Borro Reenters the Fine Art Collateral Lending Market

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Borro™, the leading provider of confidential, non-bank loans using borrowers’ luxury assets as collateral, today announced that it has resumed providing capital on fine art with a new offering designed to expand the collateral lending market. Borro loans now offer fine art owners a liquidity alternative to selling and have the lowest minimum loan size in the art lending industry – only $25,000. Borro loans have fixed interest rates and are available as a standard short-term loan or a line of credit.

“Fine art is well established as an alternative asset class that often holds or appreciates in value. This is why collectors frequently use it as loan collateral,” said Alanna Butera, President of Butera Art Advisory and Management, LLC (BAAM) in New York and previously was the Director of Art Valuations at Bonhams International Auction House. “While there are several options out there for obtaining loans using art as collateral, they generally have five and six-figure minimum loan sizes. As these minimums are beyond what many in the community are looking for or could qualify for, Borro is a trusted name in the art community that brings collateral loans within reach to the vast majority of fine art owners as their loan minimums are low as $25,000. BAAM is pleased to be providing independent and objective appraisals of fine art in connection with Borro’s loan underwriting process.”

Borro has served fine art owners for several years, providing nearly $100 million in loans using their art assets as collateral. In February 2020, Borro became part of Luxury Asset Capital, the collateral lender that pioneered the strategies of targeting upscale markets and offering online servicing and fulfillment to a nationwide market and is the leading provider of luxury asset loans today. Luxury Asset Capital has provided over $450,000,000 in loans to over 15,000 clients, a high percentage of whom have taken out more than one loan.

“Fine art is a leading asset class in collateral lending for which the Borro brand is well known and highly respected,” said Dewey Burke, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Luxury Asset Capital. “After acquiring Borro earlier this year, we reevaluated the opportunity for this asset class and looked at various ways we could increase the value of the Borro offering to the fine art community. We determined that high minimum loan sizes were a significant impediment for many to obtain a collateral loan, so we lowered the minimums for both our standard short-term loan and line of credit offerings to $25,000. In doing so, we are making it possible for many more owners of fine art to tap the equity of their holdings to help finance the acquisition of additional works of art, other luxury assets, a business, or large, unexpected personal expenses.”

Art genres most readily accepted as collateral by Borro include Post-War and Contemporary Art, American art, impressionist art and modern art. Borro’s underwriting process requires an independent appraisal and the validation of the prospective borrower’s free and clear ownership of the art, among other standard loan underwriting requirements. Borro provides exceptional security, care, and handling of luxury assets during transport, valuation, and storage. Assets are insured from when they are shipped via specialty courier, during storage in vaults specifically designed for works of fine art, and until they are returned after a loan is paid off. It uses advanced protocols for asset handling and tracking, with vaults that are among the most secure available anywhere. Borro does business across the United States and is licensed and regulated by the laws of Colorado and New York.

“Luxury Asset Capital’s ownership of Borro brings a differentiated approach to the fine art space, as demonstrated by its introduction of $25,000 minimum for fine art collateral loans, as well as a line of credit loan option,” said Shelley Berube who runs Borro’s New York office and helped lead its prior efforts in the fine art space. “Most owners of fine art either don’t need a several hundred thousand – or million-dollar loan or don’t have that level of fine art assets to begin with. However, just like owners of other luxury assets, they have liquidity needs and appreciate the opportunity to tap the equity of their fine art without having to sell it. Borro now makes collateral lending accessible to the entirety of the fine art community.”

Borro provides financing in amounts ranging from thousands to millions of dollars in exchange for assets that are high in value but low in liquidity. In addition to fine art, Borro accepts luxury and classic cars, luxury watches, fine jewelry and diamonds, designer handbags and accessories, gold and precious metals, and a range of auction-quality assets.

For more information about using fine art for a Borro Collateral Loan, please visit: Borro.com.

About Borro

Borro, a Luxury Asset Capital brand, is the leading provider of confidential, non-bank loans that use borrowers’ luxury assets as collateral. Luxury Asset Capital and its brands have funded over $450,000,000 in loans for 15,000 clients since inception. We are a compelling alternative to selling luxury assets or traditional channels of financing that are often either too slow, invasive, and burdensome or, in some cases, unavailable. We unlock the equity in a wide range of luxury assets that are high in value but low in liquidity and execute transactions from thousands to millions of dollars in as little as one business day. For more information, please visit borro.com. For more information about Luxury Asset Capital, Borro’s parent company, please visit luxuryassetcapital.com.