Larger commercial real estate mortgage loans are often originated by a group or "syndicate" of lending institutions that each contribute a portion of the overall loan proceeds and have been brought into the syndicate to share the benefits and risks of the loan. The loan is administered by an agent on behalf of the lender group, which agent generally has the relationship with the borrower and/or the largest stake in the loan. Sometimes the structure is a "loan syndication" and sometimes, instead, the lead lender sells "participation interests" in the loan. This two-part series describes several significant features of and distinctions between the "syndicated" and "participated" real estate loan that are not commonly known or understood.