ChatGPT's shortlist: SBA lenders in Texas

Places ChatGPT showed

• Texas First Bank · 4.7★ · Bank
• Texas Security Bank · 5.0★ · Bank
• Security National Bank of Texas · 5.0★ · Bank
• Encore Bank - San Antonio · 5.0★ · Financial institution
• Guaranty Bank & Trust · 4.8★ · Bank
• First Bank Texas · 4.8★ · Bank
• Business & Community Lenders (BCL) of Texas- Austin · 4.5★ · Non-profit organization

If by “best” you mean strong SBA experience, Texas presence, and a lender worth comparing, I’d put these on a shortlist rather than declare a single winner. SBA lending varies significantly by loan size, industry, collateral, and whether you’re buying a business, starting one, or financing real estate.

Texas SBA lenders worth comparing

• Texas First Bank — Particularly notable for SBA lending; the bank says it has been an SBA Preferred Lender for more than two decades. Good option to investigate for established Texas businesses.
• Texas Security Bank — Dallas-area commercial bank that specifically offers SBA lending and identifies itself as an SBA Preferred Lender. Its broader commercial-lending focus can be useful for acquisitions, real estate, and growth financing.
• Security National Bank of Texas — Its Texas team has a substantial SBA focus and Preferred Lender status.
• Encore Bank - San Antonio — Offers SBA 7(a) financing, including business acquisitions and owner-occupied real estate.
• Guaranty Bank & Trust — Texas community bank with SBA 7(a) and 504 lending, including an Austin presence.
• First Bank Texas — Community-bank option with SBA lending for startups, expansion, equipment, real estate, and working capital.
• Business & Community Lenders (BCL) of Texas — A nonprofit/CDFI option that can be particularly relevant when conventional-bank underwriting is difficult; it combines lending with business-development support.

The SBA itself maintains lender-activity reports that summarize 7(a) and 504 approvals by state and lender, and its Lender Match service lets you compare participating lenders.

Which lender to approach depends heavily on the deal

For example:

For context, SBA 7(a) loans currently go up to $5 million, with SBA guarantees of up to 85% for loans of $150,000 or less and 75% above $150,000.

If you tell me (1) loan amount, (2) what you're using it for, (3) your approximate credit score, (4) annual business revenue/EBITDA, and (5) whether you're buying an existing business or already own it, I can narrow this to a Texas shortlist of lenders that fit your specific deal and compare their SBA programs, geographic coverage, and application requirements.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Texas First Bank · 4.7★ · Bank
• Texas Security Bank · 5.0★ · Bank
• First Bank Texas · 4.8★ · Bank
• Security National Bank of Texas · 5.0★ · Bank

If you’re a first-time business owner in Texas, I’d focus less on finding a single “best” lender and more on lenders that are experienced with startups, SBA 7(a) loans, and hands-on underwriting. SBA itself notes that lenders differ in credit, cash-flow, collateral, and other requirements, so the right fit depends heavily on your deal.

Texas lenders worth putting on your shortlist

• Texas First Bank — Its SBA program covers 7(a) and 504 financing, including working capital, equipment, real estate, expansion and acquisitions. The bank says it has been an SBA Preferred Lender for more than 20 years, which can be useful for a first-time borrower who wants an experienced SBA process.
• Texas Security Bank — Particularly worth considering if you're in the DFW area. It describes itself as an SBA Preferred Lender and emphasizes customized, relationship-based commercial lending and business education.
• First Bank Texas — A community-bank option with SBA financing for startup costs, equipment, real estate, expansion and working capital. Its local-business focus may appeal to an owner who wants more direct guidance through the process.
• Security National Bank of Texas — Another relationship-oriented Texas option that specifically highlights small-business and SBA lending, including Preferred Lender status.

If you're a true startup or have limited borrowing history

I'd also look at Texas SBA microlenders, particularly:

• PeopleFund
• LiftFund
• Alliance for Multicultural Community Services
• AltCap

SBA lists these as authorized Texas microloan intermediaries. SBA microloans go up to $50,000, with an average around $13,000, and the intermediary organizations provide the underwriting and terms.

