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Record Loan Volumes and Tightening Spreads: Inside the Q1 2026 Private Lending Market
By Nema Daghbandan, Esq. - CEO of Lightning Docs
By Nema Daghbandan, Esq., CEO at Lightning DocsApril 15, 20268 min read
April 15, 2026.
With 22 business days, expectations for March were high — and the 351 users active on Lightning Docs in March made sure those expectations were met. For the first time ever, Lightning Docs surpassed 7,000 loans in a single month.
It was just last April that we crossed the 5,000 loan threshold, and at that time we were blown away: not just by the adoption of Lightning Docs, but by the growth of private lending as a whole. Less than a year later, reaching 7,000 is a monumental achievement and a clear signal of the industry’s resilience.
About the author
CEO at Lightning Docs
Lightning Docs is a proprietary cloud-based software which produces business purpose mortgage loan documents nationally. As a Real Estate Finance Attorney and Partner at Fortra Law, the nation’s largest private lending law firm, Mr. Daghbandan has unique expertise in understanding the needs of private mortgage lenders. Mr. Daghbandan has been recognized by his peers in the legal community as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star from 2016-2022. Only 2.5% of attorneys receive this distinction. He also received a perfect 10/10 rating from attorney review site AVVO®.
