Bridging & Commercial Magazine—The Inspirational Issue

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I S S U E 42 NOV/DEC 2025 03/11/2025

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Bridging & Commercial

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I S S U E 42 NOV/DEC 2025

Class of 2025, reunited

1 Nov/Dec 2025

Fed up of the same old lenders?

Us too.

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Bridging & Commercial

Where technology meets human experience Get in touch today 2 www.morpheuslending.co.uk

Bridging Finance

We go further, so you can too

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United, we go further Nov/Dec 2025

Acknowledgments Editor-in-chief Beth Fisher

Magazine manager Dhuha Al-Zaidi

Creative direction Beth Fisher Dhuha Al-Zaidi

Sub editor

Christy Lawrance

Contributors

Marisa Chahel, Daniela Gallucci, Viki Springall, Alexandra Stratton, Leah Brunskill, Davina Patel, Bethany Fisher, Youness Abidou, Zahira Fayyaz, Caroline Luxmore, Liran Berke, Helen Scorer, Dan Narwal, Denny Lane, Michael Mann, Jez Quinn, Kerry Bradshaw, Mo Parmar, Isabella Emirali, Savvas Nicola, Gavin Diamond, Leanne Ardron, Katie Spitz, Karen McGrath, David Castling, Natasha Yea, Akhil Mair, Colin Horton, Josh Knight, Samuel Cousins, Lorenzo Satchell, Jonathan Newman, Hiten Ganatra, Sam Bryce, Sally O’Loughlin, Tom Renwick, Frankie Bromwich, Bianca Howl, Mark Hutchings, Alex Thomas, Arik Agamian, Jaz Dhaliwal, Lynsey Harrell, Razvana Khan

Photography

Connie Burke, James Roberts

Sales and marketing Beth Fisher beth@medianett.co.uk Ellen Townsend ellen@medianett.co.uk

Special thanks

Cover story contributors BePro

Printing

The Magazine Printing Company

Design and image editing BePro

Bridging & Commercial Magazine is published by Medianett Publishing Ltd

Managing director

Beth Fisher beth@medianett.co.uk 0203 818 0160 Follow us: LinkedIn @Medianett Publishing | Instagram @medianettpublishing

To read about our commitment to the environment and sustainable print publishing, please visit https://bridgingandcommercial.co.uk/page_magazine.

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he Budget may have landed late in the year, and the pre-Budget rumour mill certainly rattled nerves — with October’s dip in mortgage approvals only adding to the tension — but the mood across broker and lender circles is shifting. The consensus? The UK housing market isn’t cracking; it’s recalibrating. And in a landscape finally steadying itself, this is the moment to act with purpose and build partnerships that go beyond transactions and into strategy.

That sentiment hit home for us at Bridging & Commercial too. In fact, I write on p28 about the week Medianett Publishing made the bold call to halve our client base. Two hundred miles on the road, 40-plus hours of conversations, and three completely unhinged hours of karaoke later, we came out the other side with something rare in this industry: clarity. We learned the power of focus and the importance of saying no. Because we’re not here to collect ad spend, we’re here to build premium, long-term partnerships that actually move the needle.

This issue reflects that energy. Zahira Fayyazz from Market Financial Solutions shares how lenders can support brokers when borrowers diversify on p34. Caroline Luxmore, Recognise Bank’s CCO, talks sustainable growth on p40, while CSBF Capital Partners outline why family-run lenders provide a unique approach and priority to brokers [p44].

We also hit the racetrack [p52] with Allica Bank’s driving champion, Daniella Sutton, to explore supporting the unusual and tackling female underrepresentation. Our exceptional cover story catches up with the class of 2025—those on this year’s Power List—to see what they’ve achieved, who inspires them, and what has defined their year [p56].

Elsewhere, we meet the women behind Sisters in Property [p85], take a FRIENDS-themed coffee break with Project & Co [88], and speak with Masthaven about its development masterclasses and why now is the right time for open, honest market conversations [p110].

This issue is about focus, opportunity, and ambition. The market is finding its rhythm again, and we’re here to help you navigate it—celebrating bold thinking partnerships and the people shaping the future.

From our team to yours, we wish you a happy holiday and a prosperous New Year.

Beth Fisher

5 Nov/Dec 2025

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12 26 34 40 44 52 56 76 88 94 “As 2026 approaches, brokers will be at the centre of an increasingly complex property finance landscape” - p34 Bridging & Commercial

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The Cut News

Should you have a marketing budget?

Premium collaboration commences at Medianett Publishing / Nester tackle Islamic bridging finance

Exclusive Feature

Brokers, it’s time to adapt in 2026

Putting SMEs at the heart of Recognise Bank

Explained

Family ties / Lessons in leadership

Experience Cover

Allica Bank sponsors aspiring F1 driver

Catching up with the Power List winners of ‘25

Interview

Tom Renwick / SIP

One Day

Getting to know the surveyors with personality

Opinion

Global partnerships / Learning through illustrations / Diversity is crucial in the workplace

In Conversation Limelight Backstory

Masthaven Finance launches development finance masterclasses

FP Show / Avamore Capital’s 10th anniversary

Razvana Khan 9 Nov/Dec 2025

The Finance Professional Show

DISCOUNTED

OFFER

FOR 2026 BOOK BEFORE 7 DEC 2025

Email beth@medianett.co.uk and ellen@medianett.co.uk.

www.financeprofessionalshow.co.uk Bridging & Commercial

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THE CUT Bridging & Commercial

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THE CUT

Marketing: how to do it right The role of marketing in getting your brand or product known is subject to debate. Yet, done properly, it can be a worthwhile investment, raising your profile, generating business and showing your human side to customers and others. To gauge just how effective all this is, Bridging & Commercial speak to people involved in specialist finance marketing to find out about campaigns that have proved successful and a range of ways to do marketing effectively

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Marisa Chahel Head of marketing at MT Finance

For firms with a growth mindset, marketing is an investment that functions as a core business tool, providing greater relationship depth with customers, meaningful market insights and the delivery of growth outcomes and competitive advantage.

Daniela Gallucci Head of marketing at Somo

Behind Somo’s growth is a small but highly creative team proving that, while any brand can buy visibility, true recognisability, resonance and memorability come from time, energy and smart thinking. Somo’s brand strength has been built through sharp ideas and brilliant execution on, shall we say, marketing pockets that aren’t quite as deep as some of our peers’. Our strapline, “Why make bridging difficult?” and our 360Promise, looking at every case from all angles to find a way to say “yes”, are embedded across every touchpoint. They’re grounded in truth and reflect how we actually work as a business. Too often, other lenders rely on tired promises about “fastest completions”, “cheapest rates”, or “highest LTVs”, all of which blur into a sea of sameness. Marketing builds brand strength even when the economy is unpredictable, creating consistency and resilience. Yet long-term brand health remains underinvested; I read recently in Marketing Week that fewer than one in five marketers believing their business puts enough into it. Simply put, marketing drives growth. For Somo, it’s not a luxury but a core part of staying visible and relevant to brokers and introducers. Marketing Week also recently reported that brand investment is on the up, with nearly 39% of businesses now making brand marketing a strategic priority, up from just 14% the previous year. No surprise there with the unprecedented rise of AI-based search.

Viki Springall Group marketing director at OSB Group

The interesting thing about marketing in financial services is that customers don’t need to use finance firms all that often. For example, the majority of people usually take out a savings account only once a year when they review their finances, and they’re likely to have even fewer interactions with their broker or lender. Because of that, it’s important to think about the marketing opportunities that exist outside the transactional bubble that can add real value. By focusing on all stages of the buyer journey, including where there are opportunities for your brand to provide awareness and information, you have the chance to begin a positive conversation with potential customers—before they even realise they need advice or to review their options. Finance firms should consider marketing as an investment because of the long-term conversation. Even though that person you start a conversation with isn’t in a position to place business with you right away, they’ll remember the positive interaction they had with you once they are.

Leah Brunskill

Deputy chief of marketing at Market Financial Solutions

Like any investment, marketing is a long-term endeavour. There is a tendency to expect immediate results in business but the reality is most success stories take years to materialise. Marketing, through incremental efforts, brings in tangible results over the long term. Every campaign, social strategy and advertising project boosts a company’s chances of attracting new clients and generating higher revenues.

Without marketing, it would be impossible to create a brand that stands the test of time.

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WHY SHOULD FINANCE FIRMS CONSIDER MARKETING AS AN INVESTMENT? Alexandra Stratton Chief marketing officer at MS Lending Group I’ve always strongly believed that marketing is the linchpin of any successful businesses. You can have the most trusted brand or the most groundbreaking, innovative product but, if no one knows about it, you effectively have neither, so what’s the point? Marketing does that, bridges that gap. It connects people to your products and helps them understand why you matter. In finance, and bridging specifically, this is not an impulsive purchase but a considered, high-value, thought-out decision. Marketing in the bridging space isn’t just about visibility—it’s about education, building trust and guiding clients through the decision-making journey. Marketing isn’t there just to generate leads; it’s driving understanding and confidence and, ultimately, helping grow the clients’ business and, in turn, ours.

Finance firms that see it as supporting the business won’t get the benefits out of marketing as those who see it as driving the business.

Davina Patel Marketing manager at Avamore Capital

In specialist lending, particularly in development finance, confidence and trust are essential.

Marketing is not just about promoting products; it’s also about clearly communicating your approach, demonstrating expertise and building long-term relationships with brokers and external partners. When a firm invests in marketing, it invests in visibility, clarity and credibility. This is especially important in development, refurbishment and part-complete schemes where projects can be complex and require a lender who understands the realities on site. Seeing marketing as an investment helps streamline the decision-making process for brokers, reduces uncertainty and strengthens the firm’s reputation, ultimately contributing to a healthier pipeline and sustained business growth.

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CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXAMPLES OF HOW MARKETING HAS HELPED EXPAND YOUR FIRM’S REACH OR VISIBILITY? Marisa Chahel Head of marketing at MT Finance

When we are working on an activity that increases our audience reach or improves the visibility of the MT Finance brand, we always ensure our activities align with our brand values and that we are genuinely delivering products and information valuable to our audience. For example, we periodically host high-impact events that provide engaging and relevant content, which we then amplify across multiple channels. This in turn has delivered higher social media engagement results, lead generation and closer relationships with our broker audience.

Viki Springall

Leah Brunskill

Group marketing director at OSB Group

Deputy chief of marketing at Market Financial Solutions

We know OSB Group’s brand accounts are capable of reaching a good number of relevant people through social media, and that we can support and drive marketing campaigns through paid search and social targeting. Alongside that, however, we’ve grown our ambition to leverage the personable relationships our people have built organically in the social networks they’ve created.

As Market Financial Solutions launched and enhanced its Bridge Fusion product, we created a marketing campaign around it: Destination Bridge Fusion. This was pushed on social media and it drew attention to the regions we covered across England and Wales, highlighting local markets’ potential, and sharing who the Market Financial Solutions’ contact was for the area. The campaign was centred around a “travel guide” theme and released over the summer months.

To do that, and through an optimised process of curating content for our people, we provide the means for our marketing messages to be quickly and effectively shared by our people on their social media channels.

We were focused on highlighting how we could serve brokers across the UK, and informing brokers that we weren’t focused solely on London and the South East. As a result of the campaign, we saw a rise in enquiries from brokers based outside the South Eastern bubble.

Through this, we arrived at the point at which our monthly reach through people on social media had outgrown the number of people our brands’ accounts were reaching and, when you overlay that with the fact they’re very relevant contacts, it became a punch-the-air moment for us.

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THE CUT

Daniela Gallucci Head of marketing at Somo We align marketing tightly to commercial outcomes: broker acquisition, quality enquiries and trust. Our broker-first content engine, from the weekly Bridging Roundup to daily explainers, case studies and regular Digest updates, keeps our audience engaged across email, LinkedIn and our blog. With a database of around 20,000 brokers and introducers, we’ve onboarded thousands of new brokers across 2024–2025. Our key metric—enquiry to offer—is up 12% this year, and our BDMs report that they no longer hear “Somo: who are you?” but “Somo: I know you.”

We stretch spend creatively. At the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers’ Funding Future Growth roadshow, we sponsored breakfast to spark real conversations. At the Financial Professional Show, a violinist wearing boxing gloves brought our brand to life, bringing to life our message: why make difficult what should be simple?

Our digital campaigns are bold and unmissable and our broker promotions, offering discounts across legals, valuations and monthly interest payments, are always well received and help get deals over the line; we had our best ever month in October.

One of our key funding lines relies on new investor recruitment and, through targeted direct marketing and referral programmes, we’ve already surpassed our 2025 new investor target by over 25%.

We’re launching an AI-ready website designed to be highly visible to search engines, with large language models (LLMs) to make it an invaluable tool and knowledge hub for brokers. All content will be curated to build authority in bridging, whether speaking to those new to the market or seasoned professionals.

Our upcoming “Why make bridging difficult?” brain-teaser series, bringing together problem-solving with practical tips and bridging hacks, will was launched on LinkedIn last month. It’s designed to build a community of like-minded bridging professionals, keeping Somo top of mind without the hard sell.

And we do it all with energy, empathy and, we like to think, a smile. Marketing are the doers, the vibe makers—the ones who amplify every product launch, rate cut and success story to keep both our team and our network engaged and excited.

Alexandra Stratton Chief marketing officer at MS Lending Group

At MS Lending Group, our focus has always been on simplifying bridging, taking out the complexity and making it clear and accessible. So that’s where we started.

Early on, we created funded post visuals that showed a snapshot of each deal: the property, valuation type, LTV, area and loan amount. In a single image, people could instantly see the type of business we were doing and what we could deliver. It was simple, transparent and easy to digest, and it really resonated. Today, everyone in the market produces them, and I think that’s testament to how effective they have been in communicating value quickly and clearly.

We’ve also made sure our marketing reflects who we are as a brand. At MS Lending Group, from the beginning, we said we didn’t want to look or sound like a traditional bank. We wanted to bring personality into finance and show that professionalism doesn’t have to mean being dull or corporate. I push back on many suggestions initially and say “more cheek, more sass, more us” and then we get to a mega idea.

I hadn’t been in the bridging industry previously, so I would naturally say things like, “Say that again without your finance hat on” and “Tell me again, in English please” and that helped create how we would communicate with our customers. It helped us to create marketing that explains our offering in straightforward, real-world terms—exactly how we would converse with our customers.

Although I am extremely biased, I genuinely believe our marketing has been pivotal in MS Lending Group’s growth. It’s given us a voice, built trust and helped us stand out in a competitive space. More than that, it captures our spirit and confidence to get the deal done, makes us approachable and is always focused on making bridging simple and accessible for our clients. I’m incredibly proud of the brand we’re building at MS Lending Group.

Davina Patel Marketing manager at Avamore Capital

At Avamore Capital, marketing has significantly strengthened our position across development, refurbishment, part-complete development and bridging finance. By producing more educational content, from case studies and socials to deal milestones and testimonials, we’ve been able to communicate the practical, flexible nature of our approach.

This has helped us reach developers who may not have previously considered us and supported stronger brand recognition among brokers. As a result, we’ve seen more inbound deal enquiries, higher event engagement and greater awareness of Avamore as a lender that understands the full development journey from site acquisition to completion and exit.

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THE CUT

Marisa Chahel Head of marketing at MT Finance

At MT Finance, our people underpin our brand and drive our success. Behind each of our products are highly skilled, experienced team members who are always ready and willing to go above and beyond to help and better understand our clients’ needs. We prioritise campaigns that humanise the brand and we currently have a content series that spotlights our expert underwriters, giving brokers a transparent look at the thought processes and expertise involved in complex deal structuring.

These videos consistently see strong engagement rates, fostering a deeper, more personal connection than standard corporate updates.

Viki Springall Group marketing director at OSB Group

We’ve seen significant success with campaigns that spotlight our people, supporting the old sales adage, “people buy from people”. The leading driver of engagement with our brands on our social media is our “90 seconds with” campaign, which is a video series with people from teams that cover the whole breadth of OSB Group. Providing a behind-the-scenes, transparent view, the series includes everything from our technology transformation right through to things like brand strategy and key changes within our sales teams. The long-term series is the highest performing content on our social media channels, with higher-than-average reach and more engagement compared with the other content we share. More than that, the videos are often referenced by people outside the business, including candidates applying for jobs at OSB Group; they help generate a buzz around our employer brand as well as working hard for our consumer brand. Having seen the impact of putting our people front and centre, we carried this momentum into our brand proposition for OSB Group’s new dedicated buy-to-let brand, Rely. You’ll spot that our team of super specialists is highly visible throughout our marketing, which reinforces that Rely provides the kind of lasting partnerships that deliver the speed, clarity and confidence that enable brokers and their landlord customers to succeed.

Davina Patel Marketing manager at Avamore Capital

One of our most impactful initiatives has been highlighting the people behind our credit and development lending decisions. Showcasing our senior team in social content, PR and industry panel discussions allowed us to communicate not just what we lend on but also who is supporting each deal. This added a human layer to our brand and reinforced the message that Avamore is a relationshipdriven lender. Engagement increased across LinkedIn and email channels, and we saw tangible improvements in broker confidence and willingness to pick up the phone to discuss complex cases.

On a personal note, I attribute a lot of the success of these campaigns to the internal support I’ve had. My manager, Adam Butler, director of sales and marketing, has been an exceptional mentor to me, offering guidance, encouraging strategic thinking and ensuring marketing has a strong seat at the table. His leadership has been instrumental in helping me shape a marketing approach that aligns with Avamore’s commercial goals while still championing authenticity and clarity in how we communicate.

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HAVE YOU IMPLEMENTED ANY CAMPAIGNS THAT SPOTLIGHTED THE LEADING FIGURES BEHIND THE BRAND? WHAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT OR RESULTS DID YOU SEE? Alexandra Stratton Chief marketing officer at MS Lending Group

Whenever I tag Michael Stratton, CEO and founder, in a post, I know engagement will be higher; he’s not just well known in the industry but also incredibly respected and, when it comes to marketing, that holds a lot of gravitas. But, as much as he’ll help boost engagement, that’s never been our main focus. At MS Lending Group, we make a conscious effort to feature the whole team across our marketing. It’s important because it reinforces what we say about accessibility, that our clients have direct access to everyone here, including decision-makers. It also reinforces that it’s a team effort getting your case across the line. And those who transact with us know that.

Leah Brunskill Deputy chief of marketing at Market Financial Solutions

One of our most recent marketing campaigns was our blogs-to-vlogs efforts. Here, we’ve taken blogs we’ve published on our website, converted the copy into video scripts then got our sales team on camera to highlight the key messages. We’ve focused this and many campaigns like it on social media as it allows us to directly tag our BDMs and draw attention to what they do, as well as improving accessibility on our website for visitors who may prefer to listen to the content rather than read it. This has allowed brokers to reach out directly to the right person they need for their circumstances, whether that includes holiday-let investments or refurbishment finance.

Our approach is all about authenticity. We want our online presence to reflect what it’s genuinely like inside our office every day—energetic, collaborative and full of personality. We’re cheeky, playful and not afraid to have a bit of fun, and that comes through in everything we share. Jamie Pritchard, sales director, found that out on his first day when I stuck his face over Hugh Grant’s dancing body in ‘Love Actually’.

Interestingly, some of our best-performing content has been our most unpolished.

We’ve worked with professional videographers in the past, but often it’s the candid, off-the-cuff moments that really connect with people. Our ‘High School Musical’ video went viral, and our simple upside-down house print advert even had an industry legend call a marketing agency asking for something similar. It just goes to show that people engage most with content that feels real and human, and that’s exactly what we aim to deliver every time.

Additionally, we use our senior team to contribute thought leadership pieces to the trade press. This shows that our team is on top of the key elements that move the market, and that we know what’s important to property investors.

19 Nov/Dec 2025

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Together we achieve more.

When your clients need flexible property finance, remember Tanya and her team.

Bridging | Buy to Let | Commercial term First and second charge

Talk to us on 03300 294 223 Left to right: Maeve Ward, Nick Parker, Chris Evans, Michelle Walsh, Tanya Elmaz, Abi Pickford

For professional intermediary use only

21 Nov/Dec 2025

WHAT BROKERS TELL US THEY VALUE

HOW MASLOW CAPITAL HELPS BROKERS SOLVE THEIR CLIENTS’ BIGGEST PROBLEM RIGHT NOW Ask any broker what’s keeping their clients awake, and the answer is remarkably consistent: time-critical funding certainty. In a market where mainstream credit remains selective and transactional deadlines continue to tighten, the ability to commit quickly and complete reliably is the difference between saving a deal and losing one. That’s precisely where Maslow Capital’s bridging solutions come into their own.

WHY ‘TIME AND CERTAINTY’ MATTER TODAY

Bridging borrowers aren’t simply asking for the lowest cost of funds; they’re buying time—time to refinance on better terms, to complete refurbishments, to stabilise income, to hit a planning or sales milestone, or to secure an asset under auction conditions. Traditional lenders often need more seasoning, clearer income, or fully de-risked business plans. Meanwhile, maturities don’t move, auction contracts expire, and construction timetables march on. Brokers need a lender who can lean in to transitional risk, price it sensibly, and execute at pace without drama.

