12 Best Banks for Real Estate Investors in 2026

Real estate investing starts with setting up a bank account. However, banks that work for personal finances won’t necessarily have all the features you need to run rental properties.

If you’re wondering how to choose a bank that aligns with your investment goals, we’ve compiled a list of the 12 best banks for real estate investors to help you find the best fit for managing your rental income and expenses.

Key takeaways

• Traditional banks (Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo) offer extensive branch networks and Commercial Real Estate (CRE) loans, but often charge high fees and have minimum balance requirements.
• Digital banking platforms (Baselane, Bluevine, and Stessa) specialize in low-fee, high-yield accounts designed for modern financial workflows, which are ideal for organizing complex rental finances.
• Look for platforms offering no monthly fees, unlimited sub-accounts for properties and security deposits, built-in bookkeeping for automated expense tagging, and integrated rent collection.
• Top 12 banks/platforms for real estate investors:‍
  
  • All-in-one banking platform for investors and landlords: Baselane‍
  • Large branch networks & lending: Chase, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo
  • ‍Digital business banking: Bluevine, Relay Bank, First Internet Bank, Axos Bank
  • ‍Specific niche/audience: Stessa, Capital One, Ally Bank

What should real estate investors look for in a bank?

The bank you choose should act as an extension of your business, not just a holding place for your cash.

Look for the following key features while evaluating your options.

• Account fees: Look for accounts that do not charge fees for monthly maintenance, minimum balances, or opening new accounts. Seek free Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers and minimal transaction fees.
• Payment flexibility: Consider a bank that facilitates easy online transactions for both sending and receiving payments. Support for ACH transfers, wires, checks, and credit/debit cards is important.
• Dedicated sub-accounts: Look for a digital landlord banking platform that offers the flexibility to open separate bank account for rental property for rental income and expenses. The best platforms allow for virtual accounts or sub-accounts to organize funds by property or purpose, such as security deposit savings accounts.
• Virtual card options: Look for banks that offer both physical and virtual debit cards with custom spend controls and automated transaction tagging.
• Built-in expense management: Prioritize business accounts that have integrated rental property accounting or auto-categorization features to automate expense tracking and simplify tax reporting (Schedule E).
• Integrated financing options: Seek a bank that offers real estate financing options, such as conventional mortgages or DSCR loans, to support future property purchases or renovations.
• Customer service and support: Ensure that reliable customer support is easily accessible via multiple channels (phone, email, or chat).
• Scalability: The account should scale with a growing portfolio, supporting unlimited transactions and multi-user access for partners or property managers.

Learn more about how to choose a bank through our detailed guide and learn best way to track rental income.

Best banks for real estate investors

Without any further ado, here’s our list of the 12 best banks for real estate investors.

1. Baselane

Baselane is a banking and financial platform built specifically for real estate investors and landlords that solves the pain points associated with using a traditional bank.

When you manage your finances with a traditional bank, you end up juggling multiple platforms—a separate landlord bank account, a rent collection app, and third-party accounting software like QuickBooks. This creates confusion, fragments your finances, and slows down your portfolio growth.

Baselane eliminates the pain of disconnected tools by integrating your core financial tasks under one roof. You get visibility into your cash flow and more time to grow your business.

Baselane key features

• Property-specific accounts: Open unlimited checking and high-yield savings accounts per property to organize your funds—operating expenses, security deposits, tax reserves, and so on.
• Debit cards: Get unlimited cards to control and manage your property management expenses with custom spend limits and share with your vendors, contractors, or property managers.
• Auto-transfer funds: Schedule transfers to internal or external accounts and get rid of the late or missed payment headache.
• Integrated bookkeeping: Auto-tag every transaction by property and the correct Schedule E tax category.

2. Bluevine

Bluevine is an online-only bank for small businesses, offering low fees and interest on all balances. A notable feature is their line of credit up to $250,000 for qualifying applicants, which can be valuable for quick property needs. It does, however, lack essential landlord-specific features like built-in rent collection and automated Schedule E bookkeeping.

Bluevine key features

3. Stessa

Stessa offers online banking through its parent company, Roofstock, with low fees and some cashback. It's strong on integrating its banking with its pre-existing property accounting tools and offers business bank accounts for landlords. A key drawback for growing portfolios is the potential for low daily deposit limits, which can be as low as $6,000, and the lack of debit/credit card rent payment options for tenants.

Stessa key features

4. Relay Bank

Relay Bank is a digital platform designed for general business owners who need to manage team expenses. It offers multiple accounts and up to 50 physical and virtual debit cards, making it great for coordinating with contractors and property managers.