This can be particularly relevant if you're starting small and don't yet have the financial history a conventional SBA lender wants.

What I'd choose based on the situation

For a first-time owner, 7(a) is usually the SBA program to investigate first because it can finance working capital, equipment, real estate, business acquisitions and several other purposes, with loans up to $5 million.

One particularly useful move is to submit your information through SBA's **** rather than approaching only one bank. SBA says it can match you with interested SBA lenders and lets you compare their rates, terms and fees.

If you tell me (1) what city in Texas, (2) how much you want to borrow, (3) whether you're starting a business or buying one, (4) your approximate personal credit score, and (5) how much cash you can put down, I can narrow this to 3–5 lenders that fit your situation and explain what each is likely to look for.

For a business acquisition in Texas, I’d focus on lenders with a substantial track record of SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans rather than simply looking at overall SBA loan volume.

Current data points to a few particularly active options:

The Texas figures above come from SBA loan-level data compiled by independent SBA-data researchers; for FY2025 through FY2026 Q3, Huntington had 142 Texas change-of-ownership loans versus 133 for Live Oak. Live Oak's Texas median acquisition loan was substantially larger, about $825,000 versus Huntington's $422,000.

The two I'd put on your initial call list

Live Oak is particularly worth talking to if your acquisition is around $1M+ or involves a more complicated capital structure. Its own SBA group explicitly handles business acquisitions and partner buyouts, and it has Preferred Lender status. It also advertises combination financing for transactions exceeding the $5M 7(a) limit.

Huntington is another lender I'd solicit a quote from, particularly for a smaller acquisition. Nationally, it was the most active acquisition lender by number of change-of-ownership 7(a) loans in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026, with 821 such loans.

For context, the SBA's standard 7(a) program currently permits loans up to $5 million, with the SBA guarantee generally being 75% for loans above $150,000.

Don't choose solely on the quoted interest rate

For an acquisition, I'd ask each lender for the same hypothetical term sheet and compare:

• SBA 7(a) loan amount
• Required equity injection
• Interest rate and whether it's fixed or variable
• SBA guarantee fee and lender fees
• Amortization period
• Prepayment penalty
• Whether seller financing can count toward the equity injection and on what terms
• Treatment of working capital in the loan
• Collateral requirements
• Whether they finance 100% of the purchase of goodwill
• Their experience with your particular industry
• Expected underwriting/closing timeline
• Whether they will finance an acquisition where you have limited industry experience

The SBA itself recommends comparing rates, terms, fees, credit requirements and other qualifying factors among lenders rather than assuming one lender is universally best.

If you tell me (1) purchase price, (2) industry, (3) your available cash for the down payment, (4) annual EBITDA/SDE of the target, and (5) whether you're buying 100% of the company, I can narrow this to the 3–5 Texas lenders most appropriate for your specific acquisition and show what an SBA financing structure could look like.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Texas Security Bank · 3.4★ · Bank

If speed to closing is the priority, I’d focus on Texas-active lenders that have Preferred Lender Program (PLP) authority and substantial 7(a) volume. PLP matters because the lender can approve the SBA portion under delegated authority rather than waiting for SBA’s individual review.

Texas lenders I’d put on the fast-close shortlist

• Live Oak Bank — Particularly strong for acquisitions and industry-specific deals. It is a PLP lender, and Texas data shows it among the leading lenders for business acquisitions.
• Huntington National Bank — One of the largest SBA lenders in Texas by 7(a) volume, with 2,385 Texas approvals in the 2021–2026 SBA loan dataset cited by SBA Loans HQ.
• Newtek Bank — Very high SBA volume and a digital/nontraditional model. It is among the major current 7(a) lenders nationally.
• Ready Capital — Worth considering when pure speed is critical. NerdWallet cites a Ready Capital example of a $1.7M SBA 7(a) closing in 15 calendar days, although that's an individual example rather than a typical timeline.
• Texas Security Bank — Texas-focused commercial bank that identifies itself as an SBA Preferred Lender and emphasizes local lending decisions.
• Texas First Bank — Has a dedicated SBA operation and says it has been an SBA Preferred Lender for more than two decades.