CONTRIBUTOR

MARK POSNIAK,MD, SHORT-TERM

Bridging & Commercial

We speak with brokers every day, and the brief is strikingly consistent: speed with substance: not just a fast “yes”, but a credit-backed “yes” that actually completes with goal posts that don’t move. transparent terms: clear pricing, documented fees, and conditions precedent that won’t balloon late in the process. deal leadership: a lender who coordinates valuers, asset managers or other professionals, and legal counsel, and keeps momentum when the clock is ticking. exit clarity: funding that dovetails with the borrower’s next step— term refinance or disposal—so the bridge is the solution, not the problem.

HOW MASLOW’S BRIDGING SOLVES THE PROBLEM 1) Underwriting the business plan, not just today’s position. We back transitional real estate where there’s a credible, time-bound plan— lease-up, refurbishment, ESG upgrades, title clean-up, or development finishing. Our structures are designed to give the borrower enough runway to deliver that plan and qualify for cheaper, longer-term capital on exit.

2) Speed without shortcuts. Brokers get early, informed feedback. If we can’t do a deal, we’ll say so quickly. If we can, we move decisively: instructing valuation and diligence promptly, managing third parties proactively, and keeping documentation in lockstep with credit approvals. The objective is simple—weeks, not months—with no last-minute surprises.

3) Flexible, pragmatic structures. We frequently combine dayone funding with committed works capital; we can retain or roll interest where appropriate; and we’re comfortable with complex ownership, asset or title structures where the fundamentals are sound. Our focus is the deliverable exit, not box-ticking.

4) A single deal team from term sheet to drawdown. Brokers shouldn’t have to re-explain the story at every stage. Your deal lead stays with you, aligning credit, legal and monitoring so the process remains efficient and predictable.

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ADVERTORIAL

“A PARTNER WHO WILL PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION, KEEP YOUR CLIENT INFORMED, AND DELIVER ON THE PROMISE” LET’S TALK.

If your client needs a bridge that buys time, creates options and restores control, speak to the Maslow Capital team. We’ll give you a swift, honest view—and if we’re in, we’ll get it done.

T: 020 7173 5114 E: info@maslowcapital.com

WHERE WE’RE HELPING BROKERS MOST RIGHT NOW •

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WHY MASLOW

Maturity and refinance bridges. Where bank debt is not yet available - because ICR needs improving, valuations need supporting evidence, or covenants need to be re-cut—we buy time for the asset to get back into banking shape.

Auction and time-sensitive acquisitions. When completions are measured in working days, certainty of funds is everything.

We structure for speed while preserving optionality for the longer-term refinance.

Developer exit and stabilisation bridges. Post-PC or postrefurb, we allow sales to complete orderly and income to season, enhancing the borrower’s options and improving leverage and pricing on take-out.

Repositioning and ESG-driven upgrades. Works facilities geared to upgrades that unlock better tenant demand and more attractive term debt.

We’ve been financing complex real-estate projects and transitional assets for years. That experience shows in how we underwrite (starting with the exit), how we structure (aligning capital to milestones), and how we behave (transparent, pragmatic, responsive). For brokers, that translates into a partner who will protect your reputation, keep your client informed, and deliver on the promise.

YOUR CLIENT’S PROBLEM, SOLVED The biggest issue a strong bridging lender can solve today is not mysterious; it’s the guarantee that funding will be there, in full, on time, so the plan can be executed and the exit achieved. Maslow Capital’s proposition is built around that simple truth. We give time and certainty, delivered by people who know how to get complex deals done—properly and quickly.

WHAT 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE MEANS FOR OUR BROKERS • • •

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No re-trades: We stand by our terms unless material new information emerges.

Clear milestones: You’ll know precisely what’s needed, by when, and who’s doing it.

Communication you can rely on: Weekly updates as standard, with decisive escalation when an issue threatens the timeline.

Collaborative exit thinking: We work with our borrowers and their partners to ensure the exit is realistic and documented.

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Nov/Dec 2025

Big Lender Certainty Specialist Lender Agility We combine big-lender muscle with specialist lender agility. Backed by institutional capital and a hand-picked team of experts who have built their careers in bridging finance, we deliver granular bridging finance at pace — offering the same certainty of funds as on our larger projects, coupled with razor-sharp execution and a single point of contact from enquiry to completion.

Contact Us 020 7173 5114 bridging.gb@maslowcapital.com

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Our Finance In Action London | £930k Refurbishment Loan | Residential We provided a £930k refurbishment loan to modernise an 1850s home in Stoke Newington, Islington, delivering an internal upgrade plus rear and loft extensions. With off-street parking and a private garden, the project enhances value and preserves period character, supporting strong exit options through resale.

London | £1.13m Developer Exit Loan | Residential We agreed a £1.13m Developer Exit facility secured against three newly built one-bedroom mews houses in the London Borough of Hounslow, unit sales. Completed in just one week, the 12-month rolled-interest loan

London | £1.25m Refurbishment Loan | Residential We provided a £1.25m refurbishment facility to support the acquisition and modernisation of a probate-sale home in North London, funding day-one purchase and a full works programme, including rear and loft extensions. Structured for speed with no quantity surveyor requirement and no exit fee, the 12-month loan targets a £1.88m GDV, enabling a sale

London | £12.4m Bridging Loan | Residential residential-led scheme in Chelsea, comprising 13 high-spec apartments individual units—many with river views and within walking distance of the King’s Road and Battersea Park—the facility helps maximise value for an experienced developer.

Brighton | £21m Developer Exit Loan | Student PBSA scheme in Brighton comprising 134 ensuite studios across three blocks between the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton.

The facility supports stabilisation during peak letting, maximising income and preparing the asset for sale.

25 Nov/Dec 2025

“We learnt how to say no.

We’re not here to simply take advertising spend; we’re here to build premium partnerships” Mo Mulki and Beth Fisher

Bridging & Commercial

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NEWS

THE WEEK WE DECIDED TO HALVE OUR CLIENTS Over 200 miles on the road, more than 40 hours of conversations, and three unhinged hours of ‘singing’ later, we survived five days on the circuit of the specialist finance industry—and in the process, rewrote the rulebook on how we work with our clients. This is the story of Medianett Publishing’s biggest transformation yet If you’d told 2023-me—who was still getting used to the Managing Director title—that our boutique publishing business would soon be juggling global teams, launching a brand new title, and hosting ever-larger sell-out events, I’d have smiled politely and gone back to proofreading p97. Fast-forward to today, and Medianett Publishing has evolved into a sharper, more ambitious version of itself—still very us, just with better systems, a busier diary, and a hunger for what’s next. Somehow, we’re only just getting started.

that knows your business inside out. The team that shows up for your goals, not just your advertising. The team that helps you hit those, “did they really just do that?” moments. And if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know we’ve been behind nearly every leader in the game—spotting their potential from a mile off, sometimes long before they even realised it themselves.

A BOLD MOVE

Back then, we were smaller. About 100 total clients and a firm and trusted footing in the specialist property finance industry.

But as the sector grew (to what one very confident party guest recently assured me is “well over 150 bridging lenders”), so did we.

After reviewing our entire client base, which had grown past 260, driving our best-ever turnover and profit, we had a moment of clarity: the industry had gotten huge. And while the prospect of growth is exciting, bigger doesn’t always mean better. To deliver the standard of service we demand from ourselves, we realised we can’t work with everyone. And that’s actually the point.

We debuted BTL Insider, a sharp new title for the landlords and brokers who keep the UK’s BTL market spinning. Processes were tightened, our team expanded across borders and time zones, and we started crafting even more creative marketing opportunities for our bravest partners.

So we decided to choose alignment over volume, quality over quantity, and impact over admin. We learnt how to say no.

We’re not here to simply take advertising spend; we’re here to build premium partnerships. And just as our clients want to work with the right people, so do we.

Meanwhile, the B&C Awards went stratospheric: 750 seats sold out within three months, themes and stages got bigger, and the venue finally matched the energy in the room. And the FP Show? It’s now the industry’s annual pilgrimage, drawing circa 1,500 brokers, lenders, developers, investors, and any professional able to navigate Kensington’s tube system. Year after year, it grows: more exhibitors, more delegates, more buzz. But growth, like any good character arc, comes with introspection.

Instead of transactional, fragmented campaigns, we created a year-round Premium Partnership model for an exclusive group of long-term, loyal clients—a full integration of everything we do, as close to your team as it gets. Not metaphorically. Literally. We’ve been in your boardrooms, at your work parties, in your members’ clubs, and on the sites you’re funding.

GROWTH IN NUMBERS

Seventeen years in the media means our partners aren’t just buying ads, they’re buying our brains. No more rate-card wrangling or patchwork campaigns. It’s seamless, creative, and centred around first-class service.

THE ROAD TRIP THAT BECAME A REVELATION Picture this. In the height of this summer, our CEO and founder Mo touches down from the sunshine of Cape Town to the—remarkably hotter—streets of London. We smash 35 meetings across the country in one week. Thirty-five. One lender admitted their sales team averages two a week. Two. We laughed. They laughed. And yes… internally, we cried. And for the first time ever, we brought Ellen, our new Premium Accounts Manager, to witness the industry in its natural habitat: from dealmaking in the curry houses of the big smoke to the karaoke dens of Manchester, and the kind of late-night conversations where billion-pound lending strategies and candid industry secrets coexist.

Because we’re developing. We’re evolving. And we want to evolve with the ones who see the future the same way we do. In short: behind the scenes, we quietly pared back the number of marketing clients we work with—halving our customers, if you will. To our delight, the partners we exclusively invited to join us on this new journey didn’t hesitate; they said yes.

After three years at the helm, I won’t pretend I’m not a little nervous about what this bold step means—essentially turning away sales to give our strongest relationships the opportunities they deserve. But I know it’s the right move. As Rockefeller said, “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” And that’s exactly what we’re doing: stepping up, taking the leap, and aiming for greatness—together with the partners who dare to go there with us.

We listened. We learned. We ate in enough restaurants to write a decent Time Out guide. And what became clear was this: somewhere between scaling up and spinning plates, we’d drifted away from the heart of our original 2008 proposition. We were so busy servicing everyone that we weren’t servicing the right ones in the way only we can.

BETH FISHER

Managing director at Medianett Publishing

So, after one too many whiskey sours in the small hours, we ditched the rulebook. We went back to basics—being the team

27 Nov/Dec 2025

Bridging & Commercial

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29 Nov/Dec 2025

NEWS

COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES WITH ISLAMIC FINANCE

Many Muslims in the UK are excluded from bridging finance because products rely on interest and some Sharia-compliant solutions do not meet their needs. This represents a huge opportunity Words by

YOUNESS ABIDOU CEO and co-founder of Nester

Bridging finance is defined by its speed and responsiveness, stepping in where traditional lenders slow down and helping property professionals act to quickly when timing matters most.

Yet, while bridging is built on flexibility, the industry does not always reach every segment of the market. It is fair to say that, in the drive to deliver speedy solutions, we sometimes overlook those who could benefit a lot from access to short-term funding.

NEGLECTED BORROWERS In the UK, a rising number of property buyers, developers and investors come from the country’s 3.4 million-strong Muslim community. Many of them find themselves

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excluded from bridging finance because most facilities are structured around interestbased returns. And the few Shariacompliant bridge finance solutions in the market don’t always meet the needs of property professionals in terms of flexibility and certainty of funding when it’s needed the most.

There is a clear opportunity to bridge a gap in short-term property financing options that reflects the needs of this excluded community.

That is why Nester has launched BridgeFlex, which combines the speed and agility of modern property funding with a structure that adheres to Islamic finance principles.

NEWS

way to support repeat clients without restarting the process each time. It BridgeFlex uses established Islamic finance helps them move faster, build stronger models to create a revolving facility that fits relationships and focus on transactions the pace of modern property deals. Instead rather than administration. of relying on conventional interest-based At the same time, it opens the door to a loans, it offers a structure built around real growing pool of property professionals assets and defined profit agreements. who have often been overlooked by These structures add more choice conventional finance. A structure that and flexibility for both borrowers and aligns with Islamic finance principles brokers, supporting a more inclusive and enables brokers to reach new clients and serve a wider segment of the market that is responsive property finance market. ready for growth.

ALTERNATIVES TO INTEREST

HIGH DEMAND

MORE PRODUCTS

“THE UK’S PROPERTY FINANCE MARKET IS EXPANDING RAPIDLY, AND ISLAMIC FINANCE IS PLAYING AN INCREASING ROLE IN THAT PROGRESS”

The UK’s property finance market is At Nester, we expanding rapidly, and Islamic finance is are working playing an increasing role in that progress. with brokers, The UK Islamic finance sector is developers and valued at more than £6 billion, reflecting investors to steady growth and diversification. Demand expand access to is increasing among both Muslim and Sharia-compliant non-Muslim investors, showing wider solutions that confidence in assetbacked and profit-based offer genuine flexibility and models.

The Bank of England’s Alternative transparency.

Liquidity Facility has created a more The aim is to balanced environment for Islamic make these institutions,encouraging further innovation structures a central part of in how these products are structured.

Despite this progress, individuals how short-term seeking a flexible bridging finance solution property finance that avoids traditional interestbased operates across the market. structures have largely been excluded.

BridgeFlex expands the market reach of Inclusive finance has commercial short-term property finance and opens advantages, helping the market grow the door for more property professionals in both scale and reach. seeking bridging solutions structured within a Sharia-compliant framework.

NEW CLIENTS FOR BROKERS For brokers, BridgeFlex offers a simpler

31 Nov/Dec 2025

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BLAC

33 Nov/Dec 2025

EXCLUSIVE

HITTING THE SPOT Assuming all investors want the same thing does them a disservice.

Brokers must precisely—and routinely—meet individual priorities and goals to stand out and to make the most of emerging opportunities

Words by

ZAHIRA FAYYAZ Head of key accounts at Market Financial Solutions

As 2026 approaches, brokers will be at the centre of an increasingly complex property finance landscape. Borrowers’ needs are fragmenting, and those who can deliver flexibility and tailored solutions, rather than one-size-fits-all support, will stand out.

There’s no single borrower profile any more. Some will focus on costs; others may prioritise flexibility or speed. The real opportunity lies in understanding the “why” behind each client’s investment plans.

Beyond just looking at their financial background, brokers will want to explore their longterm goals, their tolerance for risk and how they plan to adapt to market shifts.

That insight enables brokers to match each borrower with lenders and products that genuinely fit their circumstances, not just whatever option looks most promising on the table.

One central tenet that can facilitate all of the market’s inconsistencies: optionality. Assuming that all property investors want the same thing does them a disservice. For brokers, this means knowing which lenders can deliver fast, straightforward vanilla BTL products for expanding landlords, as well as the support needed for clients who need more tailored, specialist solutions.

This stretches beyond simple standardised fact-finding and searches.

There’s obviously a need to know why clients are investing beyond the obvious, if they’ve thought through where they’ll be in five years’ time and how they’re positioning themselves in relation to the market’s movements.

AS BORROWERS DIVERSIFY Bridging & Commercial

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ZAHIRA FAYYAZ

35 Nov/Dec 2025

on the fence about how or even if they should invest in the property market. We know in the lead-up to the budget that many buyers adopted a wait-and-see strategy. Brokers can help overcome hesitation by turning to lenders offering small but valuable incentives.

Say a lender offers title insurance coverage across its product range. This form of indemnity insurance protects lenders and borrowers from financial loss sustained from defects in a title to a property. It reduces the need to complete the many property searches, investigations and checks typically required at the underwriting stage and throughout the conveyancing process.

In a nutshell, by using title insurance, application processing times can be cut. A quicker process can play its part in easing any hesitancies. These peripheral benefits can make all the difference in helping property investors to commit with confidence.

OVERSEAS OWNERS ON THE RISE

Throwing out the same basic selling points and products to every borrower would just not work. A firsttime landlord seeking refurbishment finance will need an entirely different approach from a portfolio investor refinancing 10 units in one go.

STRAIGHTFORWARD STAR

Then there are those on the other end of the scale.

Where demand is still evident in the market, it’s coming from those with more complicated circumstances and set-ups.

Many domestic investors may not have been convinced by the UK property market’s potential in the past year, but overseas buyers at large have not been swayed by pessimism in the press. In October, analysis from Hamptons found British nationals living abroad account for almost one-third (29%) of UK BTL limited companies owned by overseas investors.

Fur thermore, of the 33,600 BTL companies set up in the first half of 2025, 20% were owned partly or fully by foreign citizens. This share is up from 13% in 2016. Global players still seem to recognise the appeal of the UK property market.

Still, it can prove hard for these kinds of owners and landlords to progress. Mainstream lenders can be hesitant to lend to those based overseas or who have built their careers with wealth from outside the UK. Also, those who invest internationally tend to have expansive portfolios, which can be challenging as portfolio lending is harder to acquire than financing for an individual property.

This is where working with specialist lenders can allow brokers to truly embrace innovation. Finding products that combine the best elements of bridging loans and tailored BTL mortgages can offer unique solutions for those with substantial portfolios.

“Borrowers’ needs are fragmenting, and those who can deliver flexibility and tailored solutions, rather than one-size-fits-all support, will stand out”

Recognising this will prove especially important as we move into 2026.

Our market will be dealing with the repercussions of the Budget and Renters’ Rights Bill for some time. There will be no one right way forward that works for all borrowers.

The coming months will require discernment in some cases and a clear, decisive approach in others. For instance, we’re set to see many landlords and property investors sell up, but there could be just as many new entrants willing to take their place.

Despite all the challenges facing the market, UK rents are still on the rise, as are yields.

There could be a small window of opportunity for brokers to match enthusiastic investors with the kind of products that prioritise speed. As stock levels rise, straightforward products that are designed solely for routine residential purchases will prove to be worth their weight in gold. A bespoke BTL mortgage range that prioritises speed, simplicity and accessibility for borrowers will make all the difference in this corner of the market.

Of course, some would-be borrowers will still be sitting

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AUSPICIOUS AREAS FOR 2026

Embracing optionality is already proving useful.

Looking ahead, it’s set to be crucial.

Affordability issues are still holding us all back. We’re still struggling to get on top of inflation, and rising costs are hampering everything from the building of new homes to starting families.

Anything brokers can do to ease these burdens will be gratefully received in 2026 and beyond. This could be as simple as factoring in rolled interest payment plans or top-slicing options.

Certain legislative deadlines that’ll hit the property market are also quickly approaching. As we move into 2026, we’re one year closer to that 2030 EPC deadline. Landlords, whether they’re existing ones toughing out the market’s challenges or new entrants still finding their feet, will need to ready themselves. Many landlords are unprepared, and time is running out to get their portfolios in check. There will be a clear need for refurbishment, renovation and/or conversion finance over the coming years.

Then there are the unknowns. Will the government stick with its housing plans or be forced to make a U-turn? Can the Bank of England lower interest rates in a timely manner or will it have no choice but to raise them? Will property investors stick with the residential sector, or turn their attention to a more lucrative commercial market?

Again, none of these questions have one right answer. The property market evolves and participants who fool themselves into thinking they know exactly where its headed are in for a rude awakening. The only real way forward is to remain adaptable and embrace as many solutions as possible for the industry’s variables. Easier said than done—but always worth pursuing.

37 Nov/Dec 2025

Bridging & Commercial

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39 Nov/Dec 2025

FEATURE

A

Sustainable, scalable and ready to grow

fter 25 years in SME lending and leadership, I’ve learned that what matters most isn’t just providing capital but providing clarity through straightforward products, decisive outcomes and accountable relationships.

At Recognise Bank, I sit on the executive committee and lead the development of our lending and savings propositions. My remit spans both sides of the balance sheet, making sure we have the right products for the customers we serve, the right teams to deliver against stretching targets and unambiguous ownership of results. It’s as much about delivery as design and involves refining processes, removing friction and aligning service to market needs.

SMEs face tough headwinds around the economy, tax changes and cashflow. This is where specialist lenders demonstrate their value; offering certainty and speed matter as well as price

Following our £25m capital raise in November 2024, my focus is threefold: • grow the balance sheet safely: growth without discipline is irresponsible, so we’re building sustainably and with clear guardrails • diversify the product suite: we will seek out opportunities in adjacent markets that support our widening customer group • lay a sustainable platform for expansion: that means people, process, data and brand all moving in unison

Words by CAROLINE LUXMORE Chief commercial officer at Recognise Bank

Strategically, this is how we are seeking to widen our support for borrowers and savers while keeping risk sensibly aligned to reality.

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From day one, our goal has been simple—to be a specialist bank that truly understands and supports the real-world needs of business owners”

Caroline Luxmore

41 Nov/Dec 2025

FEATURE

When planning is hard SMEs tell us their toughest headwinds are usually around certainty in the economy and cashflow. Policy and tax changes, evolving ESG expectations and a stop-start economy make planning harder than it should be, and uneven demand stretches working capital. In that environment, certainty and speed matter just as much as price.

This is where specialist lenders demonstrate their true value. We underwrite the story as well as the balance sheet, shape facilities to the plan in front of us and give customers a direct line to decision-makers. Sometimes, that’s a property-backed bridging loan to meet a time-critical deadline before transitioning into longerterm funding. Sometimes it’s structuring term repayments around cashflow and taking a pragmatic view on security and ownership. The principle is the same: finance that moves at the customer’s pace, with transparent terms and sensible leverage.

