Commercial Real Estate Concentrations: Evidence on the Survival of Small Banks

Abstract

This study examines the survival of small banks with commercial real estate concentrations over the 2006-2009 period. Using data on 4646 banks, I document that commercial real estate loan concentrations increase the hazard of disappearance. The analysis of bank-specific factors reveals that bank capitalization, liquidity, and asset quality play a significant role on bank survival. I also find evidence that small banks in the Pacific Southwest and South Atlantic regions are less likely to survive as separate entities.