Illinois has a deep field of locally headquartered banks with meaningful commercial real estate portfolios. BestCRE ranks 25 of those institutions by total CRE loans reported as of June 30, 2026. Together, the banks in the table hold $96.9 billion in CRE loans, including $14.0 billion in construction and land loans, $17.2 billion in multifamily loans, $23.3 billion in owner occupied loans and $42.4 billion in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. The figures come from FDIC Call Reports, formally Reports of Condition and Income, schedule RC-C. They measure loans held on bank balance sheets and do not indicate quoted terms or approval standards.
The ranking covers banks headquartered in Illinois, not every institution lending within the state. Illinois has 322 headquartered banks with $131.6 billion in total CRE loans, up +7.1% year over year. The leading institutions account for a substantial share of that total, with the top five holding 48.5% of CRE loans among state-headquartered banks. Banks based elsewhere can also maintain Illinois branches and serve local borrowers. Those institutions are discussed separately using the FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026, which identifies their branch presence and deposits in the state. This distinction keeps the main ranking consistent while recognizing additional sources of bank credit.
Illinois banks ranked by total CRE loans
| Rank | Bank | Headquarters | Total CRE loans ($M) | Construction and land ($M) | Multifamily ($M) | Owner occupied ($M) | Change, 1 year | CRE share of loans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMO Bank, N.A. | Chicago, IL | $28,802 | $4,486 | $3,158 | $8,136 | +3.8% | 20.3% |
| 2 | CIBC Bank USA | Chicago, IL | $18,426 | $2,120 | $3,990 | $4,438 | +22.1% | 42.5% |
| 3 | Busey Bank | Champaign, IL | $6,480 | $1,027 | $1,090 | $1,433 | -2.0% | 49.1% |
| 4 | The Northern Trust Company | Chicago, IL | $6,399 | $713 | $1,489 | $1,012 | -0.8% | 14.6% |
| 5 | First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A. | Mattoon, IL | $3,676 | $362 | $391 | $836 | +20.4% | 53.0% |
| 6 | Byline Bank | Chicago, IL | $3,325 | $346 | $456 | $1,562 | -2.7% | 44.0% |
| 7 | Wintrust Bank, N.A. | Chicago, IL | $2,820 | $675 | $606 | $336 | -2.5% | 35.4% |
| 8 | Heartland Bank and Trust Company | Bloomington, IL | $2,732 | $430 | $667 | $507 | +37.4% | 57.4% |
| 9 | Midland States Bank | Effingham, IL | $2,419 | $244 | $382 | $520 | -4.7% | 56.9% |
| 10 | Old Second National Bank | Aurora, IL | $2,332 | $154 | $362 | $658 | -0.5% | 44.4% |
| 11 | Parkway Bank and Trust Company | Harwood Heights, IL | $1,995 | $196 | $861 | $84.4 | -2.1% | 68.2% |
| 12 | Lakeside Bank | Chicago, IL | $1,982 | $470 | $352 | $296 | +9.2% | 85.2% |
| 13 | Morton Community Bank | Morton, IL | $1,909 | $185 | $608 | $404 | -2.7% | 53.9% |
| 14 | Lake Forest Bank & Trust Company, N.A. | Lake Forest, IL | $1,347 | $252 | $180 | $280 | +13.0% | 19.5% |
| 15 | United Community Bank | Chatham, IL | $1,320 | $406 | $138 | $499 | +9.1% | 49.4% |
| 16 | Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A. | Hinsdale, IL | $1,277 | $263 | $280 | $212 | +22.1% | 25.5% |
| 17 | INB, N.A. | Springfield, IL | $1,265 | $113 | $296 | $324 | -5.1% | 64.6% |
| 18 | First American Bank | Elk Grove Village, IL | $1,232 | $366 | $252 | $128 | +14.3% | 36.4% |
| 19 | Carrollton Bank | Carrollton, IL | $1,211 | $150 | $128 | $442 | +10.1% | 40.7% |
| 20 | Northbrook Bank and Trust Company, N.A. | Northbrook, IL | $1,131 | $257 | $269 | $84.1 | +1.2% | 25.4% |
| 21 | Marquette Bank | Chicago, IL | $1,115 | $65.4 | $833 | $21.3 | -0.5% | 78.9% |
| 22 | American Commercial Bank & Trust, N.A. | Ottawa, IL | $1,009 | $98.8 | $71.6 | $484 | +7.8% | 57.5% |
| 23 | Banterra Bank | Marion, IL | $943 | $265 | $29.2 | $219 | +19.6% | 35.5% |
| 24 | Republic Bank of Chicago | Oak Brook, IL | $902 | $254 | $92.8 | $129 | -3.9% | 53.8% |
| 25 | Providence Bank & Trust | South Holland, IL | $863 | $80.4 | $219 | $246 | -0.8% | 79.4% |
Source: FDIC Call Reports as of June 30, 2026 (schedule RC-C). Dollar figures in millions. Change, 1 year compares total CRE loans with June 30, 2025. Bank names link to each bank’s FDIC record. Table shows the top 25 of 322 banks headquartered in Illinois.