Growing yet staying simple We’ve expanded our broker panel by 300%, a significant amount, which naturally increases the flow of quality cases. To broaden our geographic coverage and increase our capacity to deliver more loans faster, we’ve grown our lending team by 66%.

Our proposition is deliberately simple: we provide short-term, property-backed finance for residential and commercial security, along with commercial term finance for both owner-occupiers and investors.

What I believe differentiates us is delivery through experienced lending managers whom brokers have direct access to, and a dealled approach centred on the asset, the exit when the finance is short-term and the customer’s plan.

Three-point leadership My leadership style is simple—it’s built on clarity, collaboration and responsible growth. Clarity of purpose, priorities and metrics matters because ambiguity wastes time and capital. Collaboration across product, credit, operations and distribution is vital because friction between teams becomes friction for customers. And responsible growth matters because long-term value always beats short-term volume.

I’m accountable for our brand as well as our products. For smaller businesses, a bank’s brand isn’t a logo; it’s a promise that when you need a decision, you’ll get one and it will stick. That trust compounds into long-term growth.

From day one, our goal has been simple—to be a specialist bank that truly understands and supports the real-world needs of business owners. We’re committed to staying relevant and be responsive to brokers, clear about risk and aligned to the evolving needs of SMEs. Finance to match desires Everything I’ve done in my career comes back to the belief that SMEs deserve finance that keeps pace with them and their ambitions. At Recognise, that means products that are genuinely useful, delivery that’s reliably fast and a culture where people own outcomes.

It’s a high standard by design. As our CEO put it when I joined, the bank was looking for “someone of calibre and expertise”.

The truth is that’s what our customers expect from all of us, and we intend to earn that description every day.

Everything I’ve done in my career comes back to the belief that SMEs deserve finance that keeps pace with them and their ambitions” Bridging & Commercial

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Call us on 01202 743400 43 Nov/Dec 2025

EXPLAINED

Words by LIRAN BERKE Marketing executive at CSBF Capital Partners

Priorities and approaches are different in family-run firms. Could more mainstream companies learn from their approach and attitude?

I

n an industry often defined by numbers, deadlines and data, the word family doesn’t always carry much weight. Yet the principles that sustain families—trust, accountability and open communication—remain central to lasting success.

For family-run lenders, those principles aren’t corporate slogans; they shape how decisions are made.

Every stage of a deal reflects shared responsibility and the understanding that each decision carries its name.

It’s a reminder that in finance, progress isn’t measured just by capital deployed but also by the people behind it.

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That sense of continuity runs deep at CSBF Capital Partners, the lending arm of a family office with more than 50 years’ experience in debt advisory, property development, investment and lending. What began as a family office has grown into a 13-person team, with average loan sizes and LTVs growing year-on-year. Its story reflects a broader truth for the industry: being family-run isn’t a structure but a mindset that shapes every decision and strengthens every relationship.

At CSBF, every deal begins with Henry Ejdelbaum, the co-founder and managing director with decades of lending and property experience, who leads the team of financial analysts, guiding each decision, working alongside Jourdan Rajwan, a surveyor and Henry’s son-in-law.

EXPLAINED

“The industry often rewards taking higher risks for higher returns,” Henry explains. “Since we lend our own funds, our focus is on working in sync with borrowers, aligning our interests to theirs to achieve the best long-term results. That means structuring deals that are supportive, dependable and built on partnership.”

SECURE NOT SENTIMENTAL

That mindset of building for longevity rather than volume is what differentiates lenders who endure from those who simply compete. Family values may sound sentimental in a numbers-focused world, but in practice, they translate into reliability, clarity and consistency— qualities that borrowers and brokers value most.

For the property finance industry, the takeaway is simple: you don’t have to be a family-run business to operate like one. By embracing flatter hierarchies, greater transparency and a shared sense of accountability, any lender can embed these same principles. However, family offices hold a distinct advantage; their shared history and aligned outlook create a strong foundation for genuine flexibility and a commonsense approach.

In contrast, larger financial institutions can be constrained by corporate targets, rigid policies and top-down decision-making that limits their ability to deliver what borrowers value most.

In a market that prizes speed and certainty, the firms that endure are those that recognise that trust and reputation matter as much as the numbers. Focusing solely on figures is easy, but what distinguishes the exceptional is the ability to combine commercial focus with respect and genuine relationships, creating lasting value for clients, brokers and teams alike.

FLAT STRUCTURE For Jourdan Rajwan, that partnership depends on transparency and the absence of unnecessary layers in decision-making.

“Working with family has its advantages,” he says. “Conversations aren’t filtered or delayed, and communication doesn’t stop when the workday ends.

It helps us resolve issues quickly and be more responsive to brokers and borrowers—though it’s maybe not so great for family dinners.”

It’s a reminder that in a space often driven by scale and systems, genuine collaboration, where people can challenge and trust one another, remains one of the quiet strengths that technology can’t replicate.

Jessica Rajwan, a lawyer as well as Henry’s daughter and Jourdan’s wife, oversees the legal process to ensure it reflects the same commitment to clarity and fairness. “Key to our ethos is to remember how we started, through personal referrals, friends and family,” she says. “That’s why we lend the way we do—because it isn’t just about business or profit.

It’s about people and the trust that allowed us to build this company in the first place.”

That perspective highlights an actuality often overlooked in finance; in a world driven by volume and speed, reputation still moves faster than capital.

With a background in management consultancy and financial modelling, Joshua Ejdelbaum, Jessica’s brother, then shapes the financial structure of each deal, ensuring it reflects both commercial discipline and long-term sustainability. “Being family-run influences every decision,” he says. “It affects how we treat borrowers, brokers and our team. We’re not chasing growth by any means necessary; we’re building something long term, something our children could one day be proud to be part of.”

“That mindset of building for longevity rather than volume is what differentiates lenders who endure from those who simply compete”

45 Nov/Dec 2025

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The power of variable rates If you borrowed from us in October 2024, here’s what would have happened to your rate…

October 24 0.75% per month

November 24 0.73% per month

February 25 0.71% per month

May 25 0.69% per month

August 25 0.67% per month Because our rates are linked to the Bank of England base rate, they drop every time the base rate does

0345 222 9009

deals@octanecapital.co.uk 47

octanecapital.co.uk

For use by mortgage intermediaries only. Rates can go up or down with BBR. Octane Capital Ltd (Reg No 10481270), Octane Property Finance Ltd (Reg No 10483453) and Octane Property Nov/Dec 2025 Finance 4 Ltd (Reg No 12491136) are private limited companies registered in England and Wales having their registered office at 20 Grafton Street, London W1S 4DZ.

EXPLAINED

When I joined Pure more than two decades ago, I thought I was signing up for a career to be spent mostly with clipboards, comparables and property details. However, the truth is that our sector and the role of a surveying business have evolved far beyond bricks and mortar. Today it’s about data, digital fluency and judgement under pressure— although one thing that hasn’t changed is that it’s still very much about people. The shifts have shaped the way I try to lead and the kind of company we’re building together at Pure.

Surveyors are relentlessly practical about service. Pure tracks turnaround times, spots postcode pinch points and recruits depending on market needs. We also run a free estimated value check when expectations look out of step with local evidence.

Sometimes, the bravest service decision is to decline an instruction that’s unlikely to land well for the lender, broker or end client. It saves time, money and trust—three assets that compound when you protect them.

Words by HELEN SCORER Operations director at Pure Panel Management

Bridging & Commercial

Spending 20 years in valuations has taught me about leadership, resilience and people—as well as handling expectations and decisions

TRUST AND TOUGH CALLS I didn’t arrive with a neat job description, and I still don’t have one. My role has always been to find the gap, steady the ship and back our people.

Great outcomes follow when your panel feels known and supported, and when your internal team knows you’ll stand beside them in hard calls as well as easy wins. That’s how a group becomes a team and how a team becomes a family.

Mentorship sits at the heart of that philosophy. Early in my career at Pure, founder David Gillam told me I was “too trusting”. He was right that discernment matters; he was also the first to back me when I had to make tough calls. Mentors don’t make you a different person; they optimise your strengths so you can lead with clarity.

48

EXPLAINED

“We learned that when your values are lived, you can weather anything”

COMBINED TALENTS IN DIVERSE MARKETS If technology raised the bar on speed, diversity has raised the bar on quality. Complex markets need perspectives from backgrounds, geographies and career paths that don’t all look the same.

Collaboration isn’t confined to our four walls either. Brokers, lenders and surveyors each carry part of the risk and part of the solution. When we set expectations early (including likely value ranges) and share the “why” behind a decision, the whole chain performs better, with less friction, fewer surprises and faster completions. That’s good for borrowers and for the reputation of our sector.

RESILIENCE REDEFINED In 2021, we lost David. He was a giant in every way in our industry and the architect of Pure’s culture. Losing a founder is one of the hardest tests a business can face, personally and operationally. We grieved, we reflected, and we chose to keep building together. Later that year, David’s son, James Gillam, stepped up as the managing director. Continuity was more than simple governance, it was a promise to preserve what was best about our past while making the changes our and the market’s future demands.

Twenty years is a long time anywhere. I’m proud of the work, but I’m prouder of the people and the lenders and brokers who trust us, the surveyors who uphold the standards, and the colleagues who turned a company into a community.

David set the tone. James carries the vision forward. My job is to make sure the spirit of Pure— straightforward, supportive, and quietly relentless— shows up in every instruction we touch.

Steering through that period reshaped my definition of resilience. It isn’t stoicism. It’s honest communication, shared ownership of the mission and a commitment to look after each other.

We learned that when your values are lived, you can weather anything.

49 Nov/Dec 2025

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Product Guide

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Speak to the original “can do” lender.

Bridging Fast, flexible short term finance Loans from £100k – 7M

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EXPERIENCE

Words by DHUHA AL-ZAIDI Photography by James Roberts

Daniella Sutton has always wanted to be a Formula 1 racing champion and Allica Bank is sponsoring her to realise this. The lender and the rising star talk about supporting the unusual and addressing female under-representation

F

rom the age of six, Daniella Sutton spent her childhood behind the wheels of a race kart, gripping the wheels, with a hunger to succeed and one day make it to the Formula 1 racing tournaments. Fast forward a few years, and she’s excelled in her aspirations, then she finds herself diagnosed with arthritis, and fears this may put the brakes on her desired career.

Her journey has not been easy.

C o m i n g f r o m a wo rk i n g - c l a s s background, Daniella was raised by her stepmother, Rachel Sutton, who works as a receptionist at the vet’s, and her father Daniel Sutton, a truck driver.

Determined not to lose sight of her dreams, Daniella set out to gain a sponsorship to fulfil her life’s goal of making it to F1. Eventually, she came across Richard Davies, CEO at Allica Bank.

BANKING ON A TEENAGER In August this year, when Daniella was aged 16, Allica Bank announced it would become her official banking partner, in a commendable mission to help support her ambition to become the first female F1 champion. Without this, she says, this will not be possible.

“It has been a tough journey pulling in the sponsorships, but it’s so vital to have those sponsors because we wouldn’t be here without them,” Daniella says. She explains

Bridging & Commercial

that going through all the racing stages— from karting indoors to karting in the Daniel Ricardo series and winning the Total Zero UK Championship to eventually competing in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Scholarship before moving into F4—was made possible by her generous sponsors, including Allica Bank, that were able to recognise and support her talent.

Daniella tells Bridging & Commercial that she first came across Allica when she saw it support one of her other sponsors, De Novo Solutions, in a tech industry award. She approached the lender via LinkedIn. After 3,000 emails and letters over two years, she says that her interaction with the bank has been positive and smooth from the offset.

“We’ve tried banks in the past and, 52

often, it’s been a no or ‘maybe we’ll get back to you’, but then you never hear from them. But Allica Bank were straight on it, really eager and just really excited,” she shares. “It was a nice surprise to see that we have a business bank backing us now.”

Rachel observes the interactions with Allica feel “personal” compared to those of other high street banks they approached in the past. “When Daniel and Daniella both spotted Allica’s online advert, they were like, ‘Oh, this seems a bit different and quirky’,” she explains.

Shortly after, the family got in contact with Richard, who suggested meeting Daniella via Zoom, which Rachel saw as a genuine and refreshing approach because it was direct.

Richard Davies and Daniella Sutton

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EXPERIENCE

financial benefit. “The partnership shows that with determination and hard work, you can find people who will believe in you will sponsor and invest in that relationship,” says Rachel.

The bank’s sponsorship is contracted to last until the end of 2026. Daniella states: “They’ve helped me to continue racing for next year and for this season, and by just being on the grid and being sat here right now at the launch event of my Formula 4 career. They’re helping with the media, film crew and in so many ways that people don’t really see unless they ask.

“It sends a message to other young people that it is possible and to keep trying—every no is close to a yes. I’m a girl from a working-class background and I’m sat here hosting an event for sponsors,” she says.

“It does send a message out to young people and people with hidden disabilities that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

GOING FOR THE UNEXPECTED Daniella’s ambition is one of several unusual interests that the bank has supported; it also sponsored the World Stone Skimming Championship in Scotland this summer. Conrad Ford, chief strategy officer at Allica Bank, says: “It might seem unusual for a bank to sponsor these kinds of events, but it’s these local connections and stories that we know are important to our customers, who themselves are critical parts of their communities. That’s why you’ll see Allica turning up where others won’t.”

For Richard, his daughter’s pursuit of becoming a motorsport engineer has educated him on the lack of women in the field. “There’s definitely some kind of general appeal from the fact that when you look at female representation in most aspects of motorsport, it’s pretty weak to be honest,” he states. When Daniella approached seeking support, Richard felt a “natural affinity” to the cause.

The racing star’s urge to continue driving, despite having to cope with juvenile idiopathic polyarticular arthritis, was “super impressive” to the lender, which felt this reflected its own values.

“What it came across from her is that there is a huge drive, resilience and creativity to try to achieve her goals and get what she wants,” Richard expresses.

He adds: “We all have a lot of fun because we are trying to do something we feel is improving society. The small businesses we serve are maybe one-third of the UK economy and, if they thrive, they create jobs and that really helps society, so we’re driven by that mission.”

Richard is considering sponsorships in the same vein, especially where women are involved. “We are looking at where there are similar people we should back and support, perhaps other sports beyond motorsports to have some diversity there, where females are underrepresented,” he states.

For Daniella and Rachel, this sponsorship resembles more than a

Bridging & Commercial

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“The small businesses we serve are maybe onethird of the UK economy and, if they thrive, they create jobs and that really helps society, so we’re driven by that mission”

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Allica Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN: 821851). Registered office: 4th/5th Floor, 15 Worship Street, London, EC2A 2DT. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07706156.

Bridging Finance services are provided by Allica Bridging Finance Limited. Registered office: 3rd Floor 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London, England, SW1W 0DH. Incorporated under the laws of England and Wales with company number 10859711. Allica Bridging Finance Limited is not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. The bridging products offered by Allica Bridging Finance 55 Limited are not regulated products.

Nov/Dec 2025

COVER STORY

Class of 2025, reunited Nearly one year after getting on the 2025 Power List for having the most complex, standout deals over the past 12 months, some of the winners are back to tell us how this affected them, what has been ticked off their achievement to-do list, who inspires them in their personal and work lives, and what professional and quirky skills they’re mastering

Interview by DHUHA AL-ZAIDI

Bridging & Commercial

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What is your proudest accomplishment this year since receiving the 2025 Power List recognition?

Akhail Mair

The aim of the programme was to celebrate and give back to the broker community, who have been such a big part of Allica’s growth. More than 200 brokers applied for the funding; it was wonderful to see so much interest and showed us that there’s definitely an appetite out there for us to keep supporting brokers.

It’s also been a big year for my team, which has kept growing, and I’m proud to be at the steering wheel as we continue to expand the team.

Dan Narwal Intermediary relationship manager at Together

Jez Quinn

One of my proudest moments this year has been my promotion to Intermediary corporate account director. It’s a position that allows me to work even more closely with our key broker partners and internal teams, focusing on expanding Together’s presence in the larger loan space. It’s a really exciting step for me, and I’m excited to help drive Together’s growth in this area.

Head of sales for short-term finance at West One One of my proudest accomplishments is taking responsibility for the short-term sales team here at West One after being promoted to head of sales, short-term, in July of this year. This leadership role is something I have worked towards for some time and is a reward for the hard work that has been put in.

This is an exciting opportunity to apply some long-developed strategic ideas within the team and to drive growth in the division with the support of a highly capable and relationship-driven group of sales professionals.

Denny Lane Director and co-founder of Prospect Capital After being recognised on the Bridging & Commercial Power List, I was determined that 2025 would be about not just momentum but refinement. My focus has been on improving how we work, strengthening partnerships and showing that clear thinking and decisive action are integral in every market.

Kerry Bradshaw Business development executive at Roma Finance

The Fulham Road project was a standout moment for me. It was in a precarious position; the property had been stripped back to shell and core and the borrower needed to be rescued from an unexpected situation. Because of our history with the client and our in-house expertise, we agreed to step in and refinance the incumbent lender. With oversight from our project manager, the project was brought back on track, back on budget and seen through to practical completion. For me, that project captured what Prospect Capital does best; our commercially minded approach ensured the client achieved what at one point seemed impossible.

My proudest achievement this year has been seeing my team grow in confidence and capability. They are still relatively new, and watching them develop their skills, take ownership of their roles and really flourish has been incredibly rewarding. Creating an environment where people feel supported and empowered to perform at their best is something I take great pride in. Alongside that, I’ve achieved some significant personal milestones, hitting and surpassing my own targets. It’s been a year of both individual and collective success, which makes it all the more fulfilling.

In a year defined by uncertainty, that kind of outcome requires collaboration. We have seen our loan book grow despite the market conditions, welcomed new members to our team and completed our first overseas joint venture in Berlin. Each milestone has reminded me that growth only matters when it has purpose. We are not chasing opportunity for the sake of it—we are managing transactions with intent, ensuring our appetite remains focused on the right opportunities, not just the next ones.

Mo Parmar Specialist finance account manager at InterBay It has to be about how we’re shaping deals at InterBay and being agile in our approach.

A broker may present a case that seems straightforward, but I always take a step back to see if there are any other routes that can get us to the right solution for the client, based on what they are looking to achieve.

For example, we recently had a commercial client who was looking to mortgage some office blocks, which on the surface looked straightforward. However, after delving a little deeper, I discovered that the client was looking to sell some of the office space within the next 12 months. The deal finalised as a bridge to pay for the office space that they planned to sell and only the ones that the client intended to keep in the longer term were mortgaged. Once the sale completes on the offices that have been funded via the bridging loan, the finance can then be repaid, making it more cost-effective for the client than the original proposal.

Michael Mann Broker business development director, south, at Allica Bank I was really proud to have been recognised by the 2025 Power List—it’s something that I always hoped to do, and I’d be delighted to try to achieve it again in future.

I’m most proud of leading on designing and launching our five-year anniversary educational programme, which has funded 50 brokers to obtain their certified practitioner in specialist property finance (CPSP) qualification.

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David Castling

Isabella Emirali

Head of intermediary distribution at Atom Bank

Head of asset management at MT Finance

I’ve been busy working on launching something new to the market—focused on bridging, refurbishment and development finance. It’s been both exciting and challenging to help build a business from the ground up in such a competitive space. I’m partnering with some incredibly experienced individuals who understand both the development and broker sides of the industry first-hand. Our model is commercial, proactive and relationship driven, built on our networks. It’s been a fantastic journey so far—watch this space.

A lot of my work is confidential and happens mostly behind the scenes. However, a major highlight for me this year was championing and empowering my team. Watching their growth has been a true joy. In particular seeing four talented women on the team—all of whom started in junior, entry-level roles—achieve promotions and grow immensely in their confidence and skill set is, without a doubt, a huge source of pride for me.

Savvas Nicola

Natasha Yea

Lending director at LHV Bank

Director of Next Route Finance

Since being named in Bridging & Commercial’s Power List, I’ve had a lot to reflect on.

It’s been a busy and rewarding period, and I’m really proud of what we’re building here at LHV Bank.

Expanding our team from two to three. We welcomed our first employee this year, Katy, to support our growth plans. It’s only been in recent years where the fruits of my labour have really started to show but my mission remains strong—to put our stamp on the industry.

We’ve grown our lending book to over £500m, and £1bn is now the next big milestone on the horizon. Growth at this pace is never easy but we’ve done it responsibly, and that’s what makes it meaningful. The team has worked incredibly hard to achieve it and seeing that progress has been one of the highlights of my career.

Akhil Mair Managing director at Our Mortgage Broker

Gavin Diamond

My proudest accomplishment is proving that exponential growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of quality. Since the recognition, we’ve focused on scaling our bespoke advisory model. We successfully integrated a proprietary digital case triage system, which dramatically reduced the time to offer for straightforward cases, freeing our senior advisers to spend 80% more time on complex, high-net-worth or non-standard transactions. This strategic shift not only protected our 98% client satisfaction rate but also cemented our capability to handle the full spectrum of the lending market, proving our depth over sheer volume.

CEO at Inspired Lending Since being recognised in Bridging & Commercial’s Power List, what I’m most proud of is how we’ve continued to build the brand, win market share and grow the business in a market that hasn’t always made those easy. The progress has been steady and sustainable, which is exactly how we want it.