What "fast" realistically means

For a clean, straightforward 7(a), the lender's underwriting process is usually the bigger determinant of the closing date than the SBA itself. SBA's current published turnaround for a non-delegated Standard 7(a) is 5–10 business days, but PLP lenders can make the SBA credit decision themselves.

Published industry estimates commonly put a conventional 7(a) at roughly 45–60 days for a strong, well-documented file, although complicated acquisitions, real estate, environmental work, seller financing, or multiple ownership entities can push that considerably longer.

If your objective is something like "I need the money closed in 30–45 days," I'd get simultaneous term-sheet conversations going with Live Oak, Newtek, Huntington, and Ready Capital, rather than relying on a single lender. The fastest lender depends heavily on the loan amount, acquisition vs. refinance/expansion, industry, collateral, borrower credit, and whether real estate is involved.

If you tell me (1) loan amount, (2) what you're using it for, (3) your industry, (4) whether you're buying an existing business, and (5) target closing date, I can narrow this to the 3–5 Texas lenders most likely to fit your specific deal and compare their current SBA activity, minimum requirements, and advertised turnaround times.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Texas Security Bank · 5.0★ · Bank
• Encore Bank - Fort Worth · 4.9★ · Bank
• Wallis Bank · 4.7★ · Bank
• Security National Bank of Texas · 5.0★ · Bank
• Chase Bank · 3.2★ · Bank

If by “reliable” you mean established SBA experience, meaningful North Texas lending activity, and a track record of actually closing SBA loans, I’d start with a shortlist rather than simply picking the biggest bank.

The SBA itself publishes lender-activity data, and its 7(a) program allows loans up to $5 million. The Dallas Business Journal’s latest North Texas data shows the 20 largest lenders collectively originated/approved more than $610 million in SBA 7(a)/504 financing in 2025 across the DFW-area counties.

DFW lenders worth interviewing

• Texas Security Bank — A particularly relevant local option. It is a commercial-focused community bank with SBA lending and Preferred Lender status, with offices in Dallas, Southlake and Garland. Its model emphasizes local lending decisions and owner-managed businesses.
• Encore Bank - Fort Worth — Boutique/relationship-oriented commercial bank with SBA lending and a Fort Worth office. Worth considering if you want a banker who will work closely with the business rather than a highly centralized process.
• Wallis Bank — Has a Dallas presence and offers SBA 7(a), 504 and other SBA programs; it identifies itself as an SBA Preferred Lender.
• Security National Bank of Texas — Dallas-based community-bank option with an emphasis on small-business and SBA lending.
• Chase Bank — A large national SBA lender with extensive branch coverage in DFW. Chase is an SBA Preferred Lender and offers SBA loans up to $5 million; its conventional banking infrastructure can also be useful if you want operating accounts and lending under one roof.
• Live Oak Bank — Not a DFW branch bank, but important to include in a serious comparison. It is one of the country's largest SBA lenders by dollar volume; 2026 data shows an average 7(a) loan size of roughly $1.06 million.

How I'd narrow it down

Rather than judging lenders by online reviews, I'd get 3–4 actual SBA term sheets/indications and compare:

The last point is important. The “best” lender depends heavily on the transaction. An acquisition, owner-occupied real estate purchase, franchise, startup, working-capital loan, and debt refinance can lead to very different lender choices.

For example, if you're buying commercial real estate, I'd also look at an SBA 504 structure. SBA says 504 loans are provided through Certified Development Companies; Alliance Lending Corporation is a Texas CDC based in Fort Worth.

The SBA's own Lender Match tool is also useful for getting competing proposals; it says borrowers can receive interested-lender matches within two days and then compare rates, terms and fees.

If you tell me (1) loan amount, (2) acquisition vs. expansion vs. real estate, (3) years in business, and (4) approximate annual revenue, I can narrow this to 3–5 DFW lenders that fit your particular SBA deal and compare their current programs and requirements.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Wallis Bank · 4.1★ · Bank
• Global One Bank · 4.6★ · Business banking service
• PromiseOne Bank · 4.5★ · Bank
• Plains State Bank · 4.1★ · Bank
• Community Business Finance · 4.0★ · Financial institution

If by “best” you mean lenders worth putting on your Houston SBA-loan shortlist, I’d focus on lenders with demonstrated Houston SBA activity, Preferred Lender status, and a lending model that fits your deal—not simply the biggest national bank.

