Georgia borrowers looking for construction financing can use this ranking to identify banks with meaningful exposure to construction, land development and other land loans. BestCRE ranks 20 banks headquartered in Georgia using FDIC Call Reports as of June 30, 2026. Together, the banks report $4.8 billion in construction and land loans within $22.1 billion of total commercial real estate loans. The table also shows multifamily, owner occupied and investor nonfarm nonresidential balances, along with year over year CRE change, CRE share of total loans, investor CRE to equity and national rank.
The ranking measures balance sheet exposure, not current loan quotes, approval standards or the geographic location of every property financed. Georgia has 122 banks headquartered in the state, holding $33.9 billion of total CRE loans and reporting +16.1% year over year CRE change. This page orders qualifying Georgia headquartered banks by construction and land balances, while the main state page orders banks by total CRE loans. Banks headquartered outside Georgia are excluded from this ranking even when they operate local branches. FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026 information helps identify those institutions separately.
Georgia banks ranked by construction and land loans
| Rank | Bank | Headquarters | Total CRE loans ($M) | Construction and land ($M) | Multifamily ($M) | Owner occupied ($M) | Change, 1 year | CRE share of loans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ameris Bank | Atlanta, GA | $10,821 | $1,703 | $2,010 | $1,895 | +5.6% | 47.8% |
| 2 | Vallant Bank | Elberton, GA | $1,688 | $383 | $92.6 | $565 | +95.5% | 56.6% |
| 3 | Colony Bank | Fitzgerald, GA | $1,506 | $287 | $119 | $439 | +21.7% | 60.5% |
| 4 | Thomasville National Bank | Thomasville, GA | $790 | $277 | $74.5 | $213 | +17.1% | 42.6% |
| 5 | Georgia Banking Company | Atlanta, GA | $1,228 | $270 | $70.4 | $267 | +29.8% | 47.4% |
| 6 | PrimeSouth Bank | Blackshear, GA | $660 | $210 | $39.8 | $271 | +21.7% | 50.1% |
| 7 | United Bank | Zebulon, GA | $504 | $201 | $12.2 | $142 | +4.2% | 53.3% |
| 8 | BankSouth | Greensboro, GA | $533 | $175 | $52.3 | $97.7 | +8.3% | 42.9% |
| 9 | PeoplesSouth Bank | Colquitt, GA | $421 | $142 | $23.1 | $90.8 | +8.1% | 48.2% |
| 10 | Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company | Louisville, GA | $702 | $138 | $12.2 | $355 | +6.1% | 50.1% |
| 11 | Farmers and Merchants Bank | Lakeland, GA | $320 | $133 | $11.0 | $86.0 | +17.7% | 51.6% |
| 12 | Community Bank of Pickens County | Jasper, GA | $366 | $132 | $8.2 | $173 | +8.2% | 74.9% |
| 13 | First American Bank and Trust Company | Athens, GA | $499 | $120 | $49.9 | $125 | +15.5% | 70.4% |
| 14 | Exchange Bank | Milledgeville, GA | $203 | $112 | $7.3 | $45.5 | +32.9% | 66.2% |
| 15 | Peach State Bank & Trust | GAINESVILLE, GA | $298 | $103 | $24.9 | $81.7 | +7.4% | 56.9% |
| 16 | Peoples Bank & Trust | Buford, GA | $178 | $98.9 | $0.0 | $54.7 | +15.9% | 60.3% |
| 17 | First National Community Bank | Chatsworth, GA | $366 | $87.3 | $18.1 | $151 | -0.8% | 67.8% |
| 18 | Bank of Newington | Newington, GA | $152 | $79.4 | $14.5 | $44.5 | +16.2% | 57.3% |
| 19 | Affinity Bank, N.A. | COVINGTON, GA | $406 | $76.5 | $4.1 | $158 | +0.9% | 54.3% |
| 20 | Barwick Banking Company | Barwick, GA | $442 | $76.3 | $16.3 | $218 | +28.1% | 63.1% |
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 20 of 121 banks headquartered in Georgia that hold this loan type.
Ameris Bank is the clear balance sheet leader, reporting $1.7 billion in construction and land loans and $10.8 billion in total CRE loans. Its book also includes $2.0 billion of multifamily loans and $5.2 billion of investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. Vallant Bank ranks second with $383.5 million in construction and land loans and the table’s strongest reported CRE change at +95.5%. Colony Bank follows with $286.9 million and +21.7% growth. Mix varies substantially. Thomasville National Bank holds $276.8 million of construction and land loans within a $789.6 million CRE book, while Exchange Bank reports $111.9 million within $203.0 million. Concentration also differs. Community Bank of Pickens County reports a 74.9% CRE share of loans, while Thomasville National Bank reports 42.6%. PeoplesSouth Bank’s 4.20x investor CRE to equity ratio is high relative to other banks in the table.
Out of state banks with branches in Georgia
| Bank | Headquarters state | Branches in Georgia | Deposits in Georgia ($M) | Total CRE loans, all states ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | North Carolina | 203 | $68,680 | $51,018 |
| Bank of America, N.A. | North Carolina | 130 | $55,882 | $79,906 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | South Dakota | 179 | $46,018 | $121,623 |
| Pinnacle Bank | Tennessee | 102 | $29,937 | $36,789 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | Ohio | 118 | $13,750 | $179,847 |
| United Community Bank | South Carolina | 62 | $11,510 | $9,988 |
| Regions Bank | Alabama | 117 | $10,648 | $16,257 |
| Bank OZK | Arkansas | 70 | $9,621 | $18,141 |
| SouthState Bank, N.A. | Florida | 44 | $8,754 | $28,266 |
| Renasant Bank | Mississippi | 71 | $5,955 | $11,354 |
Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026. Deposits and branches are for Georgia only; CRE loans are bank wide.
