An Objective Industry Resource for CRE Borrowers and Banking Professionals
Texas hosts more than 370 community banks — more than any other state in the nation — with 55% of all community bank loans concentrated in commercial real estate. This concentration creates both opportunity and competitive intensity. As Frost Bank CEO Phil Green noted, "There's probably no more competitive asset class than commercial real estate."
This list recognizes the Texas-headquartered banks making the biggest impact in CRE lending across the state, evaluated on portfolio strength, geographic reach, credit quality, product innovation, and market recognition. We've separated our rankings into regional banks ($10B–$50B+ in assets) and community banks (under $10B), because the competitive dynamics and borrower relationships are fundamentally different at each tier.
Understanding the Texas CRE Banking Landscape
Texas community and regional banks control 58% of all CRE loans held by Texas banks despite ongoing market challenges. With an estimated $936 billion in commercial mortgages maturing in 2026 and bank CRE lending surging significantly year-over-year, community institutions are capturing refinancing opportunities that larger national banks are abandoning. Meanwhile, 43 Texas banks are currently flagged for elevated CRE exposure totaling $442 billion in assets — a sign of both deep commitment and the need for disciplined risk management.
Top Regional Banks ($10B–$50B in Assets)
1. Prosperity Bank (Houston) — $39.6B Assets
Why they made the list: Prosperity stands as Texas's fifth-largest bank with 280+ full-service locations spanning every major metro from Houston to Lubbock. The bank maintains robust CRE lending across owner-occupied and investment properties with nonperforming assets at just 0.23% — exceptional credit quality during a volatile cycle.
Geographic reach is unmatched among Texas regionals: 65 Houston locations, 75 in Dallas-Fort Worth, 29 in Central Texas, 34 in West Texas, 30 in South Texas, and recent Oklahoma expansion. An aggressive M&A strategy continues with the Lone Star State Bancshares merger completed April 2024 (~$1.4B assets), adding five West Texas banking offices. Digital platform includes AI-driven budgeting tools and comprehensive treasury management. Holds SBA Preferred Lender status and ranks second in Texas for farm lending per FDIC data.
Recognition: Money.com Best Overall Bank in Texas 2025, Forbes Most Reputable Bank, Newsweek America's Best Regional Banks 2025, Bank Director Magazine top performer.
2. Texas Capital Bank (Dallas) — $30.7B Assets
Why they made the list: Total loans held for investment reach $22.5 billion with significant exposure to mortgage finance ($5.2B) and commercial development. The bank serves national CRE owners, developers, and investors with construction, bridge, acquisition-repositioning, and term lending products across all five major Texas cities.
What sets Texas Capital apart is technology leadership. The Texas Capital Initio™ platform — a proprietary cloud-native digital onboarding system launched June 2023 — has transformed operations, with 70%+ of treasury clients now onboarded digitally. Open banking and Banking-as-a-Service capabilities position the bank as Texas's fintech leader among regional institutions. Treasury product fees grew 18% year-over-year, total deposits increased 13%, and the bank onboarded 40% more new clients in 2024 versus 2023.
Recognition: Bankrate Best Regional Bank 2024 and 2025, Newsweek "Most Trusted Bank in America," Texas Bankers Association Cornerstone Award 2024.
3. Frost Bank (San Antonio) — $52.5B Assets
Why they made the list: While exceeding the $50B threshold, Frost Bank is included as Texas's most significant CRE lender and an essential benchmark. Frost commands a $10 billion CRE portfolio with a conservative 44% loan-to-deposit ratio — well below peers. Total loan portfolio reached $21.4 billion in Q2 2025.
Management maintains $16.1 million in overlays specifically for office buildings and $104.1 million for other CRE categories, demonstrating disciplined risk management. Over 100 branches with aggressive expansion into Houston, Dallas, and Austin markets since 2018 have generated $2.7B in deposits, $2B in loans, and approximately 69,000 new household customers. Frost also serves as correspondent bank for 179 Texas financial institutions. CEO Phil Green stated the bank is "not running from CRE" and closed office deals in Q1 2024 despite market concerns.
Recognition: J.D. Power #1 in Texas for Customer Service (2024), Forbes Most Reputable Bank in Texas, Newsweek America's Best Regional Banks 2025. Strong 14.14% CET1 ratio demonstrates exceptional capital positioning.
4. Independent Bank (McKinney) — $18.9B Assets
Why they made the list: Total loans of $14.6 billion across 177 branches and ATMs in Texas and Colorado. The bank operates four market regions covering Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and the Colorado Front Range with a $150 million headquarters campus in Craig Ranch, McKinney. Ranks as the 12th largest bank in Texas by asset size and holds a top-10 position for deposits in the DFW region ($7B+ deposits).
Critical update: Being acquired by SouthState Corporation (Florida-based) for approximately $2 billion in an all-stock transaction announced May 2024. The combined entity will control $65 billion in assets, significantly expanding SouthState's Texas commercial lending presence.