Houston SBA lenders worth comparing

• Wallis Bank — A Houston-area community bank and SBA Preferred Lender. Houston-specific data shows meaningful SBA activity, including an average deal size around $727K in one recent dataset.
• Global One Bank — Houston-headquartered community bank that advertises SBA Preferred Lender status. It can be worth considering if local relationship banking is important to you.
• PromiseOne Bank — Houston community bank with a particular emphasis on SBA and commercial lending.
• Plains State Bank — Greater Houston community bank that identifies itself as an SBA Preferred Lender and focuses heavily on commercial/small-business lending.
• JPMorgan Chase — One of the most active SBA lenders in Houston by deal count; recent Houston data puts Chase among the area's leading lenders.
• PNC Bank — Also highly active in Houston; one recent dataset puts PNC first by Houston-area SBA deal count.
• Newtek Bank — A national SBA specialist rather than a traditional Houston community bank. It has been the most active 7(a) lender nationally by number of loans in FY2026-to-date, according to SBA data analyzed by NerdWallet.
• Live Oak Bank — Particularly relevant for larger SBA transactions. It has approved the greatest dollar volume nationally in FY2026-to-date and offers 7(a) loans up to $5 million.
• Huntington National Bank — Another major SBA lender with Texas coverage and Preferred Lender status; it offers 7(a) financing up to $5 million.

For owner-occupied commercial real estate or major equipment, also look at Community Business Finance, a Houston Certified Development Company specializing in SBA 504 financing.

How I'd narrow it down

The right shortlist depends heavily on your transaction:

One important point: Houston lending volume isn't the same thing as the best fit for your deal. The SBA itself recommends comparing rates, terms, fees, credit requirements, cash-flow requirements, collateral requirements, and prepayment provisions among lenders.

If you tell me (1) how much you want to borrow, (2) whether it's an acquisition, real estate, franchise, startup, or expansion, (3) your approximate credit score, and (4) annual revenue/cash flow, I can narrow this to a shortlist of 3–5 Houston lenders that fit your specific SBA deal, including recent Houston lending activity and what to ask each lender.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Texas Security Bank · 3.4★ · Bank
• Texas First Bank · 4.7★ · Bank
• First Bank Texas · 4.8★ · Bank

If by “approachable” you mean lenders that are accustomed to working on smaller SBA deals rather than primarily chasing $1M+ transactions, I’d start with community-focused lenders and SBA microlenders rather than the biggest national banks.

For Texas, these are worth putting on your call list:

• Texas Security Bank — Particularly relevant if you're in DFW. It describes itself as an SBA Preferred Lender and emphasizes local lending decisions and customized commercial lending.
• LiftFund — A Texas-based nonprofit SBA microlender headquartered in San Antonio. SBA lists it as an authorized Texas microlender. This is especially relevant if you're looking for under $50K, since SBA microloans are specifically designed for smaller amounts.
• PeopleFund — Austin-based nonprofit microlender and another SBA-listed Texas intermediary. It's worth considering for smaller working-capital, equipment, inventory, or startup/expansion needs.
• Alliance for Multicultural Community Services — Houston-area SBA microlender, also on SBA's Texas intermediary list.
• Texas First Bank — A community bank that has been an SBA Preferred Lender for more than two decades and offers 7(a) and 504 financing.
• First Bank Texas — Community-bank approach with SBA lending and local guidance, including working capital and equipment financing.

The loan size matters a lot

For $10K–$50K, I'd look at SBA Microloans first. SBA says the maximum is $50,000 and the average microloan is about $13,000.

For $50K–$350K, look specifically for an SBA 7(a) Small lender. SBA's current program defines these as loans of $350,000 or less, with an 85% SBA guarantee for loans up to $150,000. That can make smaller deals more attractive to lenders.

