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey

National data, reviewed 2026, figures from primary sources.

Common questions

Common questions about business loans in Berkeley

What types of businesses qualify for loans in Berkeley?+
Retail, food service, manufacturing, professional services, cannabis, nonprofits, and startups with at least six months of operating history and documented revenue typically qualify. We broker programs for both owner-occupied and investor-owned commercial real estate, and we work with businesses that traditional banks decline because of industry, credit blemishes, or unconventional cash flow.
How long does approval take?+
Working capital and equipment financing can close in three to seven business days once documents are complete. SBA 7(a) and commercial real estate loans usually require four to eight weeks for underwriting, appraisal, and government processing. We'll set expectations during your discovery call based on the program and your documentation readiness.
Do I need collateral?+
Some programs require specific collateral, equipment loans use the asset itself, real estate loans use the property. Unsecured working capital and lines of credit rely more on revenue, credit score, and time in business. We'll show you both secured and unsecured options when possible, along with the cost difference between the two.
What documents do I need to apply?+
Expect to provide three to twelve months of business bank statements, two years of business tax returns, a government-issued ID, and a one-page summary of your funding purpose. If you're buying real estate or equipment, we'll also need purchase agreements or vendor quotes. We'll give you a checklist after the discovery call.
How much does broker service cost?+
Lenders compensate us when a loan closes, so most Berkeley businesses pay no upfront fee to compare offers. Any broker fee, if applicable, will be disclosed in writing before you move forward, and it will appear in the total-cost comparison so you can evaluate the all-in expense against competing options., Walnut Commercial Capital 2200 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608, Berkeley, CA (510) 397-7870 We're a licensed commercial-loan broker, not a lender. All financing is subject to lender credit approval and underwriting criteria.

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Talk to a local advisor and get matched to the right program, no obligation.

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