What’s been particularly pleasing is seeing so many brokers complete their first deal with us and then come back for more. Repeat business is the clearest sign that the service and communication are working. It tells me that the experience we’re offering is the right one, straightforward, reliable and genuinely supportive.

Colin Horton Commercial director and co-founder of Project & Co Winning a Bridging & Commercial award was incredible. The power list was a catalyst for that, and it just opened so many doors. You know, it’s record month and record month at the moment, so it’s nice. And it’s not due to panel appointments. It’s due to direct lender appointments, which means everything to us.

Leanne Ardron Managing director for short-term lending at LendInvest My proudest accomplishment has been leading the transformation of our short-term lending platform to deliver faster, more transparent funding for brokers and borrowers and serve as the engine, connecting to our other products.

It’s made for great marketing as it is a very well-respected thing in the space. I’m a big believer in self-promotion. I think a lot of people look down on people who put themselves forward for things but you can’t expect the world to fall at your feet—you’ve got to push yourself out there. Not many people put themselves out there. All you really see are bog-standard videos that everyone seems to be doing, which look exactly the same. You’ve got to try to be a little bit different. And I think anything that will get you in front of people and open some doors is a no-brainer. So, for anyone that thinks they might be worth it, you should enter these awards. And it works well from a CV point of view.

We’ve managed to reduce average enquiry, application and completion times without compromising on credit quality. That balance of speed and discipline is what defines great bridging finance. Seeing how LendInvest’s technology and team have collaborated to make that happen has been incredibly rewarding.

All of this is no small feat in a volatile market. It’s been gratifying to see the team rally round to achieve that goal and to hear directly from partners how much it’s improved their experience working with LendInvest.

These tech updates allow us to transition between products—bridge-to-let, bridge-to-dev, dev-to-bridge etc—more easily. Finally, I led the launch of our Refurb GDV financing, which enables complete refurbishments and provides an easy exit into one of our BTL products.

Katie Spitz Deputy head of underwriting at Funding 365 My promotion was a standout achievement for me this year. As deputy head of underwriting at Funding 365, I’m able to remain actively engaged in delivering loans for our clients while further developing my management skills.

Karen McGrath Commercial regional manager at Atom Bank I’m really proud of playing my part in helping numerous SMEs to grow their business and support their clients across diverse sectors. It’s been a busy year, and I’ve been able to work closely with so many brokers, helping their clients raise much-needed funds for their commercial properties.

Lorenzo Satchell

Bridging & Commercial

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Lorenzo Satchell Experienced sales director Since being recognised on the 2025 Power List, my proudest accomplishment has been joining CapitalRise as director of sales to help expand and strengthen the bridging proposition. It’s been incredibly rewarding to work with the team and contribute to shaping a product offering and process with a relationship-led approach to lending.

Jonathan Newman Senior partner at Brightstone Law In broad terms, it’s the ability to remain relevant and continue to deliver excellent outcomes in an increasingly complex and demanding environment, both practically and legally.

The challenges remain constant but, in addition to these, we are now seeing more fraudulent transactions of greater sophistication and complexity.

For the first time, there has been a hardening in professional indemnity insurers meeting their obligations where there has been a suspicion of fraud or wrongdoing. I’m proud to say that, by demonstrating Brightstone’s renowned tenacity and tackling issues headon, we’ve secured extremely positive results for our lender clients, even in the toughest winner-takes-all situations.

Hiten Ganatra Managing director at Visionary Finance My proudest accomplishment has been turning the 2025 Power List recognition into real outcomes for clients and the industry. We’ve grown the business and our client base in a volatile lending environment, while deepening partnerships with specialist lenders so we can deliver faster, more flexible solutions when they matter most.

Internally, I’ve focused on mentoring emerging brokers and investing in our team’s professional development, which has lifted capability across the board. Externally, I’ve played my part in raising professional standards and ethics within short-term finance, because sustainable growth depends on doing things the right way.

The most meaningful validation has been recognition from peers and, above all, repeat business from satisfied clients. That continued trust tells me we’re building a brand that consistently delivers, whatever the market throws at us.

Josh Knight

Sam Bryce Underwriter at MS Lending Group

Josh Knight

Since being recognised in the 2025 Power List, my proudest accomplishment has been continuing to grow in my role and helping strengthen MS Lending Group’s reputation during what has been a really busy and challenging year. What mattered most to me has been proving it wasn’t just a one-off. This year, I’ve seen relationships deepen, repeat business increase and brokers continue to trust us, which has been incredibly rewarding.

Sales and marketing director at Octane Capital I’m proud of how Octane has managed to position itself in such a competitive market.

My view has always been that, given so many lenders are vying for brokers’ attention, the latter benefit from concise messaging from lenders outlining what they are best at.

And, for Octane, refurbishment and developer exit finance are two product areas in which we offer something genuinely unique. We have doubled down on these, and it has paid dividends.

Sally O’Loughlin Credit manager at Lendhub

Samuel Cousins

This year, I’m proud to have helped strengthen our credit and deal execution function while increasing our output on complex cases. We tightened risk controls without slowing decisions, clarified ways we can progress deals through the pipeline despite restrictions and improved collaboration across teams. Seeing our credit team consistently deliver at a higher level has been the real highlight.

Senior regional sales director at Ultimate Finance Without question, becoming a father for the first time has been my proudest personal accomplishment this year. It’s given me a fresh perspective on what matters and a renewed sense of drive and purpose.

From a professional standpoint, one standout moment was completing a £4m development exit facility for a 25-unit scheme that wasn’t quite at practical completion. It was a complex transaction where we stepped in after another lender had pulled out at the last minute. The deal involved several moving parts—simultaneous land swaps between neighbouring developers, an overage agreement and the existing lender’s charge being transferred onto adjacent land. Navigating all that and still delivering a smooth outcome for the client was a real team effort and something I’m extremely proud of.

Natalie Anderson Mortgage and protection adviser at Connect Mortgages Receiving awards from my company for top performing adviser 2025, and the Platinum achievers award (for advisors and firms who bank a certain amount in the year), for the third year in a row

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In such a turbulent market, what has been the most difficult challenge that you persevered through?

Karen Mcgrath

Michael Mann Broker business development director, south, at Allica Bank There have been a lot more entrants to the commercial markets as the definitions of qualifying properties relax a little. More lenders mean more competition as brokers have access to more deals and simplified costs, which means we’ve had to make sure to stay on top of our game to remain competitive.

Dan Narwal Intermediary relationship manager at Together Navigating client hesitation has definitely been one of the biggest challenges. Many brokers have found it tough to get clients to commit to transactions amid market uncertainty. My focus has been on helping our partners diversify, looking at how they can explore new sectors and opportunities in a constantly changing market. Our customers need to be adaptable, and supporting them with this is essential.

I’m really proud of the way we’ve persevered through the increasingly competitive market—we’ve kept really focused on delivering more for brokers and providing a great service that sets us apart, whether that’s building relationships, working through complex deals or finding solutions to problems as they occur to ensure a timely completion for our brokers and their clients.

Denny Lane Director and co-founder of Prospect Capital

Jez Quinn

The lending landscape is more demanding than ever. We are seeing more opportunities but also more hurdles, tighter due diligence, deeper know your customer requirements and tougher valuations. There have been moments where our perseverance has been tested, but I am proud we have never shied away from challenges. If a transaction makes commercial sense and we are comfortable with the fundamentals, we will find a way to make it happen.

Head of sales for short-term finance at West One Loans A turbulent market is a funny thing in bridging finance, because it’s in the turbulence that bridging helps investors unlock opportunities that traditional finance can’t. So, in a sense, turbulence brings more opportunity than challenges. It’s helping investors to make the most of these opportunities that can be a bit of a puzzle.

Another difficult issue in this period has been the slow movement in the prime London market. Historically, it has been a major part of West One’s operating model. However, the way we’re set up and growing, having diversified our appetite and operations across regions, has made us much less reliant on prime London’s performance. Even then, we’ve still managed to pump out some fantastic deals in prime London despite overall slow movement.

Kerry Bradshaw, Business development executive at Roma Finance The biggest challenge has been navigating customer uncertainty in a market that’s constantly shifting. In bridging and specialist finance, speed and confidence are crucial but, when sentiment changes, customers can, understandably, take longer to make decisions. That can slow down the process—but it’s also an opportunity to show our value by communicating clearly, managing expectations and providing solutions that instil confidence. It’s reminded me that success in this market isn’t just about completing deals quickly—it’s about building long-term trust and relationships.

Mo Parmar Specialist finance account manager at InterBay I’ve found the commercial market to be fast paced and, in the next five years, I expect the landscape is going to be completely different and that’s really exciting. The need to be agile is vital and we’re seeing more lenders enter the commercial arena as well as an increase in demand from clients diversifying their portfolios.

There are assumptions that lending rates will drop if there’s a base rate cut but that’s not always the case as SWOP and SONIA rates are more aligned to how we price. Also, it’s only really applicable for those with finance on a tracker basis.

Jonathan Newman

Bridging & Commercial

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Katie Spitz

I also think we’re going to see a lot of innovation, from product offering through to process enhancements; when the market moves this fast, you have to move with it and at pace.

Deputy head of underwriting at Funding 365 Shifting time frames have been a particular challenge this year, with delays across planning departments and buyers hesitating as they wait for clarity from the government.

It’s been more important than ever to take a flexible, commercial view on key factors and to keep the lines of communication flowing between brokers, borrowers and lawyers.

Isabella Emirali Head of asset management at MT Finance

Karen McGrath

My role involves dealing with individuals often at one of the most vulnerable points in their lives, which can make every day an emotionally tasking experience. The biggest challenge is finding the right balance between protecting the company’s interests while also working to secure the best possible outcome for the customer. Navigating that daily tension and ensuring we maintain empathy and fairness even at the height of distressing situations is a constant effort, and it is one I’m committed to persevering through.

Commercial regional manager at Atom Bank Despite record enquiries and applications, there is some caution. Potential buyers are hesitant about major property purchases, while sellers are worried if it is the right time to sell. This all leads to delayed decisions, doubt over making the right choice and an increase in failed transactions.

David Castling Head of intermediary distribution at Atom Bank

Savvas Nicola

I look after both residential and commercial lending in my role at Atom and have to say there are fundamental differences in performance and behaviour. Commercial lending is far more attuned to sentiment, economic stability and momentum; as a result, anything that seeds doubt into business confidence has an immediate impact on appetites to take on more debt or expand businesses. Regaining momentum and consumer confidence takes far longer than we would see in the residential mortgage market—think turning the oil tanker rather than the speedboat. As we stare down an uncertain and potentially unpleasant budget, there is a level of anxiety that this might trigger further fear and uncertainty with SMEs in the UK.

Lending director at LHV Bank Getting deals over the line in a turbulent market is always a challenge. There’s no getting around that, but working with excellent professional advisers you know and trust makes a huge difference. Having strong relationships with brokers, lawyers and valuers who share the same standards helps keep things moving, even when the market is unpredictable. And, of course, dealing with great customers always helps too.

Gavin Diamond

Kynan Benjamin

CEO at Inspired Lending

Founder of Kozo

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The past year has tested everyone’s patience at times. Deals have taken longer, works have cost more and planning has rarely run to schedule. The hardest part has been working through those in-life challenges with borrowers when projects hit bumps in the road. Each case is different, and you have to stay calm, creative and fair-minded to get the right result. It’s easy to be a good lender when everything goes to plan—the real test comes when it doesn’t.

The biggest challenge has been dealing with stagnation from borrowers within transactions—a real dragging of feet at times. Maintaining a proactive approach to keep deals moving has been tough when the borrower’s urgency doesn’t match ours.

A slow pipeline kills conversion, so I’ve had to double down on driving momentum and fostering that same energy from clients.

Leanne Ardron

Natasha Yea

Managing director for short-term lending at LendInvest

Director of Next Route Finance

The biggest challenge has been maintaining confidence in an environment where sentiment can shift overnight. As a lender, we have to balance speed with prudence, and that tension only intensifies during uncertainty. I’m proud that we’ve navigated that by staying close to our funding partners and deepening relationships with our broker customers.

Keeping spirits high and managing expectations. Fortunately, I have always chosen to see the glass half full but, with the up-and-coming budget changes and the Renters’ Rights Act, there is a lot of uncertainty and fear spread around. I see it as a market shift—a time to support those willing to embrace the changes and appreciate they need to become more resourceful. There are plenty of property opportunities to explore from title splitting to commercial to residential conversions and I’m passionate to help others reach their goals.

That consistency—doing what we say we’ll do—has been the foundation of our resilience.

Kara William

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Samuel Cousins Senior regional sales director at Ultimate Finance The biggest challenge has been maintaining momentum in an environment where so many variables are in flux, from down valuations and shifting exit strategies to an increasingly competitive lending landscape. It’s a constant balancing act between risk management and supporting our clients to move projects forward. The key is being able to adapt and make decisions quickly, being transparent and communicating every step of the way with the broker and the borrower so everyone is aware of what is happening and when.

Lorenzo Satchell Experienced sales director The biggest challenge has undoubtedly been navigating market uncertainty while maintaining consistency and confidence with brokers’ clients. The past year has seen constant shifts—from fluctuating rates, the cost of living, macro and global climates to evolving borrower expectations—and it’s required a real balance of agility and strategic thinking. In the bridging space, every deal is time sensitive, and maintaining trust through volatility is critical. Persevering through that meant staying close to our business partners, communicating clearly and ensuring that we continued to deliver and execute solutions. It reinforced that, in times of turbulence, strong relationships and decisive leadership make all the difference.

Sam Bryce Underwriter at MS Lending Group The biggest challenge this year has definitely been the market itself. With rates constantly moving, lender appetite changing and confidence going up and down, it’s been a real test of patience and adaptability. There have been times when deals felt impossible, but finding a way through, in true MS Lending Group fashion, has really pushed my development. It’s reminded me that, in this industry, staying calm, being consistent and delivering what you say you will are what truly matter.

Hiten Ganatra

Akhil Mair Managing director at Our Mortgage Broker Without question, it was managing the extreme volatility of product sourcing. In 2024, lenders were changing criteria and withdrawing products with less than 24 hours’ notice.

The pressure on our advisory team to maintain absolute certainty for our clients was immense. We persevered by investing heavily in real-time data feeds and implementing a mandatory 6am market watch briefing. This meant we could pivot faster than 99% of our competitors, effectively acting as a shield for our clients. We turned market panic into an operational advantage, giving our clients the confidence to transact when others hesitated.

Colin Horton Commercial director and co-founder of Project & Co It’s managing everyone’s expectations, so managing the lender, the broker, the applicant, my team, myself. It’s a really demanding space. You can never please everyone. If you value something correctly, lenders might say, “Oh, why is it valued at X?” Even if you didn’t value it, you still might have to explain why. And you have a broker. There’s a lot of pressure, and it is really hard.

Josh Knight Sales and marketing director at Octane Capital Competition. I’ve never known the market to be this competitive. While it must be overwhelming for brokers at times, it’s ultimately a good thing. It drives higher standards and better products.

Natalie Anderson Mortgage and protection adviser at Connect Mortgages I think clients feeling overwhelmed with higher rates than they have been used to, affordability stress testing and negative headlines. I make sure I spend extra time educating clients and breaking down the noise. I stay focused on providing a variety of realistic solutions, even if that advice is not proceeding with proposed borrowing.

David Castling

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Sally O’Loughlin Credit manager at Lendhub Navigating a higher level of market volatility, from valuations and build costs to shifting exit timelines, has been the biggest challenge. Keeping our promises to our borrowers while remaining commercially minded, especially on complex deals, has required a deep understanding of the deal at hand, close coordination with all parties and good teamwork.

Jonathan Newman Senior partner at Brightstone Law The greatest challenge has been maintaining high service levels in an environment where the value and complexity of the legal piece has significantly increased, all while working in an environment where the institutional infrastructure is visibly under strain.

Both the Land Registry and the court systems are creaking at the edge of failure.

Against this backdrop, we’ve continued to invest heavily in talent to meet the needs of the market and a growing client base. Over the past year, we’ve brought in several ambitious young recruits as part of our strategy to expand to meet demand, combining new energy with a depth of solicitor expertise that sets Brightstone Law apart.

Hiten Ganatra Managing director at Visionary Finance The toughest challenge was steering clients and the team through constant uncertainty.

Interest rates and lender appetite moved quickly, which meant valuations, timescales and funding terms could change mid-process. We had to reset expectations—often more than once—while keeping transactions alive despite tighter criteria and longer underwriting queues.

Maintaining morale and focus was critical as caution was everywhere in the market, so I increased our attention on communication with clear pipelines and quick decisionmaking to stop deals from stalling. The final layer was balance to keep on pushing for innovation including new structures, specialist lenders and smarter packaging without compromising risk management or regulatory compliance. It wasn’t easy, but that discipline helped us navigate the volatility, preserve client confidence and keep completions flowing.

Gavin Diamond

63 Nov/Dec 2025

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COVER STORY

who are passionate about what they do and genuinely want to make a difference for our customers and introducers. That energy is infectious. It pushes me to keep learning, to keep improving and to think about how we can continue evolving as a team and as a business.

Mo Parmar Specialist finance account manager at InterBay My son is doing his GCSEs, and I am so inspired by his approach to revision and the additional prep he’s planned in. Having had a look at some of the practice papers myself, I’m in awe of just how hard GCSE assessments seem to be nowadays.

I’m really proud that my son is taking his studying so seriously as I’m not sure I had the same approach when I was his age. I’m pleased he’s thinking for himself and taking ownership of his future.

What’s inspiring you in life right now?

Natalie Anderson Mortgage and protection adviser at Connect Mortgages New beginnings for me. I am buying a new home and new business opportunities are presenting themselves. Watch this space!

Dan Narwal Intermediary relationship manager at Together I’m really inspired by professional growth. What’s interesting is how much of what I’m learning at work is feeding into my personal development too. Whether it’s leadership, strategic thinking or just staying curious, it’s all helping me grow in ways I didn’t expect.

Denny Lane Director and co-founder of Prospect Capital What keeps me inspired right now is perspective. I will be travelling to South Africa soon to work (only a little), meet new team members and spend precious time with my family—a reminder that life is about balance as much as business. Professionally, it is working with and meeting new clients and partners that I thoroughly enjoy. Seeing a transaction complete successfully, knowing that our capital and support played a part, still gives me the same satisfaction it did years ago.

Michael Mann Broker business development director, south, at Allica Bank Outside work, I’m travelling more and ticking off some of the places on mine and my wife’s bucket list. It’s really inspiring to see the world and enjoy the different histories and cultures, and, of course, tasting the food.

At Allica, I’m growing into more management responsibilities. The opportunity to share my knowledge and help to develop others in the business is something I’ve found really enjoyable.

Sally O Loughlin

Isabella Emirali

Jez Quinn

Head of asset management at MT Finance

Head of sales for short-term finance at West One Loans

It may sound like a cliche, but I am genuinely inspired by the drive, ambition and commitment of my team. Watching them pursue their goals and seeing their professional progression is incredibly motivating. The women on the team, especially, remind me so much of my own journey. Their success fuels my belief that, if I could start out where they are and work my way up, they absolutely can, too.

The most important thing in my life is my family and the quality of life my work is able to unlock for them. My career growth, although I am highly ambitious and strong-willed, is really with them in mind. I work really hard and sustain high levels of performance because I care about creating a good life for myself and those around me.

I am deeply passionate about the work that we’re doing in the bridging market, and it’s that strong alignment of my work and personal lives that drives me to want to become the best I can be. By showing up, I get to inspire my team and be inspired by them, all while working towards maximising opportunities for my family.

Savvas Nicola Lending director at LHV Bank People are at the centre of everything I do, in business and in life. Anyone who knows me knows this answer never changes: I’m inspired by my two sons. They’re the reason I work hard and try to set a good example. Watching them grow up keeps me grounded and reminds me what really matters.

Kerry Bradshaw Business development executive at Roma Finance I’m really inspired by the opportunities for growth and innovation within the specialist finance industry. It’s such a dynamic space, and seeing how much potential there is, both personally and professionally, really motivates me. At Roma, I’m surrounded by people

Bridging & Commercial

Sam Bryce

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Akhil Mair Managing director at Our Mortgage Broker I’m profoundly inspired by the concept of cognitive automation in financial services.

It’s not just about using AI to tick boxes; it’s about using technology to filter and refine the initial stages of the process, allowing human expertise to focus solely on complex client psychology and goals. This means we can move away from transactional advising and become true lifetime financial strategists. The idea of building a system where technology handles the noise and our team handles the wisdom—that’s what drives me every day.

Gavin Diamond CEO at Inspired Lending What keeps me inspired is the people. Watching the business grow is one thing, but seeing brokers and clients come back with positive feedback and watching my team continue to deliver day after day are what give me energy. We’ve built strong relationships, and that human side of the business is what matters most to me.

Colin Horton Leanne Ardron

Commercial director and co-founder of Project & Co

Managing director for short-term lending at LendInvest

I’ve got a great partner who I want to give the best life to. That keeps me going while I work 12–14 hours every day. I want to get out of that rat race in the long term. For now, I have to keep working—I have nothing to fall back on. I’ve got no rich parents and I support my mum. So I can’t fail. It just inspires me to keep going. And, I like the challenge of being this little lad from Essex, breaking the mould.

