Account & Setup product FAQ

To generate a lender list, you need four essential pieces of information: property address, asset type, sponsor location, and loan amount. Rather than entering company information for each deal, set up your profile once in Settings > Profile and Settings > My Company. This information will automatically populate in deal memos and when sharing information with lenders. You can also upload company documents to your files library and reuse them across multiple deals.

To add more details to a sponsor profile beyond just their name, go to the Network tab and locate the sponsor you want to update. Click the pencil icon to edit their profile. You can add information such as location, assets under management, company background, and other relevant details. If the sponsor has a website or LinkedIn profile, those are good sources for gathering comprehensive information to flesh out their profile.

The loan sizing tool currently calculates amounts based on project costs rather than stabilized value, using a loan-to-cost percentage (typically 80% based on total cost basis). You can adjust the loan request amount by going to the deal overview section and modifying the project costs and loan request fields.

Note that the platform currently has some limitations around this calculation method, and improvements are being developed to allow calculations based on loan-to-value percentage as an alternative option.

The "Add Capital Source" feature allows you to document additional components of your capital stack beyond the primary financing. This helps flesh out the complete financing structure of your deal. However, this field is generally not critical to complete and can be deleted if you don't need to track additional capital sources for your transaction.

You can view your deal history with any lender by finding them in your Network tab or searching for them in the Market tab. Once you locate the lender, check their profile notes to see recent deals you've shared. You can also click into their lender profile to view the complete list of deals under the "Deals" section, which shows all the deals you've sent to that particular lender.

Both. In the import preview you can review and edit each deal, then import them individually or import them all together.

Lev includes most types of active real estate lenders in the network - banks, debt funds, and other institutions that are actively transacting on loans. The platform maintains quality by removing inactive lenders who aren't currently lending. While there's no specific SBA filter, most banks on the platform have SBA programs available. The main gap currently is equity contacts like family offices, though this functionality is being developed. All lenders are regularly vetted to ensure they're actively lending, and the platform protects both lender relationships and user reputation through controlled access to contact information.

The Programs section shows the types of lending each lender specializes in, along with their key lending parameters. You'll see details about their lending criteria, including specialty areas, geographic locations they serve, and loan amount ranges. This information is organized from both granular and high-level perspectives to help you quickly identify which lenders might be the best fit for your specific deal requirements.

You can add notes that are specific to individual deals as well as general relationship notes on a lender's profile. Deal-specific notes will appear when you're working on that particular transaction, while general notes can be added to the lender's overall profile for broader relationship management. Currently, notes must be tied to either deals or institutions rather than individual contacts.

You can call lenders directly through the platform using the phone button next to each contact. The first time you use it, you'll need to verify your cell phone number and enter a verification code to enable call forwarding. After setup, clicking the call button will ring your phone first - answer and press 1 to confirm you're a live person, then it automatically dials the lender from your cell phone number. The call appears to come directly from you with no intermediary. All calls are automatically transcribed and saved to the deal's activity notes for easy tracking.

Currently, there isn't a dedicated 'terms not competitive' status option, but this feature is in development. For now, you can use the 'Lender Pass' status and specify 'non-competitive terms' in the reason field. When you receive terms from a lender but they're not competitive, it's still helpful to input those terms so you can compare them side-by-side with other offers, even if you ultimately pass on them.

Yes, brokers actively use the platform, and Lev has shifted focus toward serving brokers who handle multiple deals per year. The platform maintains strong lender relationships because users cannot simply download contact lists - you must match to lenders within specific deals or use your own contacts. This protects the platform's reputation with lenders. When lenders receive outreach through Lev, they're generally more receptive because deals typically align with their program parameters, and they often prefer working directly with users rather than through traditional broker channels.

Lenders may not appear in the system simply because they haven't been added yet. The platform maintains strict verification standards to ensure lenders can actually deliver on what they advertise, rather than including every lender who claims certain capabilities. Currently, new lenders are added gradually as they come to attention or through direct contact. However, Lev is developing an AI system called Lead Cortex that will automatically identify and add new lenders by analyzing their websites, advertising, and public transaction data. This feature is expected to launch in the coming weeks and will significantly expand the lender database.

Unlocking a contact reveals their details; launching sends the deal to them. You can't launch to a contact unless it has been unlocked first — unless that contact was already in your network.

You'll be prompted to purchase more credits before you can continue.

The PSA expiration date field provides timeline context for your deal but doesn't significantly impact lender matching or rankings. This information is primarily shown in your deal overview and isn't heavily weighted by most lenders unless you specifically share those timeline details with them.

