1st United Bank

First United Bank is an independent community bank based in Durant, Oklahoma, serving customers across Oklahoma and Texas through a combination of full-service branches, in-store locations, and robust digital banking. The bank concentrates on everyday consumer banking, small business and commercial services, mortgage lending, and wealth management, operating as a relationship-focused regional institution rather than a national, volume-driven platform. Its presence in many smaller and mid-sized communities makes it a frequent tenant and buyer for neighborhood retail space and pad sites across its core markets.

The bank’s history dates back to 1900, when its predecessor institution was founded in Durant. Over more than 120 years, it has remained rooted in Oklahoma while gradually expanding into a broader two-state franchise. Growth accelerated over the last several decades through a mix of organic branch development and selective acquisitions of other community banks in Oklahoma and North Texas. A key milestone came in the 2010s with its move into the Dallas–Fort Worth area and surrounding North Texas communities, a shift that extended the brand from a largely rural and small-town base into higher-growth suburban and exurban trade areas.

As of October 2024, First United Bank operates approximately 85 locations across Oklahoma and Texas. The network includes traditional freestanding branches as well as in-store branches located inside grocery and retail environments. The current footprint covers major metros such as Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the Dallas–Fort Worth region, and a series of smaller communities along important regional corridors. This mix of metropolitan, suburban, and small-town sites gives the bank broad visibility across many of the same corridors that attract neighborhood centers, grocery anchors, and mixed-use projects.

Over roughly the past five years, First United Bank has continued to refine how and where it grows. The company has focused on selective branch additions and remodels in fast-growing suburban and exurban pockets of North Texas and Oklahoma, including priority markets such as Dallas–Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, while maintaining its presence in smaller regional hubs. At the same time, it has invested heavily in digital platforms, enabling customers to bank online and via mobile and allowing the physical network to evolve more strategically rather than through rapid, across-the-board expansion.

In practice, new banking locations tend to appear in visible suburban corridors, near grocery-anchored centers, and along key arterial routes where a branch, drive-thru, and ATM can integrate well with surrounding retail and services. In-store branches provide a smaller on-site option within existing retail environments, giving the bank flexibility in markets where a full freestanding building may not be necessary. For landlords, brokers, and developers across Oklahoma and Texas, First United Bank offers the profile of a long-established, regionally scaled financial tenant with a balanced approach to growth and an ongoing need for a mix of freestanding, pad, and in-line or in-store locations.