5. PlainsCapital Bank (Dallas/Hilltop Holdings) — $12.4B Assets
Why they made the list: Specialized lending division serves developers, investors, and builders across 55-58 branches statewide. Active in owner-occupied commercial properties, investment real estate (multifamily, retail/mixed-use, industrial, self-storage), and construction financing. Holds SBA Preferred Lender status.
Full coverage of Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio. Ranks as the fourth-largest Texas-headquartered bank by deposit market share. Acquired Bank of River Oaks (three Houston locations) and actively recruits CRE banking professionals from competitors to expand Houston commercial lending presence.
Top Community Banks (Under $10B in Assets)
1. Veritex Community Bank (Dallas) — ~$8.7B Assets
Why they made the list: Commands the highest CRE concentration among Texas community banks at 298.9% of capital (improved from 320.2% in 2023), signaling deep expertise and intentional focus on commercial real estate. Total loan portfolio of approximately $5.3 billion with CRE as the primary loan category.
Comprehensive CRE capabilities including construction financing, acquisition-repositioning loans, bridge loans, and multi-family residential. Unique offering: 1031 Exchange services through Exchange Manager Pro — a differentiated product for CRE investors seeking tax-deferred transactions. 23 branches throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Houston metropolitan area with a dedicated Commercial Real Estate banking division emphasizing local decision-making and middle-market relationships.
Recognition: 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report "Best Companies to Work For" #1 in Banking in the South, SBA Top Preferred Lender.
2. Southside Bank (Tyler) — ~$8.5B Assets
Why they made the list: Strong CRE lending with total loans of $4.58 billion across construction, bridge, and term debt products. The standout metric: nonperforming assets at just 0.09% of total assets — best-in-class credit quality among Texas community banks.
53 branches and 72 ATMs/ITMs covering East Texas, Southeast Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston. Headquartered in Tyler with 65+ years of operating history since 1960. Listed on NYSE (SBSI) since November 2024. Q4 2024 results showed net income of $21.8 million (+25.8% YoY) with return on average tangible equity of 13.69%.
3. Origin Bank (Louisiana-based, Texas Operations) — ~$9.78B Assets
Why they made the list: Strong and growing CRE portfolio with total loans held for investment of $7.96 billion. Q1 2025 saw multi-family real estate increase by $64.3 million, signaling continued Texas market commitment. Active mortgage warehouse lending operations.
60 banking centers across Dallas-Fort Worth, East Texas, and Houston. Expanded to Texas in 2008 with the BTH Bank acquisition in 2022 substantially strengthening East Texas and DFW presence. Active in self-storage, student housing, townhome construction, medical office, and manufactured housing communities. Q1 2025 earnings of $22.4 million net income (+56.6% vs Q4 2024) demonstrate strong momentum.
4. Dallas Capital Bank (Dallas)
Why they made the list: Focused CRE lender active in multifamily, retail, office, and industrial across the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Offers a differentiated single-tenant NNN lease retail program for stabilized investment properties.
Won the George Bailey Award 2024 (American Bankers Association) for financial education and support of the military community — demonstrating community commitment alongside commercial expertise. Network of borrower and broker relationships enables faster deal structuring and flexible terms for experienced sponsors.
5. Texas Regional Bank (Harlingen)
Why they made the list: 35 locations with 564 employees serving South Texas markets including Brownsville, Edinburg, Falfurrias, Harlingen, and McAllen with expansion into Houston, San Antonio, and North Texas.
Strong FHLB Dallas partnership demonstrated by notable deal: a $1.75 million grant supporting Hope Place — a 50-unit affordable housing project for domestic violence survivors in Brownsville. Won the IBAT Gold Eagle Award for community service. Offers unique capabilities including international banking services and a factoring division launched in 2024.
6. Wallis Bank (Wallis, TX)
Why they made the list: Survived the Great Depression, both World Wars, and the Great Recession without government assistance — demonstrating exceptional risk management over generations. Active in multifamily, hotels, gas stations, and industrial lending with SBA Preferred Lender status.
Known for flexibility serving clients ranging from small rural borrowers to large international transactions, with a relationship-focused approach and local decision-making authority.
Banks That Have Changed Status
Several banks initially evaluated have undergone significant changes since our research began. Allegiance Bank merged in October 2022 and is now Stellar Bank ($11B+). Spirit of Texas Bank was acquired in April 2022 and now operates as Simmons Bank branches. International Bank of Commerce and First United Bank both exceed the community bank threshold at $12-16.6B and $13B in assets, respectively.
What This Means for CRE Borrowers
The Texas CRE banking landscape is in transition. Larger national banks are pulling back from CRE, community and regional banks are filling the void with competitive terms and faster decisions, and the refinancing wave ahead will stress underwriting capacity across the board. Borrowers who build relationships with the institutions on this list — and understand each bank's specialization, geographic focus, and risk appetite — will be best positioned to secure competitive financing in the year ahead.
For the banks on this list, the opportunity is clear: every dollar of underwriting capacity that gets freed up through technology and process improvement is a dollar that can be deployed into the next deal. The institutions that figure out how to do more with the same team will capture disproportionate market share as the maturity wall arrives.
