Relationship Lending: A Survey of the Literature

Abstract

This paper reviews the recent literature on relationship lending. First, the effect of relationship lending on firm value is examined in the context of the event studies investigating the impact of announcement of bank loans on stocks of the borrowing firms. Second, the effects on funds availability, loan rates, and collateral requirements are appraised. Third, the evidence on the impact of the length of the relationship, multiple bank relationships, and distance from the lender are assessed. Fourth, the effect of bank consolidation on relationship banking and the role of de novo banks are discussed. Finally, the effects of deregulation and technology on community banks are examined. The evidence indicates that relationships increase funds availability and reduce loan rates. The evidence on the direction and magnitude of the length of relationships is mixed and multiple relationships reduce the value of any single borrower lender relationship. Small banks can maintain the advantages of relationship banking in spite of technological changes.

Keywords: Relationship; Lending; Banking

JEL Classification: G21