I’m inspired by the new generation of talent coming to LendInvest and the wider property finance market. Gen Z is questioning old assumptions and pushing for solutions driven by technology. Their energy reminds me that innovation isn’t just about technology; it’s about mindset. On a personal level, I find it inspiring to see how collaboration across teams and disciplines can turn complex challenges into growth opportunities.

Josh Knight

Within LendInvest, I’m energised by how our teams are using data and digital tools to make lending fairer, faster and more accessible. It’s proof that innovation in finance can actually make a positive difference to people’s lives, helping developers, landlords and small businesses move forward when they need it most.

Sales and marketing director at Octane Capital

I’ve found inspiration from anyone who engages in their curiosity and optimism no matter how tough the environment gets.

My children. At the time of writing I have two sons—and, by the time this is published, I’ll have a third! God help me. Since having children, I’ve become acutely aware of the example I set for them. It gives me extra motivation to be kind and work hard, which are my two non-negotiables for them.

Katie Spitz

Samuel Cousins

Deputy head of underwriting at Funding 365

Senior regional sales director at Ultimate Finance

Arsenal Football Club and old episodes of Vanderpump Rules.

Right now, I’m really inspired by growth—both personal and professional. Becoming a dad has made me think about the example I’m setting and how I can use my role to bring energy, positivity and consistency into everything I do. I’m motivated by people who push boundaries in their industries while staying grounded, and that’s the mindset I try to bring to work every day.

Karen McGrath Commercial regional manager at Atom Bank Medical advancements in the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer’s. Having lost my parents within the last few years to these illnesses, it does inspire me that we are researching and finding ways to treat and cure people who are suffering.

Kynan Benjamin Founder of Kozo The people around me. I’m constantly inspired by peers and friends who are carving out their own paths—growing year after year, scaling their businesses and personal brands, and maintaining that hunger to keep pushing. Even those who’ve exited and sold businesses still have that same drive to create something new, and that energy is infectious.

Natasha Yea Director at Next Route Finance Change. Not limited to property... AI, digital money, media, to name a few. I embrace change—it’s how you grow. Looking back on how far we’ve come over the last 20 years, I’m excited to see what the next 20 years will look like.

David Castling Head of Intermediary Distribution at Atom Bank Probably a little bit of a cliche to say my children, but that is the case. My daughter has just turned 17 and, without prompt or assistance, has paid for training, gained qualifications, created a small business, deployed a marketing strategy and gained repeat paying customers over the course of three months. This has been in addition to a fulltime college course and a part-time job. My 14-year-old son continues to amaze me with his compassion, integrity, hard work and thoughtfulness despite dealing with his own neurodiversity challenges. Both remind me on a daily basis of what is really important and are constantly teaching me new things.

Dan Narwal

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Jonathan Newman Senior partner at Brightstone Law

Sally O’Loughlin Credit manager at Lendhub

I’m always inspired by the resilience and creativity across the specialist finance community, as people are continually collaborating, problem-solving and finding better ways to serve clients despite the noise. That energy feeds me in building a sustainable, people-first business that wins through integrity and service, not shortcuts.

I’m also motivated by family and personal growth, so I am staying present, keeping perspective and finding balance while leading a team. The next generation of brokers coming through have fresh ideas and real purpose, which gives me huge confidence about where the industry is heading.

I’m inspired by the changes we’ve made at Lendhub over the past year and what’s to come in 2026. We’ve expanded the team massively to support our growing book, and have invested in tech that is going to come to the market soon, improving our processes further so brokers can get even quicker response times, more competitive offers and stronger terms on their deals.

Lorenzo Satchell

Ultimately, I believe challenging times reveal true character and accelerate innovation, and watching that play out every day is what keeps me motivated.

Experienced sales director I’m genuinely inspired by the resilience and innovation across the specialist finance sector. Despite the challenges, we’ve seen lenders, brokers and developers adapt creatively—finding new ways to structure deals, manage risk and deliver value. That entrepreneurial energy is what keeps this industry so exciting. On a personal level, I’m incredibly inspired by my daughter, who is excelling in her legal career within our industry. Watching her carve out her own path, achieve success through hard work and contribute meaningfully to the same sector I’ve dedicated my career to fills me with immense pride. She truly is my hero in every way, and seeing her passion and determination reminds me why investing in the next generation of professionals matters so much.

Sam Bryce Underwriter at MS Lending Group Right now, I’m really inspired by progress. Not necessarily the big milestones but the small steps that build up over time, both personally and professionally. I’ve been focusing on improving how I work, learning from people around me and putting myself in situations that challenge me. I’m also really motivated by seeing others grow—colleagues, brokers, even clients who are hitting their goals. That kind of energy is contagious.

Denny Lane

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Jez Quinn Head of sales for short-term finance at West One Loans One of the skills that I’m honing is communication at a more senior level. As head of sales in the division, I can no longer rely solely on my own strengths; I need to bring out the strengths of the team through clear communication and expectation-setting, while managing sales pipelines on a higher level.

Kerry Bradshaw Business development executive at Roma Finance I’m focused on developing my leadership skills, especially as my role and responsibilities evolve. Leading a team in the specialist lending space requires empathy, adaptability and strong communication—qualities that don’t just benefit internal culture but directly impact how we serve our brokers and customers. I’m constantly learning from others across the business and looking for ways to be the kind of leader who empowers people to perform at their best.

Natalie Anderson Mortgage and protection adviser at Connect Mortgages I’m working on improving my confidence in presenting mortgage topics through video, social media, or workshops.

Mo Parmar Specialist finance account manager at InterBay Specialist finance account manager at InterBay An area I am really working on is my leadership skills. I mentor a few brokers who are entering or have recently entered the commercial space, and I am really passionate about education and knowledge-sharing. Not only does this open the doors of commercial and semi-commercial to more brokers but also it’s about building those great relationships and guiding others with their knowledge and skill development.

What’s a skill you’re working on mastering?

I also feel that collaboration is key in this role, working closely with both internal and external stakeholders as one team, as that’s how the best customer outcomes are achieved.

Isabella Emirali Head of asset management at MT Finance Right now, I am committed to becoming more patient. Working with customers in highly vulnerable and stressful situations often means being on the receiving end of their frustration and anxiety. By truly mastering patience, I can ensure I consistently respond with empathy and kindness, maintaining a calm demeanour even in the most challenging and less-than-ideal situations.

Dan Narwal Intermediary relationship manager at Together Outside trying to improve my golf game and my running pace, I’m always working on becoming a better BDM. That means constantly refining how I support the accounts I manage, whether it’s through sharper insights, better communication or just being more proactive. It’s a skillset that’s always evolving, and I’m here for it.

Denny Lane Director and co-founder of Prospect Capital If there is one skill I am still working on, it is problem-solving. Not in the sense of fixing issues but in anticipating them and understanding where a transaction could get stuck before it happens. That ability comes with time, and I am fortunate to work with a management team that brings decades of both property and financial experience to every situation. Experience creates readiness, and readiness keeps clients moving.

Michael Mann Broker business development director, south, at Allica Bank I’ve been reflecting on the type of leader I want to become because I’m very conscious that, when you look back at the leaders you’ve had, there are good and there are bad.

There are good bits in everyone, and I’m trying to take those good bits and put that into my leadership style and really hone that skill.

Samuel Cousins

I’m really focusing on making sure I’m giving my team the time, support and energy to achieve their goals.

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Gavin Diamond CEO at Inspired Lending A skill I’ve been working on this year is delegating. I’ve never found it easy because I’ve always liked being hands-on but, as the business has grown, I’ve realised that trusting people and giving them the space to make decisions is part of building something stronger. I’m fortunate to have an excellent team around me, and seeing them take ownership and thrive has been one of the most satisfying parts of my job.

Savvas Nicola Lending director at LHV Bank What I’m working on personally are patience, calmness and resilience, whatever you want to call it. Life has a habit of throwing several things at you all at once, and learning to handle that with composure is something I’m always trying to improve. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I think it’s one of the most important qualities anyone in this industry can develop.

Looking ahead, I feel optimistic. The market is still full of challenges, but there’s a sense of balance returning. Borrowers are being more thoughtful, brokers are asking sharper questions and lenders like us are evolving to meet that. If we keep communicating clearly, lending responsibly and staying grounded in what we do best, I think the next year will be another strong one for Inspired Lending and the specialist market as a whole.

Looking ahead, I feel optimistic. Confidence is starting to return to parts of the market but balance remains key. For me, responsible growth is the goal, so this means continuing to lend with care, back good businesses and keep the same consistency that’s brought us this far.

Leanne Ardron

What gives me confidence is the resilience I see every day from brokers and borrowers.

There’s been a noticeable shift this year, with more clients looking ahead again rather than just reacting to short-term pressures. We’re seeing stronger enquiries from trading businesses, developers and investors who have adjusted to the current rate environment and are starting to plan for the long term.

Managing director for short-term lending at LendInvest The art of leading through ambiguity: learning how to make clear, confident decisions by using data when the outlook is uncertain. In a fast-changing market, that’s become one of the most valuable skills a leader can develop. It’s about trusting the process, the people around you and your principles.

The market changes fast, and that means leaders must be more adaptable and emotionally intelligent than ever before. The perspectives of our brokers, customers, investors and

I think the next 12 months will be about rebuilding confidence, both in the market and between lenders and borrowers. As long as we stay steady, keep listening and remain proactive, I really believe we can help drive that confidence forward. For me, that’s the kind of progress that really matters.

team are more important than ever. Throughout my experience in a people-driven business like ours, listening is often the skill that makes the biggest difference.

If the past year has taught me anything, it’s that success is about people, relationships and trust. Get those things right and the rest follows naturally.

Katie Spitz Deputy head of underwriting at Funding 365 Other than conquering advanced Excel, I’d like to get better at playing the piano and vastly improve my culinary skills.

Karen McGrath Commercial regional manager at Atom Bank Learning Pilates has been a source of inspiration, motivating me to embrace new experiences and continuously seek self-improvement. It not only reduces stress but also enhances strength, balance and stamina, pushing me to strive for greater effort and focus.

Natasha Yea Director at Next Route Finance Videos, specifically YouTube. We live in a world where everything is visual and digital, from communication to education, so mastering personal branding, storytelling and increasing my visibility online is a priority for me in 2026. Lights, camera, action—let’s go!

Kynan Benjamin Founder of Kozo Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It’s as technical and strategic as chess but as physically demanding as anything I’ve ever done. I train with people who’ve been practising for over 30 years and say they still learn something new every day. True mastery might be impossible—but I’m enjoying the journey.

Colin Horton

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Samuel Cousins Senior regional sales director at Ultimate Finance I’m working on mastering focus and consistency. In a fast-paced, ever-changing market, there’s always something demanding your attention, but I’ve learned that the biggest wins come from maintaining focus on the fundamentals—relationships, responsiveness and reliability. Those are the skills I’m continually honing.

Lorenzo Satchell Experienced sales director Right now, I’m focused on mastering the balance between strategic leadership and hands-on market engagement. It’s essential to stay deeply connected to both brokers and borrowers and understanding their needs while also thinking several steps ahead about where the market is heading.

Jonathan Newman Senior partner at Brightstone Law I’m working on refining my ability to listen. That is a quality much underrated and seldom used by lawyers.

I’ve been fortunate to learn much from some incredibly talented people over the years, and I’m focused on applying those lessons in a way that brings clarity and simplicity to what can often be complex challenges. Ultimately, it’s about making life easier and more effective for everyone involved.

Hiten Ganatra Managing director at Visionary Finance:

Jez Quinn

Mastering leadership is always something I feel I can improve and this includes delegating more effectively and empowering others to take ownership. I’m also sharpening my strategic thinking so we can pivot faster as the market moves.

On a personal front, I’m investing in public speaking and media communication training to be a better advocate for our sector, and I’m continually working on balancing emotional intelligence with clear, commercial decision-making.

David Castling Head of intermediary distribution at Atom Bank This year, I was fortunate enough to complete a mini-MBA in marketing that was facilitated and funded by Atom. Sales and marketing are often seen as natural bedfellows but the latter is not something I have ever really had exposure to, so having the opportunity to do some formal learning has both kept the grey matter active and broadened my skill set.

Sam Bryce Underwriter at MS Lending Group A skill I’ve been putting a lot of effort into is communication, not just being clear but being understood. Every deal has so many moving parts and being able to explain things simply and confidently makes a huge difference. It’s also a skill that carries through to leadership and personal growth so it’s something I’m consciously working on.

Akhil Mair Managing director at Our Mortgage Broker

Overall, this year has been about steady progress, finding that balance between ambition and patience and recognising that the work you do every day is just as important as the big achievements.

Beyond the technical skills, I’m focused on mastering deep cognitive empathy. In our line of work, we’re not just arranging finance—we’re managing major life decisions, be it a first home, a divorce restructure or a major investment. The skill is to truly anticipate a client’s unspoken needs and anxieties before they’re articulated, allowing us to proactively structure solutions that offer peace of mind, not just a competitive rate. It’s the highest level of client service and it’s always being refined.

Sally O’Loughlin Credit manager at Lendhub

Colin Horton

Every day I’m learning more about managing a team while working closely with the leadership team in achieving our targets. I’d say balancing the two is a skill, and one that I’m improving on every day.

Commercial director and co-founder of Project & Co Organisation, probably; I’m very disorganised and messy. I also need to stop putting other people before myself sometimes. If I won £1m, I’d probably give it away and then worry about myself later on. I think you do have to be quite selfish to get to the top and stop worrying what other people think. Some of the posts on LinkedIn don’t make much sense but, if one person says they don’t like what I’m saying, it will stick with me for a long time. So I have to stop worrying about that. You can’t please everyone.

Josh Knight Sales and marketing director at Octane Capital Leaving work at the door. I throw myself into my work and I love it. But the consequence of feeling passionate about it is that it can be all-consuming. My wife is keen for me to switch my phone off in the evening—but we’re not quite there yet as you never know what enquiries might land after hours.

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mean everything, I hope people see me as someone they can trust and rely on to deliver, support and lead with authenticity.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Natasha Yea

Savvas Nicola

Dan Narwal Intermediary relationship manager at Together I’d love to be remembered by my brokers as someone who really felt like an extension of their business: fair, collaborative and solution focused. I aim to be the kind of BDM who not only delivers results but also invests time in educating and upskilling others.

Building trust and adding value are key to our ethos at Together, and something I am so passionate about.

Mo Parmar Specialist finance account manager at InterBay As a professional who is always on hand to help, whether it’s with a question about the market or finding alternative solutions to shape a deal, I’d like to think people find me approachable, knowledgeable and customer focused.

Denny Lane Isabella Emirali

Director and co-founder of Prospect Capital

Head of asset management at MT Finance

As a team, we have always said we want to be remembered as reliable, agile and grounded in integrity. Those values guide how we approach every transaction and have been a focus for me this year. They sound simple but, in this market, consistency is what defines reputation.

If I had to say what I’d like to be remembered for, it would be quite simple: always showing up, doing the right thing and giving my best. You can’t control every outcome but you can control your effort and your integrity, and that’s how I try to approach every situation.

Michael Mann Broker business development director, south, at Allica Bank

Gavin Diamond

It’s a goal of mine to be the go-to BDM in the commercial mortgage space, for not only my knowledge and expertise but also my relationship building and the customer service I provide.

CEO at Inspired Lending If there’s one thing I’d like to be remembered for, it’s keeping things simple, being available, keeping my word and doing the right thing. You don’t always get everything right but showing up and staying true to what you’ve said goes a long way. People remember how you handle the difficult moments, not just the easy ones.

At the core of it all, though, is my desire to support established SMEs as they grow, helping them to develop and contribute to their local communities.

Katie Spitz

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Mo Parmer

Natasha Yea Director of Next Route Finance Helping others by being unapologetically myself. There’s so much noise in life these days; I strive to share as much knowledge and positivity as possible while still challenging the norm, the status quo. Ultimately, I always want to leave places and people better than I found them.

David Castling Head of intermediary distribution at Atom bank I hope it will be for what I have achieved, rather than due to a level of fame or what profile I managed to create. As someone who is a restrained introvert by nature, I have often struggled with the apparent need and increasing propensity, on both sides of the market, to have a side hustle in digital content creation and PR, which is not my happy place to say the least. If people remember me as a good guy who worked hard, did the right thing and provided the opportunity for people to get ahead, I think I could be happy with that.

Kerry Bradshaw

Kynan Benjamin Founder of Kozo

Samuel Cousins

I’ve been lucky to have people who’ve always made time for me, offering advice or their perspective, or just a sounding board when I’ve needed it. I try to emulate that by making myself available for my network, friends and colleagues. If I could be remembered as someone who supported others and helped them navigate their own journeys, I’d be proud of that.

Senior regional sales director at Ultimate Finance I’d like to be remembered as someone who made people laugh, brought good energy to every room and always delivered on his word. This industry can be intense, and I think it’s important to never lose that human touch, whether that’s supporting clients, encouraging colleagues or just lightening the mood on a tough day.

Colin Horton Commercial director and co-founder of Project & Co

Lorenzo Satchell

Making surveying a better place. I want to make my surveyors wealthy too. I hate using the term boss, but I want to be known for having made an impact on people’s lives.

Experienced sales director I’d like to be remembered for elevating standards within specialist lending—for helping to build teams and propositions that put relationships, integrity and service at the forefront. The bridging sector moves fast, but I believe the most enduring success comes from doing things the right way and creating value for all parties involved.

Josh Knight Sales and marketing director at Octane Capital

If colleagues and clients remember me as someone who led with authenticity, helped others grow and played a part in shaping a more sustainable, client-focused lending landscape, that would be something I’d be very proud of.

As someone who tried hard. You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control your application. I try to live by my late father’s mantra that talent can be outworked.

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Kynan Benjamin

Sally O’Loughlin

Katie Spitz

Credit manager at Lendhub

Deputy head of underwriting at Funding 365

I’d like to be remembered as someone who raised standards and set a high bar at Lendhub. Having been here for over four years and having seen the team grow within that time is something I’m proud of, and I like to think I’ll be remembered as a solutionfocused, trusted and instrumental member of the team.

Being a good person and a reliable and loyal friend.

Karen McGrath Commercial regional manager at Atom Bank

Jonathan Newman

Someone who made people smile, made their day brighter and tried to always support others. Life ain’t easy, but it can feel a little easier each day if something makes you smile or feel happy.

Senior partner at Brightstone Law Taking calls, speaking in a language that takes the mystique out of the law and simplifying the law in a way that takes away the fear and dread.

Sam Bryce

Achieving the seemingly impossible—and, if not the impossible, then certainly the very unlikely.

Underwriter at MS Lending Group If there’s one thing I’d like to be remembered for, it’s being reliable. It’s part of our ethos at MS Lending Group, but it’s something I take personally too. I’d like people to say I was someone who always did what I said I would, treated people fairly and left things a bit better than I found them. Trust is everything in this industry, and that’s something I want to keep building.

Hiten Ganatra Managing director at Visionary Finance I’d like to be remembered for raising the bar, which means championing professionalism, ethics and transparency in bridging and commercial finance while helping clients achieve real outcomes and be success stories. It’s not just about finance.

Natalie Anderson Mortgage and protection adviser at Connect Mortgages

I’d like people to say I was approachable, genuine and solutions focused, and that I left a legacy of mentorship by empowering the next generation of brokers to do great work the right way for their customers.

Bridging & Commercial

The positive impact I have on people and the way I make people feel.

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Jez Quinn Head of sales for short-term finance at West One Loans I still have a long way to go and many professional and personal milestones to reach.

But I hope that when people think about me, they remember me for bringing extreme levels of passion and ambition into my work. I want to be remembered as a hardworking, honest leader in my field.

Because when people see your passion and they are convinced that you believe in what you advocate for, it builds trust. Passion that can’t be faked earns trust that can’t be bought. Ultimately, it results in more confidence in decisions and stronger relationships.

Kerry Bradshaw Business development executive at Roma Finance I’d like to be remembered as someone who consistently added value through integrity, collaboration and a strong work ethic—someone who not only achieved results but also helped others grow along the way. In our industry, where relationships and reputation

Leanne Ardron Managing director for short-term lending at LendInvest I’d like to be remembered for helping to make specialist lending more transparent. I’m extremely proud of building teams that feel empowered to innovate and make decisions with integrity. Ultimately, I’d like people to say that I helped move the industry forward in a way that benefited both investors and borrowers.

Bridging has always been about speed but I want it also to be about quality. I strive to do things right, not just fast. If people can say that I helped LendInvest and the wider market evolve in that direction, that would be something to be proud of.

Leanne Ardron

Ultimately, it’s about leaving behind a team and a platform that are stronger, more agile and more customer focused to ensure the growth and drive of the bridging market in the UK.

Natalie Anderson

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INTERVIEW

Tom Renwick

Bridging & Commercial

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INTERVIEW

STAYING THE COURSE What makes people stay with the same employer since leaving university? Corporate culture, opportunities, plus being in the thick of it have a lot to answer for

Words by

TOM RENWICK

Head of business lending at Atom bank

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INTERVIEW

This brings me to our culture. It is the single largest factor in my nearly a decade-long tenure here. Atom operates on a bedrock of unflinching trust and an emphasis on organic development. The bank is genuinely invested in nurturing talent, delivering the support required to realise one’s potential, and then providing people with ample opportunities to grapple with interesting problem statements and opportunities. Working for a bank that believes in its people and gives them the opportunities to succeed, is really important to me.

