Real estate hard money loan is a specific type of financing that is available to a borrower seeking money based on the value of a specific piece of real estate. Real estate hard money loans are often based on higher interest rates because they are typically not offered by a commercial bank. A real estate hard money loan is similar to what is called a "bridge loan" and has similar criteria for lending as a bank would require. A bridge loan is a short term loan that is typically taken out for a short time period such as two weeks or three years, depending on the financing agreement.

A real estate hard money loan is often collateralized against the quick sale of the property that the loan was taken out for. Creditors who offer real estate hard money loans are often in the "first lien position," which means that should the loan not be paid off properly, they are the first creditor to receive remuneration in a foreclosure or bankruptcy proceeding.

Real estate hard money loan lenders base these loans on a percentage of the quick sale of the real estate. This is referred to the loan-to-value ratio and stands for the amount of money that the lender could realize from the sale of the property in a short time frame, such as one to four months.

Real estate hard money loans are typically only used in the United States and Canada. The real estate hard money loans were developed as a sort of "last resort" for individuals seeking capital against the value of their real estate. The first real estate hard money loans were initially offered in the late 1950s.

A loan similar to a real estate hard money loan is the commercial hard money loan. These loans are often more expensive as they are a higher risk loan for property.