Arvest Bank vs Busey Bank

As of Q1 2026, Arvest Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than Busey Bank, roughly 1.1× the size — $7.3B versus $6.6B. CRE book size is one gauge of how much lending capacity a bank is actively deploying, though a bigger book is not automatically better for a borrower; what matters is whether the bank is still growing that book and how concentrated it has become.

Both banks are letting their CRE books contract quarter over quarter — Arvest Bank is down 0.4% and Busey Bank is down 0.4%. A shrinking CRE book can signal a lender in run-off mode, tightening credit standards, or working through past-due loans, all of which can make a new loan harder to place.

Neither bank has run past the 300% CRE concentration guideline — Arvest Bank is at 209% and Busey Bank at 231%. Banks well below the guideline typically have more room to keep adding commercial real estate loans, which tends to mean more competitive pricing and terms for borrowers.

Arvest Bank carries a higher nonaccrual CRE ratio (1% of its CRE book, versus 0% at the other). Rising nonaccruals consume management attention and provisions and often precede tighter credit standards — a useful caution flag when comparing the two as a potential lender.

County recorded documents show both lenders actively closing commercial loans — 3 recent for Arvest Bank and 7 for Busey Bank. Busey Bank shows the heavier recent activity in the records we track. Filed deeds of trust are the ground truth of a closed, secured loan, so a presence here confirms the bank is writing business, not just quoting it.

The short version: Arvest Bank runs the larger CRE book. The right lender for any specific deal still depends on property type, sponsorship, and the current terms each is quoting — the table above and each bank's full profile carry the detail.