One important distinction: “SBA lender” doesn't necessarily mean the lender likes small deals. A bank may technically offer 7(a) loans while having an internal minimum of $100K, $150K, or more. That's why I'd ask the loan officer directly:

> “What's your minimum SBA 7(a) loan size, and how many loans under $100,000 have you closed recently?”

That question will tell you considerably more than simply asking whether they offer SBA loans.

If you tell me roughly how much you want to borrow (e.g. $25K, $75K, $150K, $250K), what the money is for, your years in business, and your approximate credit score, I can narrow this to the Texas lenders that appear most compatible with that particular deal.

Places ChatGPT showed

• First Bank Texas · 4.8★ · Bank
• Texas First Bank · 4.7★ · Bank
• State Bank of Texas · 3.8★ · Bank
• Texas Security Bank · 4.9★ · Bank
• Security National Bank of Texas · 5.0★ · Bank
• Commercial Bank of Texas, N.A. · 4.9★ · Bank

If by “trusted” you mean family/local ownership + a strong small-business/SBA track record + evidence of positive customer experience, there are several Texas lenders worth putting on your shortlist. There isn't a reliable public metric that measures “trust” specifically, so I’d treat customer reviews and community reputation as signals rather than definitive rankings.

Texas lenders I'd investigate

• First Bank Texas — A Texas community bank with a strong local-business orientation. Its SBA program covers uses such as expansion, equipment, real estate and working capital. Customer reviews for its Grapevine location are generally positive, although the review sample is relatively small.
• Texas First Bank — One of the clearest fits for your criteria. Texas First describes itself as an independent, family-owned Texas community bank and says it has been an SBA Preferred Lender for more than two decades. Its branches serve the Houston/Gulf Coast area, with SBA lending extending beyond individual branches.
• State Bank of Texas — Family-owned and operated since 1987. It is particularly established in hospitality lending, which could make it relevant if you're buying or expanding a hotel, motel, restaurant, or related business.
• Texas Security Bank — An independent, business-focused community bank in DFW. It specifically markets SBA lending and Preferred Lender status, along with local lending decisions and relationship-oriented commercial banking. Its locations also have strong customer-review scores, although those reviews aren't exclusively about SBA lending.
• Security National Bank of Texas — A particularly interesting option if family ownership is important. Its Texas operation emphasizes SBA lending and Preferred Lender status. The parent organization is privately/family owned, although it isn't a Texas-founded family bank in the same sense as ANB or Texas First.
• Commercial Bank of Texas, N.A. — A long-established Texas community bank with a strong local/relationship-banking orientation. It offers SBA financing, including SBA Express, and has branches across East and North Texas.

One I'd put near the top of the research list: Amarillo National Bank

Amarillo National Bank is unusually well aligned with what you're asking for.

ANB is 100% family-owned by the Ware family, now in its fifth generation, with no outside shareholders. It is headquartered in Amarillo and has expanded across Texas, including Austin, College Station, Lubbock, Fort Worth and San Antonio.

It also has a substantial commercial-lending orientation. An industry community-banking organization describes ANB as heavily focused on commercial lending, including lending to family-owned and community businesses.

For an SBA borrower, that's important because “local” doesn't necessarily mean “experienced with SBA.” I'd specifically ask an ANB loan officer how many 7(a) loans they closed in your industry and loan-size range during the past 12–24 months.

How I'd actually evaluate them

Rather than relying on star ratings, I'd ask each lender these five questions:

1. How many SBA 7(a) loans did you close in Texas in the last 12 months?
2. How many were in my industry?
3. What's your typical SBA loan size?
4. Do you make the credit decision locally, or does it go to an out-of-state committee?
5. Can you give me the name of the person who will actually underwrite my deal?

The SBA itself confirms that 7(a) loans are made through participating lenders and publishes lender-activity reports, so you can cross-check a bank's claimed SBA experience rather than taking its marketing at face value.

If you tell me (1) what part of Texas, (2) loan amount, (3) what you're using the SBA loan for, and (4) whether it's an acquisition, startup, or existing business, I can narrow this to 3–5 Texas-owned/community lenders that specifically fit your deal and compare their SBA experience, ownership, reviews, and likely fit.