The main factors that affect your lender matching are the hard filters: property location, asset type and sub-type, loan type, loan amount, and your company's location. If you don't have a signed PSA yet, you can simply select "no signed PSA" and proceed with your lender search.

When lenders send you tear sheets or email descriptions of their lending criteria, this information is automatically added to their profile in the system. You can also add details manually in the lender's notes section. The platform tracks all deal activity and lender responses in the background, building a comprehensive view of each lender's actual appetite and preferences. An upcoming feature will provide much more granular tracking of exactly how lenders respond to specific deals and their stated terms. If you have an Excel spreadsheet with lender contacts, the system can automatically scan it and identify which contacts are lenders for you.

Lev's lender data comes from three main sources: public county records showing historical transactions, live deal feedback from the platform, and direct validation with lenders through Lev's capital markets team. The platform continuously updates this information as new data points come in.

Lev has an in-house capital markets team that actively researches lenders and maintains data accuracy. When the AI flags inconsistencies (like a lender saying they no longer do certain deal types), the team contacts lenders directly to verify and update their programs. Many new lenders also approach Lev directly since there's no cost for them to be included, and they benefit from receiving qualified deal flow that matches their lending parameters.

First, register your mobile number in your account settings. When you click a lender's phone number, the system will call your registered mobile number with a verification code to enable call forwarding. Once verified, future calls work like this: click the lender's number, answer your phone when it rings, press 1, and you'll be connected directly to the lender from your own phone number. The platform automatically transcribes the call and adds it to your deal's activity notes - no recording or consent messages are involved.

Custom lender labeling and strike zone customization is currently in development and expected to be available in early to mid-Q1. This feature will allow you to create your own tags for lenders, build custom lists (like "Florida lenders"), and add custom strike zones to lender profiles. The platform will then take your custom strike zones into account when building lender lists for your deals. In the meantime, you can add notes to individual lender profiles to track your own insights about their preferences.

You can adjust your logo size in the footer through the theme settings. The logo setting allows you to change the size, though making it larger may affect how other content fits on the page, so you may need to adjust your content accordingly. Currently, you cannot resize just the logo independently from the footer size - any changes will affect the entire footer section.

You can access the Lev platform by going to app.lev.com in your browser. If the link isn't hyperlinked, simply copy and paste "app.lev.com" into your browser address bar. Once you reach the sign-in page, you'll see options to sign in with Google or with a custom email - choose the option that works best for you and enter your credentials.

To proceed through the deal creation process, all required financial fields must be completed. If you're unable to edit financial inputs, it's likely because some required fields (such as land purchase date) are missing. You need to fill out all required fields before you can continue. If you don't have exact numbers, you can enter estimates - most of these figures aren't shared directly with lenders and can be updated later as needed.

Yes, you have full control over contact selection during the import process. When the system pulls contacts (for example, 50 people from a lender), it will display the complete list and allow you to selectively choose which contacts to include or exclude before finalizing the import. You can review each contact and decide whether to add them to your network based on your preferences.

Team members can only see deals they've been specifically added to. To view who has access to a deal, click the list view under the plus icon to see all team members involved. You can add new team members to specific deals by clicking into the deal and using the add function on the right side. However, some users may have admin profiles that allow them to view all deals across the organization.

Lev follows a standard SaaS sales cycle that typically takes 14-30 days. The process begins with lead qualification, followed by 2-3 calls with an account executive including a discovery call, product demo, and trial planning session. After the initial conversations, you'll receive a seven-day trial period to test the platform. The company prioritizes thorough onboarding to ensure you understand all platform features and can maximize value from day one.

Lev's pricing varies based on company size, with smaller firms (1-2 person teams) typically starting around $12,000 annually. The platform follows a standard SaaS pricing model with annual increases of 5-10%. There are no major price jumps or surprise fees - just modest yearly adjustments typical of software subscriptions. Larger enterprise accounts may have custom pricing arrangements, and longer-term contracts can offer more favorable terms.

Yes, brokers do use the platform. Lenders generally respond very positively to deals coming through our system because the deals are typically within their program parameters, which helps maintain strong relationships with lenders. You cannot simply access all lender contacts in bulk - you must match to them within a deal or have your own contact information. When you reach out to lenders and mention you found them through our platform, they're often more receptive than they would be to traditional broker outreach.

NOI stands for Net Operating Income - the annual income of the property after operating expenses. Enter the yearly net operating income for your property. If you don't have this information readily available for certain deal types, you can enter zero for now and provide more detailed financials later in the process.

