Citizens Bank vs Herring Bank

As of Q1 2026, Citizens Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than Herring Bank, roughly 1.1× the size — $252.0M versus $222.8M. 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: Citizens Bank is growing its CRE book (4.8% quarter over quarter) while Herring Bank is contracting (0.6%). For a borrower weighing the two, the expanding lender is the more likely to be competing for new business right now.

Citizens Bank is further up the concentration curve at 510% — past the 300% supervisory guideline — while Herring Bank sits lower at 249% 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 Citizens Bank, 0% for Herring 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 — 8 recent for Citizens Bank and 2 for Herring Bank. Citizens 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: Citizens 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.