DO YOU MEET MANY OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY WHO HAVE MOVED FROM INTERN TO A SENIOR POSITION AT THE SAME ORGANISATION? The traditional wisdom suggests that a nomadic career path is necessary for professional development and, to secure genuine advancement, you must move between organisations. While that may hold true elsewhere, my experience at Atom is the opposite. We take a long-term view of talent, prioritising curiosity and potential often above experience. The bank actively supports internal mobility and continuous professional development, creating genuine opportunities for individuals to progress.

If you look at the cohort from the initial Atom internship programmes—those first few years of our existence—you’ll find around a half dozen of us who have stayed the course. They are the individuals building our AI capability, driving our corporate strategy and protecting us from legal risks. It’s less an anomaly and more a testament to the opportunities Atom proactively affords those willing to seize them.

Guiding others through the early stages of their careers is a professional duty and an immense privilege.

I’ve personally worked with the EY Foundation to support young people from underrepresented communities in the North East.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AT ATOM BANK? My history with Atom Bank is somewhat unusual. I started in 2015, straight out of Durham University as a very green intern. Those were formative years for the bank, as we were still getting it off the ground: defining our proposition, building out our technology and pathfinding through regulation that, at the time, wasn’t congruent with digital banking models. It was a tremendous experience.

The mission, the nascent culture, and the calibre of the team were genuinely compelling and what I initially intended to be a stop-gap role, has seen me be here a decade. I spent time working on corporate strategy and innovation before eventually being asked to lead the SME lending side of the business.

Atom’s culture encourages individuals to challenge established processes and to innovate. That empowerment has been integral to my own development, and it is reflected across the organisation in the way teams take ownership and drive improvement.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE RANKS? To have been involved with Atom from its nascent phase has afforded me a rather unconventional education. I’ve watched us evolve from a fledgling concept fighting for credibility to an established bank that is providing genuine competition and improving customer outcomes.

HOW HAS YOUR CAREER INFORMED YOUR WORK AS HEAD OF BUSINESS LENDING? My progression at Atom has been a continuous, rather immersive lesson in pragmatic innovation. Innovation cannot be an end unto itself; it must be purposeful.

The impetus for change must always be rooted in a demonstrable need or a specific inefficiency.

That thinking has informed the comprehensive programme of enhancements we’ve introduced within business lending over the past 18 months. Rather than chasing vanity metrics, we’ve executed over 150 discrete improvements to our commercial portal and back-office

But the primary lesson is this: while technology is the scaffolding, the people are the edifice. We have a nearobsessive focus on getting the tech stack right, of course, but the genuine competitive differentiator lies in the people. Our technology’s purpose is not to replace expertise but to amplify it and to facilitate human interactions with a maximum degree of efficacy.

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platform, the vast majority of which have been derived directly from broker feedback.

These changes have materially improved turnaround times, meaning brokers and their clients get to completion that much quicker.

As I’ve moved through the ranks at Atom, there’s always been an openness to ideas and to trying things differently. Our senior leadership at Atom has maintained a refreshing openness to the dissenting or alternative perspective. That same attitude applies to our business lending—our brokers are the ultimate frontline intelligence, they understand where our platforms excel, where our proposition perhaps requires work and detail where there is underserved market demand.

Collaboration is key, whether that’s with internal or external partners.

KEEP IT SIMPLE THIS WINTER.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR THOSE STARTING OUT IN COMMERCIAL LENDING?

Get your deals in we’ll handle the rest.

Firstly, recognise that commercial lending is a broad term and, while there is a tendency to fixate on clientfacing jobs, in reality there is a huge variety of roles.

These run from product management, where you act as the bridge between the business need and technology, to credit strategy, where data and models are used to ensure the bank is protected and lending responsibly, all the way to the software engineers who build and maintain every piece of technology.

But across all roles there is a need to recognise sheer variability of the clients—a deal for a bespoke care facility, for example, demands a different approach framework from one for a logistics warehouse or a PBSA development. As a result, adaptability is absolutely fundamental. Building strong professional relationships is equally important. Lending remains, at its core, a relationship-driven activity. Trust between brokers, lenders and clients is earned through reliability and transparency. Delivering on commitments and maintaining clear communication underpins credibility in the market and also opens new doors and creates opportunities.

From Residential and Development to the Alternative Overdraft, we make property lending clear, quick and simple.

Finally, this industry is one of perpetual metamorphosis. It has changed materially over the past decade, and we must assume the same rate of change going forward. If I could only pick one trait in a new hire, it would be intellectual curiosity. You need a real desire to learn new things and, crucially, a willingness to challenge the status quo. My experience is if you are always looking for a better, smarter way to work, you will create your own opportunities.

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Left to right: Bianca Howl and Frankie Bromwich

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INTERVIEW

THEIR WAY TO SISTERHOOD Finding they were often the youngest women at networking meetings, Frankie Bromwich and Bianca Howl set up the Sisters in Property networking group this year to bring together young women in the industry—and it’s really taken off Interview by

DHUHA AL-ZAIDI

Photography by

CONNIE BURKE

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WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START SISTERS IN PROPERTY (SIP)? DID A PARTICULAR MOMENT OR EXPERIENCE SPARK THE IDEA?

attended multiple female-focused, women-only networking events.

We’d come away from these events feeling motivated and inspired as they were often hosted by or the room was filled with successful females in the property industry.

FB: This was one of the things Bianca and I actually bonded over; however, we both noticed we were often the youngest in the room. Therefore, we wanted to create a girl group for younger women and use these existing groups and women as inspiration and hopefully also encourage younger females to find their own voice and place in the sector.

Bianca Howl: After going to a lot of networking events over the past few years, we realised there wasn’t really a space for women to connect in a fun, relaxed and non-corporate way. We wanted to create something that felt different: a safe space and a brand that’s both unique and exciting, making networking feel more genuine and enjoyable.

Frankie Bromwich: I’m originally from the countryside and, when I moved to London a few years ago, I was inspired by the amount of networking opportunities the city has to offer. I remember going to different networking events when I moved to London and always coming away feeling motivated and excited about the opportunities that come alongside my work and job role.

However, I always felt as though there was a gap in the market for casual networking events for young females in the property industry, hence the creation of SIP–a network for women aged 35 or below in the property space.

STARTING SOMETHING NEW ALWAYS COMES WITH CHALLENGES—WHAT WERE SOME OF THE EARLY OBSTACLES YOU FACED AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM? BH: Frankie and I often live life very fast-paced and at 100 miles an hour, constantly coming up with new visions for SIP. Although this comes with lots of perks and often works in our favour, with the expansion and success of SIP, we quickly learned that we like to run faster than we can walk. We have so many ideas for upcoming SIP events, and sometimes it’s a challenge not to spread ourselves too thinly, especially as there are only two of us and SIP seems to be very popular and growing a lot.

FB: Luckily, lots of females in the industry have stepped forward and offered to help with supporting SIP, whether that be letting us host an event in their space, sharing our events on LinkedIn, sponsoring us or showcasing activities or skills such as golf, yoga and wine tasting.

We really appreciate all the help, as it wouldn’t be possible to do SIP without this. Secondly, expanding our team and welcoming Tilly E ngl a nd f ro m 4 B Projects to help deliver events has been such a blessing; it’s really helped us find a better balance and manage S I P eve n t s mo re efficiently. We’ve also been lucky to have a lot of support from our companies—West + Vittori and Anderson Wi l d e & H a r r i s — wh i c h h a s m ade a huge difference along t he way a nd m ade launching SIP possible.

HOW DID YOU TWO COME TOGETHER AS CO-FOUNDERS— AND WHAT UNIQUE STRENGTHS DO EACH OF YOU BRING TO THE PARTNERSHIP? BH: We met at a networking event and just instantly vibed. Frankie is super organised and keeps us on track with each event, from planning to forecasting meetings. I bring a lot of creative and event experience so together, we balance each other out really well. We share the same vision for SIP and have collaborated seamlessly to bring it to life.

FB: Bianca and I met over a year ago at a female-focused networking event and formed a great working relationship, which organically became a genuine friendship. Bianca’s LinkedIn and event presence provided an amazing platform when starting SIP, as she had already made a name for herself in the industry.

Her experience in events means she is incredibly personable and great at bringing the vision to life. I like to do a lot of the initial brainstorming and organising behind the scenes, as I have lots of ideas and I love the process of seeing these brought to life and made possible. It’s rewarding seeing our visions of SIP unfold through events and watching other girls make genuine friendships in the industry, like Bianca and myself.

WHO HAVE BEEN YOUR ROLE MODELS OR GUIDING INFLUENCES ON THIS JOURNEY? BH: Before we started SIP, we both Bridging & Commercial

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INTERVIEW

IF YOU COULD SEND ONE MESSAGE TO WOMEN THINKING ABOUT ENTERING PROPERTY OR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE? BH: Just go for it. You don’t need to have every detail worked out to start; the most important thing is to take that first leap and get your name and idea out there. SIP started off as simply a discussion over coffee, and by having the courage to take the next step, we have managed to build an amazingcommunity which is still growing and bring our vision to life.

FB: We are both younger and still growing in the industry, and sometimes it’s easy to lack confidence and doubt yourself. However, as a young female, it’s so important to back yourself, as well as lean on your network and all the support around you. You’ll be surprised by how many people want to see you succeed and are also excited by what you do, whether that be working and progressing in the industry or starting a new business or network.

WHAT’S ONE DREAM OR GOAL YOU HAVEN’T SHARED PUBLICLY YET—SOMETHING YOU STILL HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH SIP? BH: Growing the SIP community across the UK and maybe even globally one day would be incredible. Our biggest dream is to reach and inspire as many women as possible, creating a network that truly supports one another throughout their journeys in the industry.

FB: We would also love to build a community, not solely workfocused but instead focusing on women making real connections and uplifting each other day to day, such as a running or a book club. I think it’s so important to incorporate wellness and hobbies into work and not just limit yourself to networking over a drink.

Frankie Bromwich

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION THROUGH GROWING SIP TOGETHER? BH: I think we’ve learned how to delegate and really lean on each other through lots of communication, finding a good, healthy balance of responsibility, which is sustainable for us both in the long term. It’s nice to have someone by your side when growing a brand, as you can both bring in different contacts and ideas, as well as bounce off and support each other along the way.

FB: Overall, I believe taking the risk to build something together, which means so much to us, has definitely paid off, not just through hosting fun events and growing our community but also by building a real friendship along the way.

WHAT KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU HOPE SIP WILL OPEN UP FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN ENTERING THE FIELD? BH: We really want to encourage the next generation to see the endless possibilities within property, as we feel it is not promoted enough to young females in the industry.

FB: We also aim to create a community and space where women can genuinely support and grow together throughout their careers, building confidence and genuine, meaningful connections along the way.

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Bianca Howl

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SURVEYING WITH PERSONALITY Bridging & Commercial

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Words by DHUHA AL-ZAIDI Photography CONNIE BURKE

Project & Co may be best known for its chief executive’s online memes and videos—but the company’s unconventional nature has led to it building relationships, attracting professional staff, and winning awards

‘You don’t have to conform to get your name out there’ Bridging & Commercial

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It’s a crisp autumn morning, and I’m heading to Project & Co’s HQ, eager to learn about the surveying profession and get the lowdown on just how personable they tend to be… OK, I may know what you’re thinking. Is this sarcasm? Well, not quite. This firm is notoriously known for its unconventional style of work and distinct motto, ‘Surveying with Personality’.

We’ve all come to know about Colin Horton, the commercial director and co-founder of Project & Co, and his online personality—his humorous use of trendy memes, authentic storytelling and slight oversharing. Initially, I had thought the interview would be light-hearted and full of banter. What I didn’t anticipate, however, was that this quirky team has a lesser-known, honourable mission to bring personality to a pressurised industry—and perhaps you should learn about it too.

MAKING NO SENSE

Like many in the industry, Colin fell into the specialist finance sector. Having studied property development at the University of Portsmouth, he came across an asset manager job posting and applied on a whim. “I got the interview, and I walked into this room, and the owner was a casual billionaire. He was eating nuts and, with a mouth full, he’s like, ‘Tell me your address,’ and I just completely forgot it,” he recalls. “He then went ‘I like you, you’re hired’—as simple as that, and I got the job.” Colin eventually worked his way up to head of asset management before ultimately deciding to venture on his own and start the firm with Jon Livemore and Arran Anderson, whom we’ve come to know today.

“I was inspired to start Project & Co because of the really poor service in the sector, and I felt it could be better,” he asserts. He shares that, by nature, he felt the need to challenge and question certain procedures. “There were some points in my portfolio journey where I said: ‘Why have you done that? Why is it taking so long? That makes absolutely no sense.’ If they’re prepared to do a valuation, why will they not speak to the applicant?’, and it was just this constant repetition of no accountability” he recalls.

His mission with the firm is to eventually leave a lasting impact, and until then, Colin is enjoying the inevitable “roller coaster”.

COLIN HORTON

DEMYSTIFYING THE MYTHICAL

I was curious to learn more about the company motto, so I had to ask. “The common perception is that surveyors have no personality, and it stems back to why surveyors are unaccountable. They’re almost like this mythical being that you can’t get hold of, and I wanted to change that,” I am told.

He explains that his working-class Essex background has been a key motivator in fulfilling his dreams; having no safety net, Colin knew he had to stand out to be noticed. “People seem to think that

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when you’re launching a valuation firm, you must conform to how things have always been done. I don’t want to do that—I want to try to be a bit different, as I am not your typical valuer. So, we just ran with it,” he shares.

Fortunately for the entrepreneur, this has had a significant positive impact on his business, despite some industry players disagreeing with his approach. He observes that it seems there is a trend of lenders using “big” or popular names in the industry to upmarket, rather than genuinely appreciating their services.

For Colin, the only way to compete is to be different. “We’re trying to make a firm that people want to work for, work with and ultimately want to be a part of,” he states.

GETTING PERSONAL ONLINE

In a LinkedIn sea of Canva social posts and personal milestone achievements, there’s no doubt that Colin’s series of personal memes stands out. Though the posts are funny and deliberately embarrassing, the surveyor hopes to reassure fellow industry experts when times can undoubtedly become tough. “I know that when it’s hard in the business, it’s really draining. So those low points where you’re just like, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen or I don’t know how I can get through this,’ it’s nice to be able to share that with other people,” he explains.

In turn, it has extended into a series of gratitude from other LinkedIn users. “I think it’s quite cathartic knowing when someone like me on socials is actually going through the same problems,” he says. “Now, people reach out to me once or twice a day just to let me know that they really appreciate these posts.” On a personal note, Colin tells me that one of his biggest bugbears in the property finance space is a lack of authenticity. “People smile at you and nod, and then you never hear from them ever again. It’s very transactional, and all the relationships we have here are friends first and then work. That’s why I post every day, I want to make the sector a better place to be—a lot of people laugh and it’s like a wider friendship on LinkedIn,” he shares.

CHARLOTTE GIDDENS

“I wouldn’t have got the hands-on experience that I’ve already had. Other companies probably would have waited a bit longer before they got me out on site with senior members and meeting clients,” she states. Instead, Phoebe shares that Colin encourages the team to view each property individually, rather than working off a template.

Naturally, it’s not been an easy ride. “The workload is high but the support is there, and they know that you can achieve it, which is always lovely,” she explains. “Colin will always send us a message saying, ‘You’ve done great work today’, and that support is beneficial.”

MEETING THE CREW

After hearing all about Project & Co’s commendable mission to put personality into a pressurised industry, it was time to meet the team carrying this slogan on their backs.

Beth Brace, the firm’s valuation panel manager, has been working with Colin since 2021 and was initially attracted by its start-up potential. Working behind the scenes, Beth began as an account manager and is now responsible for managing communication between the firm and its clients.

To her, the company’s fabled slogan means “combining professionalism and understanding the importance and the speed of the situation”. She sees empathy as crucial and believes talking about topics outside the profession leaves a lasting impression. On her must-achieve list this year is “building relationships with both new and existing clients”. She hopes to watch the company grow to the point that it becomes the clients’ go-to surveyor.

More recently, Phoebe Lawrence joined the firm with fresh eyes and an insatiable hunger to get stuck in complex cases. Although just a couple of weeks into her position, she has already assisted senior staff members on valuations and met clients, a form of trust which she says is seldom found elsewhere.

SOULFUL SURVEYORS William Bell, the firm’s principal valuer, left his corporate job last year and, when looking to return to the market, came across Project & Co and instantly felt it was a “breath of fresh air”. “Colin is quite young, whereas in the industry with senior partners, it’s a man and boy relationship,” he shares. William reviews the firm’s quality checks, ensuring that its reports are accurate and justified.

“Understanding the client’s requirements and actually reading through the letter of instruction, not just assuming they always want specific value but rather they want more detail, are very important,” he explains.

He says surveyors are notoriously thought to be “soulless”, explaining that they are not expected to interact with clients.

However, this is a barrier that William is keen to break down. “Clients want to be engaged with and, because we are human beings, we want to help the clients out. I think a better understanding of what they require sometimes just means picking up the phone to chat,” he believes.

For this reason, no day looks the same and settling into a

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they’re willing to put together the best team around them to make everyone grow together.”

STARS ALIGN Connections form from many sources. For some, like James Buck, head of valuation, there is a significant back story. “I’ve had history with Colin because we go way back, having been at the same university, studying the same course,” says James. He says that they both worked at the same private landlord firm and, eventually, parted ways to start their own journeys. “He’s always been on my radar and we’ve always been close, so I always knew the stars would align,” he says.

James admires Colin’s ambition and says that joining the firm was ultimately “the right step to take”. He says that the company’s youthfulness has meant that the team offers a “unique” blend of expertise. “There are not many valuation subject matters that we don’t understand because we’ve all come from different backgrounds. It’s almost unanimous, we can do most things, which is quite nice,” he adds.

This sentiment is shared by senior surveyor Sammy Huberman, who joined the firm when he felt he was finally “ready for change”.

“The companies I’ve worked for have been very established, whereas this is something that’s growing. To be a part of that, I personally find a lot more exciting,” he says.

JAMES BUCK

mundane routine is far from senior valuer Charlotte Gidden’s experience, since she joined Project & Co in August. “In my previous role, I was based in the office all day and did not get out there. Now, it’s been a massive change because every day is different. I can be in front of brokers and lenders, out for meetings and pitching, and then, the next day, it could just be a quiet day at home, getting on with the work,” she shares.

For this reason, Charlotte was attracted to join Project & Co; she notes that team members are often encouraged to go out and form their own connections. “That’s quite unusual because I remember trying to do that before, and some of the lenders I would call up and ask to meet for a tea or coffee to make those connections

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

Sure enough, it is not all smooth sailing for these optimistic surveyors. After delving into their roles further, a common theme becomes prevalent. “Particularly now, when the market is more uncertain, people have an unrealistic view of what values could be worth,” says Charlotte.

She explains that managing expectations has been a recent challenge and that, despite trying to help as many people as possible, it comes down to pure facts. “Communication is key from the start and to just be honest and say, ‘I don’t think that that’s a realistic value we can get to,’” she says.

As for dealing with down valuations, this is no different, notes Colin. “If it’s not going to work, we don’t take instruction and, if we do and we find out it’s not going to work, we manage the expectations and we talk it through with them to see if there’s anything we’re missing,” he says. “What lenders forget is that an

“The common perception is that surveyors have no personality, and it stems back to why surveyors are unaccountable. . . I wanted to change that” would find it atypical,” she recalls Her move comes off the back of her return from maternity leave, which she describes as a “big life change”. “I was just ready for a new challenge, and I’d heard that Project is very innovative and, excitingly, younger, which meant lots of growth. I’d heard about Colin on LinkedIn. When the opportunity came up, I wasn’t looking to jump ship straight away, but, having spoken with Colin, I was just instantly attracted to his vibe and the way he’s running the business,” she shares.

When questioned on whether Colin’s reputation influenced her decision to join the firm, she replies: “When I spoke to him, I was so impressed with his warmth. He’s very genuine, and there was a natural realisation that this person wants you to succeedand Bridging & Commercial

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applicant’s perception of that lender is going to be pretty much based on the valuation initially. So, we try to act as almost as an additional weapon in the lender’s arsenal.”

“We’re trying to make a firm that people want to work with and, ultimately, want to be a part of” PHOEBE LAWRENCE

For James, HMOs have become almost popular, with lenders and brokers increasingly looking to invest in them. “I feel like that’s that never used to be a thing and now, all of a sudden, everyone wants an HMO valuation,” he argues.

He says that, because of their nature, these properties can appear difficult to handle. “Trying to educate the applicants and the brokers about how these assets work, both short-term and longterm, and trying to explain the yield returns is quite challenging because these do depend on many things,” he argues.

Yet Sammy has gained a reputation at the firm for taking them on. “I’ve attracted that label for my sins, but I think it’s such a big, growing sector. I believe finding your niche in something that’s growing is a lot better than finding your niche in something that’s dying,” he asserts.