BMO Bank, N.A. and CIBC Bank USA stand well above the rest of the ranked group, with $28.8 billion and $18.4 billion in total CRE loans. Their portfolios also differ: BMO reports $13.0 billion in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans, while CIBC reports $4.0 billion in multifamily loans and $7.9 billion in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. Growth varies considerably. Heartland Bank and Trust Company reports +37.4% year-over-year growth, CIBC reports +22.1%, and First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A. reports +20.4%. Several banks show declines, including INB, N.A. at -5.1% and Midland States Bank at -4.7%. Concentration also spans a wide range. The Northern Trust Company reports CRE equal to 14.6% of total loans and an investor CRE-to-equity ratio of 0.45x, while Lakeside Bank reports 85.2% and 5.53x. Those figures show materially different balance-sheet profiles.
Out of state banks with branches in Illinois
| Bank | Headquarters state | Branches in Illinois | Deposits in Illinois ($M) | Total CRE loans, all states ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | Ohio | 264 | $128,818 | $179,847 |
| Bank of America, N.A. | North Carolina | 121 | $41,736 | $79,906 |
| Fifth Third Bank, N.A. | Ohio | 161 | $26,769 | $33,581 |
| PNC Bank, N.A. | Delaware | 148 | $23,407 | $47,133 |
| U.S. Bank, N.A. | Ohio | 153 | $19,508 | $50,718 |
| Old National Bank | Indiana | 84 | $18,231 | $23,021 |
| Citibank, N.A. | South Dakota | 57 | $14,226 | $26,036 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | South Dakota | 24 | $13,636 | $121,623 |
| The Huntington National Bank | Ohio | 126 | $10,558 | $37,932 |
| Associated Bank, N.A. | Wisconsin | 28 | $6,016 | $10,594 |
| Regions Bank | Alabama | 40 | $2,689 | $16,257 |
| First National Bank of Omaha | Nebraska | 22 | $2,025 | $6,021 |
Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026. Deposits and branches are for Illinois only; CRE loans are bank wide.
Portfolio size and activity measures guide the loan search
A large CRE portfolio can indicate established appetite and greater capacity to hold commercial real estate loans, but size alone does not identify the right lender for a particular property. Borrowers should begin with total CRE loans, then compare the relevant property category and recent growth. A bank adding loans may deserve a call, while a declining balance may warrant questions about current activity. These measures describe reported holdings, not commitments to make new loans.
The search should also account for concentration and local relationships. A bank with a large share of loans in CRE, or a high investor CRE-to-equity ratio relative to peers in the table, may be selective even when its reported portfolio is substantial. Bank lending is relationship driven and local, so borrowers should compare institutions that are active in the relevant property type and market. The ranking is a screening tool for building that call list, not a prediction of approval.
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The component balances show where each bank’s CRE exposure is concentrated. BMO Bank, N.A. reports $8.1 billion in owner occupied loans and $13.0 billion in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. CIBC Bank USA reports $4.0 billion in multifamily loans, while The Northern Trust Company reports $1.5 billion. Marquette Bank has $833.3 million in multifamily loans compared with $194.7 million in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans, showing a different portfolio mix from many peers.
