Non-interest expense of $33.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $30.4 million for the same period of 2021. Excluding capitalized loan origination costs, non-interest expense was $36.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and $34.4 million for the same period in 2021 which reflects the Company’s investment in infrastructure to support the continued growth of the Company.
The Company’s efficiency ratio, the ratio of non-interest expense to revenues, was 56.52%, 61.41%, and 69.42% for the quarters ended September 30, 2022, June 30, 2022, and September 30, 2021, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company’s efficiency ratio was 60.44% and 69.25%, respectively.
Balance Sheet:
Total assets of $2.05 billion as of September 30, 2022, represented an increase of $163.1 million, or 9%, compared to $1.89 billion at June 30, 2022 and remained consistent with total assets of $2.05 million at September 30, 2021. The increase in total assets from the prior quarter was primarily due to continued loan growth, combined with increased liquidity related to brokered deposits. Compared to the same period in the prior year, the Company had strong loan growth in the commercial and real estate other portfolios, which was offset by decreased liquidity resulting from the outflow of deposits related to forgiveness of PPP loans.
Total gross loans increased by $87.5 million, or 6%, to $1.59 billion at September 30, 2022, from $1.50 billion at June 30, 2022 and increased by $285.9 million, or 22%, compared to $1.30 billion at September 30, 2021.
During the third quarter of 2022, commercial and real estate other loans increased by $53.6 million and $30.4 million, respectively, due to organic growth. Year-over-year, commercial and real estate other loans increased by $215.0 million and $160.7 million, respectively, also due to organic growth. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in SBA loans of $98.5 million primarily due to PPP loan forgiveness.
As a result of the CARES Act PPP, which was launched in April 2020 and re-launched in January 2021, the Company funded approximately $491.3 million in loans. Approximately $487.5 million of those balances have been granted forgiveness by the SBA as of September 30, 2022.
Total deposits increased by $156.9 million, or 10%, to $1.71 billion at September 30, 2022 from $1.55 billion at June 30, 2022, and decreased by $33.0 million, or 2%, from $1.74 billion at September 30, 2021. The increase in total deposits from the end of the second quarter of 2022 was primarily due to an increase in non-interest bearing demand deposits of $43.3 million and time deposits of $152.9 million, partially offset by a decrease in interest-bearing demand deposits of $10.3 million and money market and savings deposits of $28.9 million.
Compared to the same period last year, the decrease in total deposits was primarily concentrated in non-interest bearing demand deposits and money market and savings deposits as a result of outflows related to forgiveness of PPP loans, offset by an increase in time deposits. Non-interest bearing deposits, primarily commercial business operating accounts, represented 44.4% of total deposits at September 30, 2022, compared to 46.1% at June 30, 2022 and 46.7% at September 30, 2021.