Real Estate Finance
in Switzerland
Bridge and development finance for Swiss prime residential, ski-station and hospitality assets.
Switzerland combines an exceptionally stable lending environment with one of the most restrictive ownership regimes in Europe for non-residents. Bridge and development finance is well established for Swiss-resident borrowers and Swiss-domiciled vehicles, with private banks dominating the prime segment. Demand spans lakefront and alpine trophy assets, but also residential investment portfolios held by private landlords in established secondary cities.
Passy Partners arranges facilities for Swiss-resident private clients, family offices, landlords and operators, and structures transactions for non-resident borrowers where Lex Koller exemptions apply, typically commercial assets, hospitality and certain mixed-use schemes. Beyond the trophy lakefront and ski stations, this includes first-charge bridge facilities against residential investment portfolios in secondary Swiss cities, arranged on a senior basis against value and rental income. We arrange senior facilities only, and do not provide subordinated or second-charge junior debt.
Geneva and lakefront
Rive gauche, Cologny: prime residential, family-office trophy assets.
Zurich and Goldküste
Prime residential, mixed-use, hospitality.
Gstaad, Verbier, Crans-Montana
Chalets, hotel repositioning, branded-residence schemes.
Lausanne and Montreux Riviera
Prime residential, hospitality, residential investment stock.
Secondary Vaud, Valais & Fribourg
Yverdon-les-Bains, Sion, Fribourg: multi-unit residential investment portfolios, bridge-to-sale of apartment blocks.
- –Acquisition and refinance bridges on prime Geneva and Zurich residential for Swiss-resident borrowers.
- –First-charge bridge against residential investment portfolios in secondary cities, including bridge-to-sale of individual apartments.
- –Development and repositioning finance for alpine hospitality and branded-residence schemes.
- –Bridge-to-sale on chalet stock in Gstaad, Verbier and Courchevel-adjacent markets.
- –Commercial and hospitality finance for non-resident borrowers under Lex Koller exemptions.
- –Refinancing of maturing Swiss private-bank facilities.
- Facility size
- From €1M, up to €50M
- Security position
- First charge / senior only
- Bridge pricing
- From ~8% per annum
- Bridge leverage
- Up to ~70% of value
- Development
- From ~8% p.a., up to ~60% of GDV
- Term
- 3–24 months (bridge); 18–36 (development)
Indicative parameters only. Rate, leverage and term are set by the chosen lender and confirmed on completion of underwriting.
FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) regulates banks, securities firms and certain financial intermediaries in Switzerland. Mortgage lending is conducted by FINMA-supervised banks and selected institutional lenders. Passy Partners operates as an arranger from outside Switzerland, working with Swiss banks and FINMA-supervised intermediaries, and does not provide regulated lending or financial advice within Switzerland.
The Lex Koller regime restricts the acquisition of Swiss residential real estate by non-Swiss persons and structures, with limited exemptions (commercial assets, certain hotel and serviced operations, residence-permit conditions). It is a primary structuring constraint at deal-screening stage and is reviewed with the borrower's Swiss counsel before any term sheet is issued.
Switzerland financing,
explained.
Yes, but the asset class matters more than the borrower's residence. Non-residents are restricted from acquiring Swiss residential property under the Lex Koller regime, which directly limits financing secured against purely residential assets. Commercial real estate, qualifying hospitality and certain mixed-use schemes generally fall outside Lex Koller and can be financed for non-resident borrowers. Passy Partners reviews Lex Koller eligibility with the borrower's Swiss counsel before issuing any term sheet, and arranges facilities for Swiss-resident borrowers and Swiss-domiciled vehicles across the prime market.
Discuss a Switzerland financing requirement
Initial conversations are confidential and without obligation.