Citizens Bank vs The Exchange Bank

As of Q1 2026, Citizens Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than The Exchange Bank, roughly 10.2× the size — $252.0M versus $24.6M. 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 growing their CRE books quarter over quarter — Citizens Bank at 4.8% and The Exchange Bank at 6.1%. A bank actively expanding its commercial real estate balance is generally still open to new originations, which is favorable for a borrower in the market today.

Citizens Bank is further up the concentration curve at 510% — past the 300% supervisory guideline — while The Exchange Bank sits lower at 96% 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 The Exchange Bank). Low nonaccrual levels suggest the existing portfolio is performing and the bank is not preoccupied with problem-loan management.

Of the two, Citizens Bank shows recent commercial loans in the county records we track. The absence of recorded activity for the other does not mean it is not lending — it may operate in counties we do not yet cover — but the recorded presence is the harder evidence of an active book.

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.