Balance sheet measures can guide a construction loan search
A larger construction and land balance can indicate greater demonstrated appetite and hold capacity for this category. Total CRE size supplies additional context because construction lending sits alongside multifamily, owner occupied and investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. Ameris Bank reports $10.8 billion in total CRE loans, compared with $1.7 billion at Vallant Bank and $1.5 billion at Colony Bank. Those totals do not establish whether a bank will finance a particular request, but they help borrowers identify institutions already carrying material commercial property exposure.
Borrowers should read growth and concentration together with size. Positive CRE change shows which banks were adding overall CRE balances, while a high CRE share of loans or investor CRE to equity ratio can signal that a bank will be selective. Bank lending remains relationship driven and local, so a useful search includes several banks whose balance sheet mix resembles the proposed property and transaction. Borrowers can then ask each institution directly about current interest, required banking relationships and the information needed to evaluate a request.
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The category balances reveal different areas of activity. Ameris Bank reports $1.7 billion in construction and land loans, $2.0 billion in multifamily loans, $1.9 billion in owner occupied loans and $5.2 billion in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. Thomasville National Bank reports $276.8 million in construction and land loans, compared with $74.5 million in multifamily and $225.6 million in investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. United Bank reports $200.7 million in construction and land loans within a $504.1 million CRE portfolio.
Concentration measures add another view of the balance sheet. Community Bank of Pickens County reports CRE equal to 74.9% of loans, while First American Bank and Trust Company reports 70.4% and First National Community Bank reports 67.8%. Investor CRE to equity ranges across the table, including 1.39x at United Bank, 3.03x at Georgia Banking Company and 4.20x at PeoplesSouth Bank. These figures describe portfolio composition and relative concentration. They do not show available proceeds, pricing or approval likelihood for a new construction loan.
Georgia borrowers have additional bank and nonbank options
Banks headquartered elsewhere can maintain substantial Georgia operations without appearing in this ranking. FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026 data show Truist Bank with 203 Georgia branches and $68.7 billion of deposits in the state. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. has 179 branches and $46.0 billion of Georgia deposits, while Bank of America, N.A. has 130 branches and $55.9 billion. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Pinnacle Bank, Regions Bank and other out of state institutions also operate local branches and hold this loan type on their nationwide balance sheets.
Nonbank lenders provide another comparison set because debt funds, life companies, CMBS, agency and SBA lenders do not appear in bank call report rankings. Their presence does not change what the FDIC data show, but it broadens the sources a borrower may evaluate. Comparing several banks and nonbank categories can help establish which lender type is considering the relevant property, loan purpose and relationship. The ranked table is therefore a starting point for outreach, not a complete list of every construction financing source active in Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Georgia bank has the most construction and land loans?
Ameris Bank ranks first among banks headquartered in Georgia, with $1.7 billion in construction, land development and other land loans as of June 30, 2026. It also reports $10.8 billion in total CRE loans, giving it a national rank of 44. The balance sheet includes $2.0 billion of multifamily loans, $1.9 billion of owner occupied loans and $5.2 billion of investor nonfarm nonresidential loans. The ranking establishes reported portfolio size, but it does not indicate whether Ameris Bank will approve a particular project.
How current is the Georgia construction lender ranking?
The ranking uses FDIC Call Reports dated June 30, 2026, specifically Reports of Condition and Income schedule RC-C. Branch and deposit context comes from the FDIC Summary of Deposits 2026. Market benchmarks are more recent, dated Oct 26, 2026: the Prime rate is 7.00%, SOFR is 3.89%, the 5 year Treasury is 4.78%, the 10 year Treasury is 4.96% and Fed funds is 3.88%. These benchmarks provide market context and are not quoted loan rates from the ranked banks.
Why does this ranking differ from a total CRE lender ranking?
This page ranks construction, land development and other land loans, which are only one part of a bank’s CRE portfolio. A bank can therefore rank highly by total CRE but lower by construction and land exposure. Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company, for example, reports $701.9 million in total CRE loans but $138.3 million in construction and land loans. United Bank reports a smaller $504.1 million total CRE book but a larger $200.7 million construction and land balance. BestCRE’s main Georgia state page ranks banks by total CRE loans instead.
Which Georgia construction lenders reported the fastest CRE growth?
Vallant Bank reports +95.5% year over year CRE change, the strongest figure among the ranked banks. Exchange Bank reports +32.9%, Georgia Banking Company reports +29.8% and Barwick Banking Company reports +28.1%. The statewide group of 122 Georgia headquartered banks reports +16.1% year over year CRE change. These percentages apply to total CRE portfolios, not solely construction and land loans. Growth identifies banks adding CRE balances during the reporting period, but it does not establish the source of that change or current availability for a new request.
Does a place in the table mean a bank lends only in Georgia?
No. Placement means the bank is headquartered in Georgia and reports a qualifying construction and land loan balance in its FDIC Call Report. The reported loans may not all be secured by properties in Georgia. Ameris Bank, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, reports $1.7 billion in construction and land loans and holds national rank 44. Conversely, an institution headquartered elsewhere can finance Georgia properties while remaining outside this table. The headquarters screen creates a consistent state ranking, but borrowers should confirm geographic interest directly with each lender.
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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.
