Mezzanine financing real estate

 Mezzanine financing is a hybrid of debt and equity financing that gives the lender the right to convert to an equity interest in the company in case of default, generally, after venture capital companies and other senior lenders are paid.

Mezzanine debt has embedded equity instruments attached, often known as warrants, which increase the value of the subordinated debt and allow greater flexibility when dealing with bondholders. Mezzanine financing is frequently associated with acquisitions and buyouts, for which it may be used to prioritize new owners ahead of existing owners in case of bankruptcy.

How Mezzanine Financing Works

Mezzanine financing bridges the gap between debt and equity financing and is one of the highest-risk forms of debt. It is senior to pure equity but subordinate to pure debt. However, this means that it also offers some of the highest returns when compared to other debt types, as it often receives rates between 12% and 20% per year, and sometimes as high as 30%.

Companies will turn to mezzanine financing in order to fund growth projects or to help with acquisitions with short- to medium-term time horizons. Often, these loans will be provided by the long-term investors and existing funders of the company’s capital. A number of other characteristics are common in the structuring of mezzanine loans, such as:

Mezzanine loans are subordinate to senior debt but have priority over both preferred and common stock. They carry higher yields than ordinary debt. They are often unsecured debts.

There is no amortization of loan principal. It may be structured as part fixed and part variable interest.

Advantages of Mezzanine Financing

Mezzanine financing may result in lenders — or investors — gaining equity in a business or warrants for purchasing equity at a later date. This may significantly increase an investor’s rate of return (ROR). In addition, mezzanine financing providers receive contractually obligated interest payments monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Borrowers prefer mezzanine debt because the interest is tax-deductible. Also, mezzanine financing is more manageable than other debt structures because borrowers may figure their interest in the balance of the loan. If a borrower cannot make a scheduled interest payment, some or all of the interest may be deferred. This option is typically unavailable for other types of debt.

In addition, quickly expanding companies grow in value and restructure mezzanine financing into one senior loan at a lower interest rate, saving on interest costs in the long term.

Disadvantages and Truth of Mezzanine Financing

However, when securing mezzanine financing, owners sacrifice control and upside potential due to the loss of equity. Owners also pay more in the interest the longer mezzanine financing is in place.

For mezzanine lenders, they’re at risk of losing their investment in the event of bankruptcy. In other words, when a company goes out of business, the senior debt holders get paid first by liquidating the company’s assets. If there are no assets remaining after the senior debt gets paid off, mezzanine lenders lose out.

Real Estate.

Mezzanine financing helps real estate investors bridge the gap between their equity and the senior debt a lender will provide them. It’s usually in the form of subordinated debt, though it can have an equity component. While an investor will pay a higher interest rate for mezzanine financing, it can enable them to earn a higher rate of return on their investment.

A mezzanine loan is an important funding tool for real estate investors. It can help cover the difference between the equity they have to put into a transaction and the senior debt financing available from lenders. While these loans increase a deal’s risk profile, they also enhance the return potential.