Concentration measures add context to those balances. CRE represents 68.2% of total loans at Parkway Bank and Trust Company, 78.9% at Marquette Bank and 79.4% at Providence Bank & Trust. Their investor CRE-to-equity ratios are 4.65x, 5.72x and 3.17x, respectively. By comparison, BMO reports 20.3% of loans in CRE and a 0.57x ratio. These measures do not establish current credit terms, but they help borrowers identify banks whose reported balance sheets show greater or lesser reliance on CRE.
Illinois borrowers have additional bank and nonbank options
Large banks headquartered outside Illinois also operate local branches. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., headquartered in Ohio, has 264 Illinois branches and $128.8 billion in state deposits. Bank of America, N.A. has 121 branches and $41.7 billion in Illinois deposits, while Fifth Third Bank, N.A. has 161 branches and $26.8 billion. PNC Bank, N.A. and U.S. Bank, N.A. also have substantial local networks, with 148 and 153 branches. Their CRE loan figures cover all states, so they are not directly comparable with Illinois-specific lending activity.
Borrowers can also compare debt funds, life companies, CMBS, agency and SBA lenders. These nonbank sources do not appear in bank call reports, and each serves a different part of the financing market. Comparing several sources can clarify which lender type fits the property, transaction and borrower relationship. Current benchmarks provide useful market context: the Prime rate was 7.00%, SOFR was 3.89%, the 5 year Treasury was 4.78%, the 10 year Treasury was 4.96% and Fed funds was 3.88% as of Oct 26, 2026. They are not quoted loan rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a commercial real estate loan in this ranking?
BestCRE uses the CRE balances reported in FDIC Call Reports, schedule RC-C. The table separates construction and land, multifamily, owner occupied, and investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. Those categories sum to each bank’s reported total CRE portfolio. Across the 25 ranked banks, the table contains $14.0 billion in construction and land loans, $17.2 billion in multifamily loans, $23.3 billion in owner occupied loans and $42.4 billion in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. The figures describe loans held on balance sheets and do not measure applications, commitments or current production.
How current is the Illinois commercial real estate lender ranking?
The bank balances are from FDIC Call Reports as of June 30, 2026. Branch and deposit information comes from the FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026. Because call reports present balance-sheet positions at a reporting date, a bank’s current pipeline or lending posture may differ from its reported balance. Market benchmarks are more recent: as of Oct 26, 2026, the Prime rate was 7.00%, SOFR was 3.89%, the 5 year Treasury was 4.78%, the 10 year Treasury was 4.96% and Fed funds was 3.88%.
Does a large CRE portfolio mean a bank will approve my loan?
No. A large balance shows that a bank holds substantial CRE loans, but it does not establish approval standards, available proceeds or current capacity for a specific transaction. BMO Bank, N.A. leads the Illinois-headquartered ranking with $28.8 billion in CRE loans and a 20.3% CRE share of total loans. CIBC Bank USA follows with $18.4 billion and a 42.5% share. Those figures help identify institutions with significant CRE exposure, but borrowers still need to discuss the property, sponsorship, relationship and current lending interest directly with each bank.
Which Illinois bank reported the strongest CRE loan growth?
Among the ranked institutions, Heartland Bank and Trust Company reports the highest year-over-year change at +37.4%, reaching $2.7 billion in total CRE loans. CIBC Bank USA and Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A. each report +22.1%, while First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A. reports +20.4% and Banterra Bank reports +19.6%. Growth identifies banks whose reported CRE balances increased, but it does not show the source of that change or confirm that the same pace continued after June 30, 2026. Borrowers should treat it as a screening signal.
How broad is the FDIC comparison behind the ranking?
The broader FDIC comparison includes 4,167 banks with $3.07 trillion in total CRE loans. The Illinois table focuses on 25 banks headquartered in the state, while Illinois has 322 headquartered banks holding $131.6 billion in CRE loans. National rank provides additional scale: BMO Bank, N.A. is ranked 15, CIBC Bank USA is ranked 26, and Busey Bank is ranked 82 by total CRE loans. The narrower table is intended to highlight leading Illinois-headquartered institutions rather than reproduce the full national bank population.
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BestCRE rankings are editorially independent and built only from public regulatory filings; no bank pays for placement. Call report figures describe loans held on each bank’s balance sheet and do not show loan terms, rates or current appetite. BestCRE is not a lender and does not make loans. Benchmark rates are informational, not quotes. See our Legal Disclaimer and Compensation Disclosure.