However, the limit of 20 checking and two savings accounts may restrict larger property portfolios, and it only provides basic bookkeeping, meaning you'll still need external accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero for tax reports.

Relay Bank key features

5. Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the largest brick-and-mortar banks in the U.S., operating a network of about 3,900 branches nationwide. You can get an account for nearly every type of personal or business financing need, including checking, savings, and commercial real estate (CRE) loans.

However, Bank of America is known for low interest rates and high fees if you don’t meet the $5,000 monthly balance requirement or use a Bank of America debit card for at least $500 in monthly purchases. Fees are waived on Preferred Rewards for Business Member accounts, regardless of your balance and debit card activity.

Bank of America key features

6. U.S. Bank

The U.S. Bank is the fifth-largest bank in the country and operates over 4,700 branches, making it a viable option if physical branch access is a priority for you.

U.S Bank offers a strong selection of personal and business banking products and specializes in owner-occupied commercial real estate loans. Keep in mind that interest rates are generally low, and monthly maintenance fees (up to $30) may apply unless you maintain a high collective balance.

U.S Bank key features

7. Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is a major bank with one of the largest branch networks nationwide (7,015 branches). It provides a full suite of products for real estate investors and is particularly strong in offering multifamily property loans.

The drawback with Wells Fargo is the pattern common among large brick-and-mortar banks: low interest rates, high fees, and required minimum balances to avoid charges. For the basic online business checking account, you’ll pay $10 per month unless you maintain a minimum $500 daily balance and a $1,000 average ending daily balance. But it could be a good pick if you’re looking for a big commercial loan.

Wells Fargo key features

8. Capital One

Capital One offers an appealing mix of high-tech features for personal banking alongside a strong suite of business services, allowing for easy transfers between personal and business accounts. While business accounts generally feature low fees, you will still encounter monthly fees ($15 to $35) unless you maintain a minimum average balance (e.g., $2,000 for basic checking).

Capital One key features

9. First Internet Bank

First Internet Bank is an online-only bank that offers full-service business lending. While many online banks focus on consumer banking, First Internet Bank offers a wide range of business financing.

For real estate banking services, you have options for online checking and savings, business lending, and commercial real estate lending products. First Internet Bank offers similar products to brick-and-mortar competitors but with lower costs of online-only banking, such as no monthly account fees and reimbursements for using other bank ATMs (up to $10 per month).

First Internet Bank key features

10. Ally Bank

Ally Bank offers one of the best personal checking accounts nationwide and features personal loans, mortgage loans, and other personal banking products that rank among the best in class. While that doesn’t include business banking and lending products, some newer landlords operating under their own name may be happy with Ally’s offerings.

Running a business without an LLC or another entity has risks. But as a new real estate investor or landlord, you may choose to run a business under your name rather than a registered business name. Ally Bank’s low fees and competitive interest rates make it a great option if you do so. There is no recurring monthly fee, regardless of your balance.

Ally Bank key features

11. Axos Bank

Axos Bank is a digital bank offering small business and commercial lending solutions, plus two business checking account options. The business interest checking account earns 0.10% to 1.01% APY, depending on the balance. There’s a $10 monthly fee, but you can waive it with a $5,000 minimum balance.

You may opt for the basic checking account with no maintenance fees and free incoming wires. Both accounts integrate with QuickBooks accounting software, though it’s not ideal for rental expense tracking.

Axos Bank key features

12. Chase

Chase is one of the biggest and most recognizable names in banking, partially due to a massive network of branches stretching across the country. Chase Bank operates more than 4,700 branches in the United States.

It's a strong choice if you prioritize in-person banking and need robust lending products like CRE mortgages. Be aware that you will likely face high fees and low interest rates unless you maintain a substantial minimum daily balance (e.g., $2,000 for some accounts).

Chase key features

Best banks for real estate investors comparison table

Simplify your rental finances with Baselane

The right bank can make all the difference when it comes to managing rental property finances. Traditional business banking can work, but you’ll likely end up paying extra for additional accounts and third-party software to handle rent payments and accounting.

With Baselane banking for real estate investors, you can open unlimited accounts for all your properties without any monthly fees. Automated bookkeeping and rent collection are built in, so all your income and expenses are auto-tagged to a specific property for easy tax prep. You can also track the interest rate on the security deposit for each account, ensuring compliance in states that require it.

Ready for banking that manages real estate finances for you? Get started with Baselane today.