Part 3: What should SMEs check before switching lendersBuying a commercial or industrial property can be a major milestone for an SME.
After deciding in Part 1: Buy or Rent for Your Business that ownership makes sense, the next question is how to finance the purchase properly.
Many business owners naturally start by asking:
“Which bank is offering the lowest interest rate?”
But an SME Property Loan should be assessed holistically; not just by lowest interest rate.
The financing quantum, valuation, upfront cash requirement, loan tenure and future flexibility can all have a significant impact on the business.
How Much Can You Actually Borrow?
The first step is understanding how much the bank is prepared to finance.
One of the key considerations is whether the property is intended for:
- Owner occupation, where financing may be in the range of 80% to 90% Loan-to-Value (LTV); or
- Investment purposes, where financing may be more commonly in the range of 70% to 80% LTV.
Actual financing remains subject to the lender’s credit assessment, property type, borrower profile and prevailing lending policy.
Banks may also consider:
- Business financial performance
- Existing borrowings
- Directors’ credit profiles
- Repayment capacity
- Property type and remaining lease
- Accepted valuation
This means businesses should not assume that a certain percentage of the purchase price will automatically be financed.
Purchase Price and Valuation Are Not Always the Same
A buyer and seller may agree on a purchase price, but the lender rely on its own panel of valuers and provide financing based on the lower of two independant valuations.
For example:
Purchase price: S$2.0 million
Lender’s valuation: S$1.8 million
If the lender structures the loan based on the lower valuation, the buyer may need to contribute more cash than originally expected.
Valuation also plays a key role in determining Stamp Duties payable, i.e. the amount of duties payable is based on the higher of the purchase price or valuation.
So even if a buyer manages to negotiate a lower purchase price, the stamp duty may still be assessed against a higher valuation.
Budget for More Than the Downpayment
The downpayment only constitutes one part of the cash outlay required.
A property purchase can also involve:
- Stamp duty
- Legal fees
- Valuation fees
- GST, where applicable
- Property tax
- Quarterly MCST maintenance fees, where applicable
These costs can be meaningful and should be factored into the overall acquisition budget.
For an SME, there is another important consideration: Working capital after completion.
Don’t Sacrifice Working Capital Just to Save Interest
Some business owners instinctively want to make the largest possible downpayment to minimise borrowing.
That may reduce interest cost, but it is not always the best business decision.
Suppose an SME has S$800,000 in available cash and needs S$500,000 for the property purchase.
Using almost all remaining cash to further reduce the mortgage may leave the company with very little buffer for:
- Inventory
- Payroll
- Supplier payments
- Business expansion
- Unexpected operating expenses
In some cases, banks are able to offer financing beyond the conventional property loan; up to around 120% of the property valuation by combining:
- A property loan; and
- A Working Capital Loan that is partially secured by the property.
This can help bridge the property purchase while preserving more of the company’s cash for operations.
However, this type of structure also means the business takes on additional debt, so repayment capacity and overall leverage need to be assessed carefully.
The right financing structure should balance property ownership with operational liquidity.
Choose the Loan Tenure Carefully
Banks may impose tenure restrictions based on factors such as:
- The age of the borrower or guarantor
- Maximum age at loan maturity
- Remaining lease of the property
Depending on the lender, the loan may need to mature by around age 75 of the relevant borrower or guarantor.
For leasehold properties, banks may also restrict the loan tenure to a period that is shorter than the remaining lease, sometimes by approximately 5 to 20 years, depending on the lender and property.
The actual allowable tenure is generally based on whichever restriction produces the shorter loan period.
For example, if:
- Remaining lease: 30 years
- Lender requires a 10-year buffer
the maximum loan tenure may be around 20 years, subject to the borrower’s age and credit assessment.
A longer tenure lowers monthly instalments but increases total interest cost.
The objective should therefore be to choose a tenure that the business can comfortably service without placing unnecessary pressure on cashflow.
Understand the Interest Structure
Before accepting an SME Property Loan, understand exactly how the interest rate works.
The package may be:
- Fixed rate
- Floating rate
- Variable rate
A fixed-rate package provides greater certainty during the fixed period.
A floating or variable-rate package can move over time, which means monthly repayments may change.
Borrowers should therefore ask:
- How long is the initial rate valid?
- What rate applies after the initial period?
- How frequently can the rate change?
- Is there a minimum or floor rate?
- What spread or margin does the bank apply?
A low introductory rate can be attractive, but the borrower should also understand what happens after that rate ends.
Look at the Lock-In and Redemption Terms Before You Sign
This is important because today’s new purchase loan may eventually become tomorrow’s refinancing loan.
Before accepting the facility, check:
- Lock-in period
- Early redemption penalty
- Partial repayment restrictions
- Interest reset provisions
- Notice requirements
- Legal subsidy clawback
- Cash rebate clawback
One important detail is often overlooked:
The lock-in period and subsidy clawback period are generally calculated from the loan disbursement date, not the Letter of Offer date.
For example, a borrower may sign the Letter of Offer in January, but if the loan is only disbursed in March, the lock-in and clawback periods may start from March instead.
This can make a material difference when planning a future sale or refinancing.
Borrowers should therefore confirm:
1. The actual loan disbursement date
2. The lock-in expiry date
3. The subsidy clawback expiry date
These terms may not feel important when the property is first purchased, but they can become very important two or three years later when the business wants to refinance, sell the property or reduce the loan.
The exact commencement date should always be checked against the wording in the Letter of Offer and facility documents.
We will cover more indepth of property refinancing in Part 3: What should SMEs check before switching lenders.
Think About the Business Plan, Not Just the Property
Commercial property financing should fit the business strategy.
Before choosing a loan, ask:
- Will the business remain in this location for the long term?
- Could the company expand and require larger premises?
- Is there a possibility of selling the property?
- Could the business need additional financing later?
- Would the property eventually be used as security for future business financing?
The most suitable financing structure is not necessarily the one with the lowest rate today.
It is the one that gives the business an appropriate balance of cost, cashflow and flexibility.
Key Takeaway
Buying a business property is not simply a property decision.
It is also a capital allocation decision.
Before taking an SME Property Loan, business owners should understand:
How much the bank is prepared to finance,
how the valuation affects both financing and stamp duty,
how much cash the purchase will consume,
how the loan tenure is determined,
and how flexible the financing will be in future.
In Part 3 of our SME Property Financing Series, we look at what happens after the property has been financed for several years — and the important issues SMEs should check before refinancing.