✅ Is there a comparison site for commercial mortgages?
No — and that changes how you should approach this. Every commercial deal is individually priced, so the realistic ranges are your map: owner-occupiers with strong trading at 5.5%–7.5% fixed, investment property 6.0%–9.0%, variable at base +2.0%–5.5%, high-street banks from ~4.5%–6.0% for the strongest applicants, specialists 6.0%–9.5%. Deposits run 25–40% — professional practices occasionally reach 100% of freehold value. The method: quotes from more than one type of lender, whole-cost comparison including fees, and the check that prevents most miscomparisons — is that figure a total rate or a margin over base? Money Pilot runs it across 200+ lenders at zero broker fees — FCA regulated (FRN: 968705).
Right, I need to correct something before we go any further, because it genuinely changes how you should approach this. There is no comparison website for commercial mortgages the way there is for residential ones. None. Every single deal is individually underwritten, and two businesses with seemingly identical loan amounts can get wildly different quotes from the exact same lender. So “comparing” here means something different to what you might expect, let me show you how to actually do it properly.
Bank of England held base rate at 4.25% in June 2026 - waiting for inflation to cool.
73% of UK SMEs expect to grow in the next 12 months - confidence remains strong.
Why can’t you just look up a best-buy table?
Because commercial property varies enormously, a Manchester office block and a Plymouth industrial unit carry genuinely different risk profiles to a lender, even at identical loan amounts, and the borrower’s own trading history, deposit, and the tenant behind the property (if it’s an investment) all factor in individually too. Lenders build commercial mortgage pricing from a benchmark rate, either the Bank of England base rate for variable products or the SONIA swap rate for fixed ones, plus a risk margin specific to your exact deal. There’s no single published rate to compare against.
What’s the realistic rate range currently, so you know what you’re working with?
Broadly, across the market:
- Owner-occupier, strong trading history, low LTV: 5.5%–7.5% fixed
- Investment property: 6.0%–9.0% fixed
- Variable rate products: base rate + 2.0%–5.5%
- High street banks (strongest applicants): from around 4.5%–6.0%
- Challenger/specialist lenders: 6.0%–9.5%
With the Bank of England base rate sitting around 3.75%-4.5% recently, that gives you a genuine sense of where variable pricing lands too.
My top tip: when comparing quotes, always check whether the figure you’ve been given is the total rate, or a margin over base rate that needs adding to the current base rate yourself This trips people up constantly and makes two quotes look far more different, or similar, than they actually are.
What deposit should you plan around?
Generally 25-40% of the property’s value, though this varies:
- Owner-occupiers can sometimes reach 75-80% LTV
- Professional practices, dentists, doctors, vets, buying their own premises can occasionally borrow up to 100% of the freehold value, reflecting the strong, stable income these businesses typically generate
- Investment property typically caps lower, around 65-75% LTV, depending on the asset and the strength of the tenant’s covenant
Fixed or variable, how do you actually compare the two?
A fixed rate locks your interest rate for an agreed period, typically 2-10 years, giving you payment certainty regardless of what happens to the base rate during that time. A variable rate moves with the base rate, potentially cheaper if rates fall, potentially more expensive if they rise. Neither is inherently better, it depends on how much certainty you value versus how much risk you’re comfortable carrying if rates move against you.
Since there’s no single comparison table, how should you actually compare offers?
1. Get quotes from more than one type of lender
High street banks, challenger banks, and specialist lenders all price differently, and appetite varies enormously by property type and borrower profile. A strong, established business might get the sharpest rate from a high street bank, while a business with less conventional trading history or an unusual property might find a specialist lender considerably more competitive, and more willing to say yes at all.
2. Compare the whole cost, not just the headline rate
Arrangement fees (typically 1-2%), valuation costs, and legal fees on both sides all add to the real cost of a commercial mortgage. A slightly higher rate with lower fees can beat a lower rate loaded with charges, particularly on shorter-term facilities.
3. Check whether the quote is the total rate or a margin
As mentioned above, this single point of confusion causes more miscomparisons than almost anything else. Always clarify before putting two quotes side by side.
4. Understand what’s actually driving your specific quote
Ask any lender directly what’s pushing your rate up or down, LTV, trading history, property type, tenant strength if it’s an investment. Understanding this lets you actually improve your position, a bigger deposit, stronger accounts, before you commit, rather than just accepting whatever number you’re first given.
Why does using a broker with genuine panel access matter so much here?
Because there’s no shortcut comparison site to do this work for you, comparing commercial mortgages properly means getting multiple individually underwritten quotes and genuinely comparing them like for like, LTV, fee structure, fixed versus variable, total cost. A broker with access to a wide panel, high street and specialist lenders alike, can run this comparison in parallel for you, rather than you approaching each lender separately and trying to compare wildly different quote formats yourself.
The bottom line
There’s no best-buy comparison table for commercial mortgages, every quote is genuinely individual, which means comparing properly requires getting multiple quotes across different lender types, checking whether you’re comparing total rate versus margin over base, and looking at total cost, not just the headline percentage. Given how much genuine variation exists between lenders for what looks like the same deal on paper, comparing through a broker with access to both high street and specialist lenders is usually the most efficient way to actually see what the market would offer you, rather than judging your options from a single quote in isolation.
