Central Bank vs Farmers Bank & Trust

As of Q1 2026, Central Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than Farmers Bank & Trust, roughly 4.7× the size — $982.3M versus $211.1M. 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.

Their trajectories diverge: Central Bank is growing its CRE book (1.5% quarter over quarter) while Farmers Bank & Trust is contracting (-3.3%). For a borrower weighing the two, the expanding lender is the more likely to be competing for new business right now.

Neither bank has run past the 300% CRE concentration guideline — Central Bank is at 269% and Farmers Bank & Trust at 76%. 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.

Both books look healthy on asset quality — nonaccrual CRE loans sit below 0.5% of the CRE book at each bank (0% for Central Bank, 0% for Farmers Bank & Trust). 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 — 3 recent for Central Bank and 1 for Farmers Bank & Trust. Central 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: Central Bank runs the larger CRE book, Central 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.