Ultimately, he says, it comes down to “trusting your gut feelings”.

WILLIAM BELL

templates. “We’re always learning, especially with AI on the rise—it’s an interesting place to be at the moment. But we’re always looking to get better and we’re not going to rest on our heels,” he shares. “We want to keep helping clients. We’re not here to hinder.”

For Colin, this year’s Power List and Bridging & Commercial Best Surveyor award have set his expectations high for the coming year.

“I think people forget that we haven’t been around that long.

We’ve only been about 18 months—it really showed that doing things like this does work and you don’t have to conform to get your name out there,” he says.

“I’d love to pick it up again next year and show firms out there that anything’s possible. That’s a big part of this for me—it’s just trying to make a bit of a difference.”

AI AND AWARDS On the horizon, the surveying team are working closely with lenders to continue improving their services. William hints that he’s looking at developing a lender’s valuation templates to tailor the information to their needs, rather than feeding off generic AI

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OPINION

A collaborative approach by AIL Property brings global buyers to developers before their schemes hit the market, linking international partnerships, UK agencies and direct investors.

It is led by Mark Hutchings, head of international partnerships; Alex Thomas, head of UK Partnerships; and Arik Agamian, global investment director,, who explain how the parts work together

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OPINION

BUILDING INTERNATIONAL MOMENTUM A connected model that combines UK and international roles creates interest in developers’ schemes before they reach the market

Words by MARK HUTCHINGS Head of international partnerships at AIL Property three-channel model encourages

INTEGRATING SALES AGENTS WITH THE PIPELINE

demand from multiple audiences Developers need a simultaneously. structured, strategic route to Our track record proves the market that delivers both speed impact of this approach. D e vel and precision. My focus is on o p me n t s l au nc he d through our building international reach. model achieve quicker absorption I oversee our global rates, earlier revenue and stronger partnerships across Dubai, investor engagement. It’s a formula Hong Kong, Singapore and that has driven completions of up to When agents understand the other key investor cities. We 100% pre-launch across major UK vision behind a development, they sell work with established agents Cities. with conviction, so it pays to build with serious buyers in a highly relationships with them A crucial element of this coordinated way. From the moment a scheme is ready for success is trust. Our global agents Words by launch, we align every partner are long-term collaborators who with the developer’s vision, understand the UK market and the ALEX THOMAS pricing and sales strategy. That buyers we attract. Developers know Head of UK partnerships at allows us to build momentum in they’re plugging into an established AIL Property network. international markets before the wider market reacts.

This model gives developers We operate as one team. a seamless pathway to market, While I focus on global combining speed, structure and we ensure all understand a distribution, Alex Thomas, head scalability from day one. It’s about development’s story, strategy and more than sales; it’s about creating a of UK partnerships, manages our positioning before it hits the market. repeatable, trusted process.

UK agency network, ensuring That early alignment is critical. We domestic agents are fully briefed onboard our agents in the same way and engaged. Meanwhile, Arik we would onboard a developer. They Agamian, global investment receive comprehensive briefings, director, and his team manage tailored sales assets, performance direct client relationships with high-networth individuals and When it comes to selling insights and ongoing communication repeat investors. This connected, a development, timing and throughout the campaign. The goal alignment are everything. You can is to make them feel as much a part of have a great product but, without the project as we are. When agents the right domestic distribution understand the vision behind a network, it’s easy for sales to lose development, they sell with conviction. momentum.

What makes our approach My focus is on building unique is how the UK agency strong, trusted relationships with network integrates into our wider sales ecosystem. While Mark builds local and national agents international momentum, and Arik’s across the UK. These aren’t oneoff team engages our investor collaborations but strategic partnerships built on transparency, data and mutual success. From specialist independent agencies in key regio nal markets to wellestablished national firms,

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database, our domestic partners capture local demand from day one. This means multiple channels— international, direct and domestic— are active and working in sync from launch.

Developers need that kind of agility. The sales window can be short, and confidence is key. When we launch a project, our UK agency partners are ready to go immediately, with buyers prequalified and marketing pipelines in motion. That readiness can make the difference between a slow start and a fast, confident take-off.

We’ve seen this model deliver consistent results nationwide. In each case, our UK agents have been instrumental in creating local momentum that feeds into wider awareness.

It’s a circular process; local success builds investor confidence, which attracts more attention internationally.

Education and support are also central to how we work. We spend time with our agents, guiding them through the development’s key features, target demographics and investment rationale. We equip them with data, visuals and insights that allow them to position each scheme effectively.

Combined with strong marketing and active communication, it creates a far more dynamic sales environment.

For developers, the outcome is control and consistency. Whether a sale comes via a UK agent, international partner or direct investor, the result remains and our brand protected.

Our domestic agents are an extension of our sales team. Developers aren’t just getting a UK agent; they’re gaining an integrated network working in step with our global and direct teams.

Bridging & Commercial

what they want

CONNECTING DEVELOPERS WITH GLOBAL INVESTORS

Every development has a story, and our job is to make sure that story reaches the right investors, in the right way, at the right time.

As Global investment director at AIL Property, I oversee our relationships with direct clients.

These are investors who want to deal with us one to one, highnet-worth individuals and proven investors who value a personal service and deep market insight. They’re experienced buyers who know what they’re looking for.

Over the years, we’ve built an extensive network of active investors, both in the UK and overseas. This database isn’t just names and numbers—it’s a dynamic ecosystem of clients segmented by investment goals, location and budget. When we bring a new development to market, we already know which investors it will appeal to and can connect instantly.

That early engagement means developers benefit from traction before the public launch. We often see reservations coming in during the pre-launch phase, driven by clients who’ve bought from us before or who trust our recommendations.

Developers have access to real, qualified buyers.

Our sales approach is advisory.

We take the time to understand each investor’s objectives—whether they’re focused on long-term yield, capital growth or portfolio diversification— and match them with the right development.

While Mark Hutchings, head of international partnerships, and Alex Thomas, head of UK Partnerships, drive reach through networks of agents, my team brings

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Developers about to market a scheme can benefit from an instant connection with direct clients—often high-networth, experienced buyers who know

Words by ARIK AGAMIAN Global investment director at AIL Property the personal, relationship-driven element. Together, we form a complete ecosystem: local agents build traction, international partners extend reach, and direct investors provide early validation.

Developers gain access to a global buyer base that’s primed for UK opportunities. We effectively bring the market to them.

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ailproperty.com info@ailproperty.com +44 161 884 5576

99 Nov/Dec 2025

OPINION

Children are naturally curious about homes, but are not taught the basics of where or how people live. So, I decided education was needed, starting with an early-years book Words by JAZ DHALIWAL Residential property solicitor at Taylor Rose NW

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he idea to create a children’s book about property came from a very personal place—my own kitchen table. It started with one of those everyday conversations with my kids that suddenly makes you stop and think.

One afternoon, they came home from school and told me that everyone lived in a house like ours. I smiled at first, but then it hit me that they genuinely thought that. It wasn’t arrogance or naivety, just a simple lack of awareness. No one had ever explained that people live in all sorts of homes—flats, bungalows, caravans—and that “home” looks different for everyone.

As a parent, I find it odd that schools teach everything from algebra to the life of a polar bear but not a word about housing. Children are naturally curious. They notice things: the colour of doors, the size of buildings, the shapes of roofs. They ask questions about why some houses have chimneys and others don’t. But there’s no place in the school curriculum that encourages that curiosity or helps them understand the basics of where and how people live.

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IGNORANCE PERSISTS And honestly, it’s not just children. As a conveyancing solicitor, I often have adults asking me basic questions such as: “What is the difference between a terraced and a semi-detached house?” If grown-ups are still unsure about these things, how can we expect the next generation to grow up confident about one of the biggest decisions they’ll ever make: buying their first home?

That was the seed of the idea. I wanted to create something that would spark curiosity, invite discussion and make learning about property accessible and fun.

It shouldn’t be left solely to parents to explain such an important topic; it should be a shared effort between families, communities and schools.

When I started looking for resources to help my own children understand property, there were countless children’s books about professions. You can learn how to be a doctor, an astronaut or a chef but there was nothing that explained something so everyday and universal: where people live.

So I decided to write it myself.

We can’t expect children to grow up financially literate and property savvy if we never start the conversation” CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS The process of the book began at home, during our daily walks. I started using those moments as opportunities to teach, pointing out different styles of housing, asking questions like, “What do you notice about that building?” or “Why do you think some homes are taller than others?” I jotted down the questions my children asked and the conversations that followed. Those genuine, unfiltered moments became the foundation of the book.

I wanted the book to feel relatable and authentic. Every question and scenario was inspired by real moments of curiosity from my children. I designed the book specifically for children aged 5–8 years (aimed at years 1–3 in the UK).

To make it engaging, I incorporated a “Can you spot…” feature throughout the book. This interactive element encourages children to look carefully at illustrations, identify details and think critically about what they see. For example, they might be asked to spot which building has a flat roof or which one is a bungalow.

The book is now available in mainstream bookshops and was recently launched at the Roald Dahl Museum and the British Library. I am immensely proud of this; knowing that families and schools across the country can now access a tool that didn’t exist before feels incredibly rewarding.

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By learning about property, children also gain a sense of inclusion and awareness. They begin to appreciate that not everyone’s home looks the same, and that there are many ways to live. This understanding can nurture empathy, reduce stigma and open up conversations about community diversity and accessibility.

Ultimately, my hope is to spark a generational shift in how we talk about property. I want children to see homes not just as buildings but as part of the story of who we are and how we live together.

I want them to grow up understanding that the concept of “home” comes in many forms and that every type of housing has its own purpose and value.

In the longer term, I hope the book and the accompanying curriculum will help demystify property education. We can’t expect children to grow up financially literate and property savvy if we never start the conversation. At the end of the day, we all want our children to have the opportunity to buy a home someday, but that starts with them actually understanding what homes are in the first place.

Too many people reach adulthood without knowing the basics, and it makes those big life choices—renting, buying or even just saving—so much harder. If we can start that learning early, we can change that story.

By introducing these concepts early, children will have a stronger foundation for understanding property as they grow up, whether they pursue a career in architecture or simply want to make informed choices about where they live.

More than anything, I want this project to encourage curiosity.

I want children to look around their neighbourhoods with new eyes, to ask questions, to imagine possibilities. And I want teachers and parents to feel equipped with a resource that supports those conversations naturally.

What began as a simple attempt to answer my children’s questions has become a mission to make property education accessible, engaging and empowering. I want every child, no matter where they live or what kind of home they have, to feel seen, included and informed.

This is more than a book; it’s the beginning of a conversation that should have started long ago.

CLASSROOM TO COMMUNITY Writing the book was only the beginning. My broader goal has always been to see property education become part of early learning. I am now drafting a curriculum framework that schools can consider adopting. This aims to introduce property as a topic in the classroom, not to teach complex concepts like mortgages or housing policies, but to build foundational awareness.

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105 Nov/Dec 2025

OPINION

Words by LYNSEY HARRELL Chief people officer at Cambridge & Counties Bank

Develop your people, and you’ll build inhouse expertise, retain staff, and have them primed for promotion. Employ and support people with different backgrounds and perspectives, and you’ll boost collaboration, spark innovation and deliver tailored services

rowing our own

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o build a sustainable, customer-centric, high-performing organisation, it is essential to nurture diverse talent and support personal and professional growth.

At Cambridge & Counties Bank (C&CB), diversity and inclusion are lived values; they shape our culture, fuel innovation and help us deliver better outcomes for our colleagues, customers and communities. We are a proud B Corp member and signatory of the Women in Finance Charter, as well as a Disability Confident Committed employer.

INVESTING IN STAFF PAYS OFF C&CB’s ‘grow our own’ strategy is integral to how we develop our talent. Every colleague works with their line manager to create a personal development plan, supporting performance, learning and individual career growth.

In 2024, 22% of our roles were filled internally; in 2025 so far, 30% of our appointments were internal, a testament to the power of investing in our colleagues.

Our learning and development programme spans technical, behavioural, managerial and wellbeing interventions, with colleagues logging over 3,000 hours of training last year.

Through formal and informal learning, cross-functional knowledge sharing, coaching and mentoring, colleagues are empowered to explore new roles, build confidence and unlock their potential.

Bhoomi Vaitha joined C&CB in the summer of 2024 on our internship programme. Through our comprehensive weekly programme, she gained valuable insights into the banking industry and exposure to different stakeholders in functions throughout our business. This experience supported her successful application to a two-year rotational graduate programme, where she continues to develop her skills across the organisation.

CULTURE OF BELONGING Diversity and inclusion are integral. In 2024, 44% of our senior management team and 50% of our board were women. We continue to broaden representation across ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ+ groups.

Our diversity, equity and inclusion dashboard helps us track progress and shape inclusive hiring practices that value skills and potential alongside experience, welcoming talent from a wide range of backgrounds.

We’ve launched initiatives such as our Female Founders programme, which offers networking, mentoring and dedicated support to women SME owners. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we’re working to ensure recruitment and career development are accessible to all.

ESSENTIAL FOR BUSINESS A diverse and inclusive workforce is a business imperative.

We want to continue to foster a workplace where all employees have a voice and feel respected and valued. Different perspectives strengthen collaboration, spark innovation and help us deliver tailored solutions for our customers.

Our high colleague engagement score (80% in 2024) and low attrition rate (8%) reflect the positive environment we’ve created—one where everyone can thrive.

Our colleagues value working with our local community to develop opportunities for individuals outside our business.

Through partnerships with organisations such as Leicester Education Business Company, our colleagues volunteer to mentor young people, helping them explore career options and build confidence for their future.

TARGETS We know there’s more to do. In 2026, we aim to maintain equal representation across all levels of the organisation, expand our talent and graduate programmes and achieve Disability Confident Employer level 2. We’ll also grow our community mentoring and mock interview initiatives.

We’re committed to continually listening to our colleagues and learning from their experience.

By investing in people and fostering an inclusive culture, we’re building a bank that reflects the communities we serve and has a lasting positive impact.

We’re proud to see colleagues progress from entry-level to leadership roles. Dipesh Patel, who joined C&CB in 2019 as a management accountant, is now head of financial reporting.

With support from senior colleagues and participation in our internal management and leadership programme, he actively embraced development opportunities and developed his technical and leadership capabilities.

We also champion non-linear career paths. Peter joined the bank from outside the industry, bringing self-taught expertise in financial risk. Starting as an analyst, Peter deepened his understanding of treasury and now works as a treasury analyst.

These colleagues reflect a culture where growth is encouraged; support is embedded at every level of our business.

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KNOWLEDGE SHARED, KNOWLEDGE GAINED Development finance is a different beast from bridging, and as so much of development finance happens behind the scenes, brokers can be in for a surprise. Masthaven’s Masterclasses aim to combat this and bring people together. After all, the industry would benefit from more collaboration Words by DHUHA AL-ZAIDI Photography by CONNIE BURKE

Left to right: Emmanuel Johnson, Ginny Warby and Claire Newman

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n mid-November, Masthaven Finance launched the first session in its new Masterclass series— quarterly webinars designed to give brokers rare behind-the-scenes insight into key areas of specialist lending, while also spotlighting the people on the front line.

Bridging and Commercial sits down with Masthaven Finance members: members Emmanuel Johnson, head of development finance; Claire Newman, director of bridging and development finance; and Ginny Warby, senior business development manager, to discuss the rationale behind the launch and how Masthaven Finance plans to turn these sessions into a useful space for open and honest conversation across the industry.

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Dhuha Al-Zaidi: What inspired the Masterclass series?

Claire Newman: We’ve always been a relationship-driven lender, and the Masterclasses are really just an extension of that. I think we wanted to get ourselves out there a bit more, and the Masterclasses are a good way of us being able to have some discussions with people.

People who tune into those sessions will find out a bit more about us and see that we’re real people, and gives us a space to have real conversations that go beyond products and criteria.

It just seemed like a good opportunity to do that, particularly on the development side. It’s bringing that a bit more to life and give something that maybe those in the market have not seen. We were keen to show everyone who we are.

We also have guests coming in to share their knowledge. In our last session a surveyor joined us to walk through their process and give brokers a clearer understanding of how those decisions are made.

However, with development finance, it’s completely different.

Valuers can take a bit longer to report back on the valuations, just because of the GDV element. It’s imperative that the valuation is correct. Legals can also take longer because there are more involved searches. Local authority searches have to be done, especially when it’s a ground-up development. That’s down to the local authority so nobody has any control over that.

For me, that’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions.

We often hear: “Valuation is done. So, do you think we’ll be done in two weeks?” And it’s like: “We’d love to be done in two weeks!” If we had it our way, we’d love the whole process to be done in two weeks.

But, certain boxes do need to be ticked.

Some of them can revert back to you in two weeks. Some, to be honest with you, can take seven weeks. So, as you can imagine, that just adds unnecessary time to the process.

It’s about making brokers aware. One big thing I like to do is spell it out from the outset. Depending on the type of deal, I’ll say: “This is how it’s going to go. This is what we’re doing and we’re at this stage.” I think that education process just provides brokers with the comfort that they’re dealing with someone who knows what they’re doing.

And the truth is, once one broker understands the flow, that knowledge tends to ripple out naturally. They speak to their colleagues, they share what they’ve learned, and suddenly the whole office has a clearer sense of how things really work.

So, it ties in with our Masterclasses because it’s things like that that we are putting out there and educating people on how the process works. This is how valuers do things. This is how solicitors do things etc. While, yes, it’s potentially misunderstood now, I’d like to think 12 months from now we’re not really going to have that issue.

Ginny Warby: As Claire said, we have brokers who talk to you on the phone, but they don’t actually see your face. I think, when you get to meet somebody face-to-face, even though it is on a computer screen, it makes everything feel more human and a lot more real because you know who you’re talking to.

CN:Not all of our brokers are based in London so it’s a good to be able to do a Masterclass with lots of people. Wherever they are in the country, whether they’re in an office or they’re working at home, they’ll be able to join in and be included in that conversation as well.

DA: What made you launch it towards the end of the year?

CN: The other thing is there are different reasons for a bridge but,

CN: I guess the market’s challenging at the moment, but there’s

generally, they fit into certain categories. You’re going to see variation depending on the client or the property but it’s generally the same thing. Whereas with development, every single scheme is going to be different, because of things that come up in those searches and in the legal work.

I guess that’s the difference. And maybe that’s something a broker can be aware of. But, until you’re going through the detail and you’ve done a few cases, you might not fully understand all of that. So that’s something that we just want to share in that education.

And we cover case studies because they are all different. You can share some of that with brokers who haven’t been involved in such cases; they can get a feel for what it is.

It’s not just looking at the security and the reason for the bridge and what the exit is. On the dev side, you’ve got to be more involved in things as they go along. A lot of things can happen between completion and exit. And the broker and us as the lender and the customer’s valuer all have to collaborate to get the best result.

I think that’s maybe what some brokers don’t understand because they haven’t had that exposure. So, as EJ said, running these Masterclasses, giving some real-life examples and talking things through is a good way to be able to give that knowledge and share it with everyone.

definitely a sense of optimism. Activity levels, do seem to be picking up. Obviously, it’s unknown what’s going to happen towards the end of this month. There are a lot of changes and things going on but it definitely feels there is a sense of optimism out there and opportunities.

This is particularly evident in the dev space—there’s a lot of activity there. We think our product is quite well placed and not a lot of other lenders offer what we do. It felt like a good opportunity to be able to get that out and actually show everybody what we do and who the people are behind it.

GW:OK, the brokers and the applicants at the other end may not be building November-December time but they do want to know what they can get and put in a plan for when the weather gets better or when they can get a construction team on site to help them move forward.

DA: Do you think the development finance sector is misunderstood by brokers? What do you hope these masterclasses will achie

Emmanuel Johnson: Not by the majority of brokers but I would

say, yes, it is a misunderstood sector. One of the biggest issues I’d say is the timeline. So, for example, with a normal bridging loan, the expectancy is four weeks, realistically, 4–5 weeks if everybody does what they need to do. The valuer, the solicitors, the client and the lender of course. You should really be in and out in 4–5 weeks.

EJ: It also gives brokers the opportunity to ask questions because

they have loads, to be honest. I think sometimes people won’t ask because they don’t want to seem silly. But I think it’s important to just ask because, if you don’t know, that’s how you make errors. That’s how you do the wrong thing. And, yes, errors aren’t good in our business.

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DA: How do you hope these sessions will change the way brokers think about development finance?

GW: Also, it lets brokers know what Masthaven does. In that masterclass, EJ will say: “We do regulated ground-up builds.” They may think, Masthaven Finance just does this, this, or this. So, when they’ve got the whole flavour of what we can do, they get more education as well, like I say, knowing that we do the regulatory stuff and the non-reg stuff.

CN:I hope it’s just, like we said, that education piece. Yes, there are

distinct differences between bridging and development. We’re hoping we can demystify that a little bit and make it seem like, yes, there are a few extra things you need to be aware of and ask questions about.

But, actually, once you understand it, it’s not as complicated as it may appear from the outset. It’s just sharing that knowledge.

EJ:I agree. I think the key thing is we want brokers to just understand there are a few more steps. That’s all it is—a few more steps to get to the end destination. The reality is we all want to reach that same end goal. There are just a few more bits in between to get there. And it’s nothing that should worry anyone. We’ll hold their hands all the way through anyway.