Yes, Lev can help you find purchase financing for auction properties. When setting up your deal, specify that it's an auction property and select lenders who have appetite for this type of financing. You'll want to reach out to lenders well in advance of the auction date to discuss their requirements and timeline, as auction financing often has unique timing constraints and due diligence considerations.

To filter for alternative lenders in the marketplace, scroll to the top of the lender list and use the filter options. You can uncheck traditional banks and select alternative lender types like hard money lenders. You can also add credit unions or keep some banks in your search if desired. After making your selections, click "Update my results" to see the filtered list of lenders that match your criteria.

The platform can handle a wide variety of deals, including complex transactions like hard money deals with environmental issues, property condition problems, or quick-close requirements. Even for large portfolio acquisitions or deals where you're working with specific brokers, you can still use the platform to input deal parameters and see which lenders are suggested. Many users find this helpful for identifying relationship lenders or getting carve-out agreements, even if they don't launch the full deal process through the platform.

To set up phone verification, click on the mobile number field and enter your phone number. You'll receive a verification call from the system with a verification code. Once you complete this one-time verification process, you're all set. For future calls, the system will call your cell phone first, then connect you directly to the lender without requiring verification each time.

The platform focuses exclusively on commercial property lenders, not residential lenders. The lender database includes various types of commercial financing sources that are matched to your specific deal requirements.

No, you only pay fees if you close with a new lending relationship that you're introduced to through the Lev platform. If you close with an existing lender that you already have a relationship with, there are no fees charged. The platform helps streamline your outreach and tracking process for both existing and new lending relationships, but fees only apply to new connections made through Lev.

Lev is not a broker or intermediary - you maintain full control over your deal narrative and lender relationships. The platform provides tools to make your capital markets efforts more efficient and effective, but you handle all lender outreach and communications directly. Lev works with both sponsors and mortgage brokers, onboarding only reputable groups to maintain strong brand recognition with lenders in the industry.

Lev currently supports sign-in with Microsoft and Google accounts, but does not offer full SSO integration or automated user provisioning. When you log into Lev, you can use your Microsoft or Google email to authenticate, but user accounts must be manually created by our team on the backend. This is because Lev operates on a per-seat licensing model, so we need to properly manage user access within the bounds of your agreement. Full SSO integration would require roadmap planning and executive approval.

Yes, the Lev platform is designed to be straightforward and user-friendly. Most users can complete basic workflows in 10-15 minutes once they're familiar with the interface. The platform walkthrough and onboarding process typically takes about 30 minutes, with most of that time spent on explanation rather than complex navigation.

Getting started with Lev involves a guided onboarding process. First, our team will ensure your user account is properly set up and that there's room in your organization's license allocation. Then we'll schedule a comprehensive onboarding and demo session where we'll walk you through the platform features, show you how everything works, and help you input your first deal. This hands-on approach ensures you're fully prepared to use all of Lev's capabilities effectively.

From the Lev MCP you can browse your deal resources and vaults, preview files like memos, PDFs, Excel, and Word documents, and create, update, and delete most items directly.

Hotel financing can be difficult to place and lender passes are common for a few distinct reasons:

1. Franchise flag requirement: most lenders strongly prefer hotels with a franchise flag (Marriott, Hilton, IHG, etc.) over independent or boutique properties. If your hotel is unflagged, a large portion of the lender list will pass on this basis alone.

2. Hotel allocation limits: many lenders manage how much of their portfolio is in hospitality. When they hit their limit, they pause new hotel deals regardless of quality. This is temporary and can reset at the start of a new year.

3. Loan size vs. lender type mismatch: for smaller hotel loans with stable cash flow in strong markets ($5–15M), CMBS through a national bank can be a good option. Local and regional banks may be worth targeting as well.

No—working capital/lines of credit are business loans, not CRE. A potential workaround is to contact matched bank lenders for an internal referral to their business lending team.

Select SFR - Build to Rent (shown as "For Rent Housing" under SFR) to match with BTR lenders.

For truly unique specialty assets, choose Other Specialty. Lev's Capital Markets team can manually add SBA specialist lenders. Also reach out to local/regional banks, which often have direct SBA relationships.

Co-op deals don't map cleanly because collateral is shares rather than real property, so lender search can't filter for this use upfront.

Early lease renewals help. Free rent/concessions are fine if Net Effective Rent covers debt payments. Larger loan requests can increase the lender pool due to lender minimums; don't be unnecessarily conservative on leverage.