Busey Bank vs Columbia Bank

As of Q1 2026, Columbia Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than Busey Bank, roughly 4.1× the size — $26.8B 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 — Busey Bank is down 0.4% 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 Busey Bank sits lower at 231% 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.

Both books look healthy on asset quality — nonaccrual CRE loans sit below 0.5% of the CRE book at each bank (0% for Busey Bank, 0% for Columbia Bank). Low nonaccrual levels suggest the existing portfolio is performing and the bank is not preoccupied with problem-loan management.

County recorded documents show both lenders actively closing commercial loans — 7 recent for Busey Bank and 1 for Columbia 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: Columbia Bank runs the larger CRE book, Busey Bank is the one still expanding. 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.