Bank of Hope vs Columbia Bank

As of Q1 2026, Columbia Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than Bank of Hope, roughly 3.1× the size — $26.8B versus $8.7B. 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 — Bank of Hope is down 0.2% and Columbia Bank is down 1.5%. 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.

Columbia Bank is further up the concentration curve at 303% — past the 300% supervisory guideline — while Bank of Hope sits lower at 275% with more balance-sheet capacity to keep lending. A borrower may find the less-concentrated bank more receptive to new credit, though concentration is only one of several appetite signals.

Bank of Hope 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 — 4 recent for Bank of Hope and 1 for Columbia Bank. Bank of Hope 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: Columbia 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.