Does First Financial Network buy loans?

No. The firm advises on and runs loan sales but does not buy, service, or arbitrage loans. It markets portfolios on behalf of sellers, values them, and runs the bidding process on its own platform.

How are loan sales structured?

Sales are run either as portfolio sales, where several loans are offered together, or as single-loan transactions. Portfolio sales usually group loans into pools for bidding, with pools built from loans that share characteristics such as loan type, collateral, balance size, performance status, and location.

What are the success fees based on?

Fees are based on the purchase price achieved, not on the portfolio balance. First Financial Network says it does not typically charge a commission to loan buyers.

Does the firm sell only non-performing loans?

No. First Financial Network sells both performing and non-performing loans, across commercial real estate, residential, C&I, agricultural, and consumer loan types, and at all performance levels.

How does a buyer take part in a loan sale?

Buyers register with First Financial Network on the Loan Sale Network platform. Registration is free and takes a few minutes to complete the required documentation. Every registered buyer must meet the firm's minimum vetting requirements, and individual sellers may add requirements of their own for a given sale.

Note buyers

First Financial Network

First Financial Network markets and sells performing and non-performing loan portfolios for banks, government agencies, and other institutional sellers. It values and sells all asset types and performance levels, including commercial real estate, residential, C&I, agricultural, and consumer loans, and does not buy, service, or arbitrage loans itself.

Sales run either as portfolio offerings, where loans are grouped into pools by type, collateral, balance size, performance status, and location, or as single-loan trades. A Quarterly Loan Sale Event gives sellers a regular route to market, and due diligence, marketing, and bidding happen on the firm's Loan Sale Network platform, which buyers must register with for free and clear vetting requirements set by the firm and sometimes the seller. Valuations come from FirstValue, a market-based analytics engine calibrated on over 35 years of proprietary loan sale pricing data, which the firm says has been validated and audited by the FDIC and is used by several Federal Home Loan Banks.

Established in 1989 as the first loan sale advisory firm, it has worked with the FDIC since that year and has sold loans in more than 30 countries. It reports $1.5 trillion of loans valued and $4.7 billion of loans sold between 2023 and 2025, and a 98% loan sale closing rate in 2025. The firm is woman-owned and certified as a Women's Business Enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

Success fees are charged to sellers and calculated on the purchase price rather than the portfolio balance, and buyers are not typically charged a commission. Most sellers set reserve prices that are not disclosed to bidders, so confirm fee and reserve terms before committing a portfolio.

Best for

Banks, credit unions, and agencies that need to liquidate non-strategic or non-performing loan portfolios, and buyers wanting vetted access to those pools. Not a fit if you want a counterparty that will buy or service the loans itself.

What they do

Loan portfolio sale advisory
Single-loan trades
Quarterly Loan Sale Event
FirstValue loan portfolio valuation
Loan Sale Network bidding platform
Due diligence and data collection
International loan sales
Legal closing services
Non-performing loan sales
Performing loan sales

Details

Attribute	Value
Founded	1989
Memberships	Certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBENC)
How they charge	Seller success fees are based on the purchase price rather than the portfolio balance; loan buyers are not typically charged a commission.

What stands out

Established in 1989 as the first loan sale advisory firm, and has worked with the FDIC since that year.
Reports $1.5 trillion of loans valued and $4.7 billion of loans sold between 2023 and 2025.
Reports a 98% loan sale closing rate for 2025.
Has experience selling loans in more than 30 countries.
Says its FirstValue model has been validated and audited by the FDIC and is used by several Federal Home Loan Banks.
Woman-owned and certified as a Women's Business Enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

Common questions

Does First Financial Network buy loans?: No. The firm advises on and runs loan sales but does not buy, service, or arbitrage loans. It markets portfolios on behalf of sellers, values them, and runs the bidding process on its own platform.
How are loan sales structured?: Sales are run either as portfolio sales, where several loans are offered together, or as single-loan transactions. Portfolio sales usually group loans into pools for bidding, with pools built from loans that share characteristics such as loan type, collateral, balance size, performance status, and location.
What are the success fees based on?: Fees are based on the purchase price achieved, not on the portfolio balance. First Financial Network says it does not typically charge a commission to loan buyers.
Does the firm sell only non-performing loans?: No. First Financial Network sells both performing and non-performing loans, across commercial real estate, residential, C&I, agricultural, and consumer loan types, and at all performance levels.
How does a buyer take part in a loan sale?: Buyers register with First Financial Network on the Loan Sale Network platform. Registration is free and takes a few minutes to complete the required documentation. Every registered buyer must meet the firm's minimum vetting requirements, and individual sellers may add requirements of their own for a given sale.