DA: What kind of insights do you think brokers are most hungry for today, and how will you fill that gap?

GW: That’s a good one. I think what EJ just said—some of the

development stuff is quite daunting, especially if you’re doing more than one unit. If you don’t understand it and you just get faced with an enquiry form from your client you can look at that form and just get befuddled with all the information.

So, you’ve got somebody at the other end of the phone who’s really willing to talk you through it, which would be me to start off with, saying let’s go through the form, giving clarity on what we need. It’s somebody at the other end of the phone who is friendly, who will help you and who doesn’t think that if you don’t know everything, it’s a problem but we can work around it, and we can help you get to the end result.

EJ: Brokers are always interested in the why – and for good reason.

For example, a common one with development is: here are my build costs; here’s the day one value; that’s the final value once it’s done.

And I might go back to the BDM or the broker and say: “Well, what’s the square footage of the property?” In the early days, it was, well, “Why are you asking that?” We’re asking because we need to know if it corresponds with the build costs you’ve given us.

Everything’s a calculation. And the more times we can educate and say, “This is why we’re doing this,” the more they can understand our lending process and why we make the decisions we do. If we say yes to something, this is why. If we say no to something, this is why.

GINNY WARBY

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I think in the time I’ve been with the company I’ve seen now brokers will even email in an enquiry saying I don’t think this is one for you because of X, Y, Z but wanted to double check because they’ve learned from conversations we’ve had with them, and have an insight into our mindset and how we look at things. And you’ve got other deals where they’ll tell you 101 reasons why you should do it, based on the insights they have from information we’ve given them on previous enquiries. So the why, for me, from a broker’s perspective, is really important.

CN: As well, there’ll be brokers who just deal with development.

There’ll be brokers who just deal with bridging, just deal with commercial. But you’re also going to have some smaller brokers who get whatever comes across their desk.

Putting on these Masterclasses shows what we can do, and how we can structure things. A broker gets a particular case and they think: “Well, I actually don’t know where this fits or how it fits.” Then maybe these Masterclasses can give a bit more education in how it could be presented to us or to another lender.

One thing Ginny was touching on is regulated development, which is something we do. The other thing—and we were just talking about this before we came in here as it’s an enquiry that we’ve got—is where somebody wants to build in their garden. And we’re structuring that as a bridging loan but giving the money to develop a property in the garden.

So that might be something a broker may get and go: “Oh, actually, I don’t really know how I do that because it’s all on one title. Is it a development loan or is it a bridge, or how can we do it?”

So, I guess it’s just showing those case studies and giving brokers information so if they get a case, they go, “Oh, OK, this is maybe how I could look at it, or this way,” or pick up the phone and speak to us.

They are just a bit more aware of the possibilities.

DA: Following up on that, do you see brokers consistently asking for a certain type of product? If so, are you guys working internally to develop those products?

CN: One of the benefits of us being a smaller lender is that we can be flexible. So, while we may not have a set product to fit to everything, if we get a case that comes across our desk we may say “Actually, yes, we like that. Let’s try and make it work”.

If we see enough of certain things, then we may look to develop a standalone product. But it is good that we’ve got that flexibility to be able to shape a deal and make it work. There are loans where we will do a second charge for a heavy renovation. And there may be some that you could look at and go: “Oh, that’s veering into more of a development case rather than a renovation but lets see how best we can structure it to make it work.”

EMMANUEL JOHNSON

It’s a borrower profile we’re comfortable with. it’s a location that we like. The deal is one we want to do. So, yes, let’s do it on a second charge basis. It’s having that ability to look at it and not necessarily sit with set product brackets, even though we have to have them. It’s looking at that deal and seeing how can we make it work.

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CN: As well, it’s taking a step back from Masthaven Finance just as

GW: If it makes sense, then you would be daft just to say: “No, we

a company. The whole industry is relationship driven. And I think that there are a lot of people who’ve been around for probably more years than we’d care to mention. But more people keep joining the industry. And it’s all about those relationships and just building them.

There’s a lot of business to go around. And there are lenders who’ve got their own particular niche.

Building those relationships with partners and also among other lenders and passing information knowledge to and mentoring the younger generation coming in are really important. The

can’t do it.”

DA: How important is mentoring and knowledge sharing in the industry right now?

GW: Well, my mantra is every day is a school day. You can be in

this industry for many, many years, like us around this table. There’s always something that you don’t know, and you’re never going to get the answer unless you ask. So, the fact that we will ask questions, I think, means we are all approachable.

A lot of our brokers will phone up and just ask what they think is a silly question. But, as I think you said, no question is silly. If you don’t know it, you’ve got to ask the question. And if it can get you from A to B and get a deal done, then you should always be picking up the phone, having a conversation, learning new things.

way the industry changes and improves and move forwards and everything—I’ve definitely seen that in my time and it is something that definitely should continue.

DA: As we see more lenders raise awareness around broker education, what will Masthaven do differently to support brokers?

EJ: I agree. Knowledge sharing is huge, not only from lender to

broker, but also lender to solicitor and lender to valuer. The ability to, as Ginny said, pick up the phone and ask. We do it a lot. We’ll see something. And we’ll pick up the phone and speak to a valuer who we work well with and just say, “Can you have a look at this? Just give us a sense check.” Because one thing we don’t like to see is clients parting with money for no reason.

If we can do a sense check, have a look at it and think, actually, that’s not really going to work out, we’ll let you know. The important thing is having those relationships and people you can contact and say: “Have a look at this for me.” We do it with our solicitors as well, “Well, how do you think we should do this? Or how can we structure this? Or what challenges do you think we’re going to see on this case?” etc, etc.

We then feed that information back to the broker who will feed it back to their client. So, in a situation like that, you’ve already got knowledge being shared among various parties. Even if it doesn’t proceed, everyone comes out of it knowing more. And they’re better equipped for the next enquiry or the next deal that they might want to do.

I’ve learnt a lot from Claire being at Masthaven, just general things, and from the solicitors we work with as well. I thought I’d seen it all with solicitors I’d previously worked with. But I’ve learnt a lot more like: “Oh, wow, you can do it this way, you can do it that way.”

That’s how it works. So knowledge sharing is massive.

I even have some of the BDMs, when I say no to a deal, who will educate me and say: “No, no, it should be done this way.”

Sometimes you’re a bit embarrassed, you’re thinking: “I should have known that.” But it’s good. There’s no shame. When you’re learning, there’s absolutely no shame in it. And it’s massively important.

I don’t think anyone should just hoard knowledge to themselves and see it as “that’s my thing. I’m not telling anyone. That’s my sweet spot.” Share it. People will keep coming back to you if you share it.

And you can also be a conduit to relationships. That’s one of the big things we want with the Masterclass—having various people on it, a valuer, a monitoring surveyor, a solicitor. You go out. You share your knowledge. Yes, it’s a big thing for us, to be fair.

Bridging & Commercial

CN: I think one of the things that we are quite good at and want to

continue is listening to brokers and taking on board feedback. Like I said before, the flexibility of being a smaller company is great and a definite benefit to us. That means we can listen to brokers, take on board what they’re saying and make changes where we can. That’s definitely something we’re going to continue.

We’ve got a pilot launch at the moment for a dual rep. Just this morning, I had an email from a broker giving some feedback on something, saying that other lenders do this or have you thought about doing this? And we’ve gone: “That’s a really good idea. Thanks for sharing that.” We’re able to take it on board. That’s something I definitely want to continue doing.

On the dev space, I’m not sure there are many lenders who are doing that education piece and involving other people as well.

So, as well as a valuer, we’re looking at whether we can bring in a solicitor into one of those sessions as well to share information. That feels like we’re doing something differently to raise that education piece and awareness.

DA: How are you combining your experience to deliver this initiative? What makes you the right team for this?

EJ: Everyone’s got their strengths. For example, Ginny’s strengths

might be my weaknesses. So when Ginny does her bit, no one needs to know what my weaknesses are, to be honest. The same with Claire.

So you’ve got everyone pretty much covering all angles. Obviously, experience in the industry plays a role in it. But we all have different expertise that we bring to the table. And when you just put that together, to be honest, it works seamlessly.

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Humility is a big thing as well, because no one knows it all. As much as I can say, “Well, do you know what, these are my expertise.

I’m the development expert here,” if you’re not someone who’s humble and ready to listen, you’re just going to think: “I know it all.” When someone with slightly less experience than you might say “You’re looking at this wrong” and it’s like: “OK. Yes, you’ve got a point, actually.” Whereas if you’re someone who doesn’t really want to work with anybody else, you’re just going to put your foot down and say: “I’m in charge here. That’s rubbish. What you’re saying is incorrect.”

So, everyone bringing everything they’ve got to the table, everyone being humble, everyone being available to listen and being open to just continue to learn, to be honest, are key ingredients and probably differentiate us a lot from other lenders, I would say.

CN: I echo that. The whole team piece. It’s not one or two main people who are driving it—it’s all of us together. There are a lot of us and we have different experiences. We’ve obviously worked together at Masthaven for a long time. But we didn’t work together beforehand.

So, we’re combining that length of relationship but bringing in new things as well.

We’re drawing from our experiences when we started out with Masthaven originally many years ago but we are also bringing in that external input and expertise and moving things forward as a team. Also, something I think makes us quite different from other lenders is that our team of people who are looking at those cases upfront are the same people who are then working on them then signing them off.

So, you’ve got that deliverability. Brokers can trust that if one of us says, “Yes, that’s a case we can do,” then we can do it. Unless something completely untoward comes out of the woodwork, we can do it as we said we would. And I think it’s that whole team, that trust, that deliverability, that makes us quite strong.

DA: In an industry that can be seen as quite transactional, how do you keep empathy and understanding at the heart of what you do?

CN: I think this is something that we do without thinking.

GW: Yes. I don’t think it’s a conscious decision.

CN: Yes, certainly on the dev side, where you’ve got a lot more contact with a borrower. We’re seeing that real person at the end of it and have that in the forefront of our mind the whole way through. We’re a people business, and the relationships that extend to the borrowers as well. We’re making sure we’re delivering the right outcome for them and we’re working transparently and fairly for them. It’s something that just happens naturally through all of us, I think.

CLAIRE NEWMAN

EJ: I agree. And I think one thing in our industry that’s big is treating

customers fairly. It’s not a cliche. If you are treating someone fairly, that empathy is going to be there. We’re dealing with normal people, everyday people.

The fact we’re not undertaking developments or taking out bridging loans ourselves doesn’t mean we can’t be empathetic to people’s situations and understand these are your challenges. We listen to what they’re saying as well. We’re big on getting on the phone, speaking to people, hearing their voice and understanding what their situation is.

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When you really get down to the detail of being able to say, “Actually, do you know what, this is one we can’t do. However, soand-so might be able to do this, contact them,” that, for me, is a big thing. From my perspective, and I think we look at this a lot, is, well, if we can’t do it, what’s the issue? It’s not one for us for whatever reason. But if we know someone else can do something similar, then just be free to share.

For me, that is probably the biggest thing that I see in our industry. And it’s something where I think everyone can just come together, work together and make that change. Everyone’s got their own speciality. For example, we deal with regulated lending and development. And you’ve got lenders that don’t deal with regulated development deals. But you will find there are lenders that know we do it but will never mention it.

Commercial development is not where we are today. We could be there in a few years, but it’s not where we are today. But so-andso, they do that. So, I think that helps. What I’ve found in the years gone by is where you do that, people just want to deal with you more. They love the honesty.

They understand you’re not just looking at them as a number.

You’re not looking at them as: “Well, how can I make money?” You’re actually listening to them. From a broker’s and a client’s perspective, it’s: “You’ve actually listened to me. You’ve understood my need. Yes, you can’t help me. But you’ve been really helpful.” And I find those people always come back to you, whether it’s to introduce someone else to you or for something that you can actually help them with. You build that relationship. And you keep them going through the years.

Sometimes, you can take it to different companies you work for because they want to deal with you. They like that honesty. They like the transparency. And I think that’s something the industry should be more open to. I know there are lenders out there that do it. It’s something we certainly encourage and something we certainly do.

But it’d be nice if more lenders were on that page.

It can be very different from black and white, or it can add some colour and flavour to the black and white. And I just think when your ears are open and you’re happy to listen and understand, you are going to be empathetic. We are driven to have the right outcomes for client, for the business, for all our key stakeholders. I think, a lot of times, you’re even more driven when you actually listen and hear people out. You understand, this is what you’re trying to achieve.

Lending is not just about how much profit can a lender make.

Generally speaking, lenders do want to help.. We want the right outcome for you. Naturally, a lender wants the right outcome for themselves as well. But, yes, the customer outcome is an important factor.

CN: A lot of lenders don’t really talk about what happens after the loan

is completed. It’s all about the upfront; you’ve completed this scheme for however much. But the way our business works, the transition and handover to the servicing team are really strong. And on any loan that we complete, there’ll be a bit of a handover to say this is the detail of the case. So the people who work in the servicing team know that case and know what’s going on.

And if there’s any kind of nuance or anything that needs to be picked up, they’re aware of that and they’re in contact with the borrower throughout the loan to see how things are going and actually deal with it in the right way.

I know EJ worked on a development case a few months ago and things weren’t working well. It was a case that we could have gone: “No, let’s just pull the plug. We’re not going to stick with this.”

But, EJ’s view was “well no, let’s try and work with this client. Let’s try and help,” and he worked with them and supported them to hopefully lead to a positive outcome. And that’s just one example.

But it’s looking at the whole piece and keeping that borrower and what works best from all sides in mind. And, yes, making sure that we’re thinking about that real person at the end of the day.

GW: I agree wholeheartedly. And I think where we are so good is that clarity from day one. So, I’ll get the deal in. I will write it up, and I’ll send it over to the team to look at. And EJ will do all his little bits of research. And, once it’s agreed and we get the terms, we will tell thebroker what we need and what conditions we need to be met for us to get to a successful completion.

So they know, from day one, that “if I can meet all of this, there shouldn’t be any reason why I can’t get to completion”. We don’t just churn the terms out and go: “Hopefully, we’ll get this done.” And that is what a lot of my brokers love. The fact that it’s been looked at.

And, yes, day one, I need to meet all of these conditions. And then we should get that completion.

DA: What’s one area where you think the lending industry is still behind? And what can be done to move it forward?

GW: EJ, do you want to take that?

EJ: I think collaboration is a big thing. Sharing information.

Claire said it earlier: it’s a huge industry. There is more than enough business forall. There are so many people, so many clients out there who need help. More collaboration is needed.

A perfect example can be the client’s gone to a lender and the lender hasn’t been able to help: “OK, do you know what, let me go and see if another lender can help me.” “All right, fine.” “Can I have the valuation report?” “No, we’re not giving it to you.” I think this is where lenders can work a lot better together. It should be a case of: “We can’t help you. But let’s see if somebody else can.”

At the end of the day, we’re all going to read the same thing.

It’s in black and white. So, irrespective of what reason the client may give for a case not proceeding with someone else, we’ll read that report and we’ll draw our own conclusions. And it might be we come to the same conclusion as the previous lender. I just think the collaboration is a huge thing, the sharing of information. We’ve got certain databases where we can share information.

Bridging & Commercial

EJ: I think if there was more collaboration between lenders, you would

have less risk in the industry. That really is the truth. If I could pick up the phone and say to another lender: “Oh, do you know what, I’ve got this in. Why didn’t you proceed with this?” and be able to get the truth, you probably have less risk, to be honest.

And, vice versa, if a lender could pick up the phone and say: “Actually, this is addressed to yourselves. Do you mind just saying why you didn’t go ahead with it?” Sometimes it could be basic things but sometimes it could be something untoward, where information is being withheld. You proceed with that deal because that information is never brought to light and it becomes a risk at some point during the lending process. So, yes, I think for all the lenders out there, let’s collaborate, and let’s take fewer risks.

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DA: What excites you most about this new era of lending?

CN: I think for me, it’s the relationship piece. We enjoy our jobs, we

work hard but it’s about getting that out there and putting ourselves across as real people. As we’ve said before, if we make a mistake or we don’t know something, we’re very open to admitting to that and looking at ways we can improve. We want to get ourselves across as real people to everybody and get those conversations going.

GW: I love doing what I do. I meet so many lovely people. And I enjoy

dealing with my brokers. It’s so exciting to be with Masthaven now because we started way, way back when. And now it’s just going to grow and grow—it’s just going to be amazing. And it’s such a great place to work. So, I’m very excited about the future.

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Financing the Future of property Fast, flexible bridging finance, backed by 20+ years of expertise.

We offer tailored short-term lending solutions with the speed, certainty, and personal service your clients need to succeed. Speak to the West One team today!

E | hello@westoneloans.co.uk

T | 0333 123 4556

W | www.westoneloans.co.uk

West One is a trading name of the underlying firms, which are registered in England and Wales and have their registered office address at The Edward Hyde Building, 38 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JW. West One Loan Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 510024); its company registration number is 05385677. West One Secured Loans Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 776026); its company registration number is 09425230. West One Development Finance Ltd. is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority; its company registration number is 11242570. West One Commercial Mortgages Ltd. is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority; its company registration number is 16476112.

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Non-regulated Bridging Finance Features

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For Intermediaries Only Masthaven Finance is a trading name of Masthaven Finance Group Ltd (14088677), Masthaven Finance Ltd (03709012), SF11 Ltd (07731478), SF13 Ltd (08273729), SF22 Ltd (14588596), SF24 Ltd (15589627), MF25 Ltd (16461792) and Masthaven Finance M1 Ltd (14111987) all of which are registered in England and whose registered office is Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DJ. 121 Masthaven Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 300606.

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2,545 registrations

26% rise in attendance year-on-year

80 exhibitors Bridging && Commercial Bridging Commercial Bridging & Commercial

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THE SHOW WHERE DEALS ARE MADE This year’s Finance Professional Show on 21st November at Olympia London was the largest to date, with exhibition stands selling out months in advance and five conference theatres filled to capacity. Attendees enjoyed a live podcast booth hosted from TAB’s award-winning Stand of the Year, while Octane Capital’s vibrant centre core became the hub for serious deal-making—earning them the award for Best Team Effort.

Scan the QR code to catch up on coverage from the expert panellists, spanning everything from commercial finance to BTL.

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HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY AVAMORE CAPITAL! Avamore Capital marked a major milestone as it celebrated its 10th anniversary with an internal event bringing together colleagues from across the business.

Founded in 2015, Avamore has grown from a small start-up with a bold vision to transform the specialist lending landscape into a trusted and established lender, supporting developers and brokers nationwide across bridging, refurbishment, and development finance.

The evening was both a celebration of the company’s achievements and an opportunity to recognise the people who have shaped its journey. Team members enjoyed an evening of conversation and reflection, with speeches from founder Michael Dean and managing directors Gregory Tarn and Jacob Bouet Andersen. They shared insights on Avamore’s growth story, the challenges and successes along the way, and their vision for the next decade, focused on continued innovation, expansion, and service excellence.

Avamore’s success over the past decade has been driven by an exceptional team, talented and passionate individuals who share the company’s values and commitment to doing things differently. Looking ahead, Avamore continues to grow its team and enhance its offering, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the specialist finance market.

The company expressed its gratitude to everyone who has been part of its journey so far, as it looks forward to shaping the next decade of growth and innovation in specialist lending.

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BACKSTORY

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RAZVANA KHAN save time, build trust and earn respect.

n October, Razvana Khan quit the broker side to join Hampshire Trust Bank as a BDM in its London bridging team. She talks about the implications of clients getting creative, understanding both sides, and how saying ‘no’ can build trust

What’s the dream goal you want to achieve in the first six months?

I love a challenge, something to strive for. In my eyes, it should never be an easy feat. I’d like to build a strong presence in bridging and be someone brokers turn to because they know I’ll get things moving.

There are some amazing BDMs out there but, in time, I’m determined to be recognised as among the best in specialist lending.

What excites you most about joining HTB’s bridging team?

Having worked as a broker and now as a lender, how do you think your dual perspective helps?

The support I’ve had from within the industry has been incredible. I’m so grateful to be working alongside some absolute powerhouses, people I respect, admire and call my friends. My role is simply to help them win, and that’s the best job in the world, right? It’s an exciting time to join HTB, with positive change taking shape, real potential being realised and the broker’s voice truly being heard.

I understand—it’s as simple as that. The time pressures, the clients, the competition. Having worked on both sides is a huge bonus. I look at deals from a broker’s perspective but can also offer insights on structure, the market and every angle needed to get the deal done. I’ll always treat my brokers the way I’d want to be treated. Knowing you’ve got someone in your corner throughout the process is golden.

What do you think sets HTB apart from other lenders?

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There are so many lenders out there, some here one day and gone the next. Appetite changes, funding lines get pulled—I’ve seen it first-hand. In today’s market, having the security of a bank with its own funding line, offering a joined-up approach across land, development, bridging and term, and a team that understands complexity and gives direct access to decision-makers are huge. We’re here to support clients and back our brokers.

What are some of the biggest obstacles you’ve seen brokers face—and how can lenders better support them?

As a broker, it’s your client, your deal, your reputation, so of course you want it to go smoothly. But when solicitors, valuers and monitoring surveyors are involved, you’re relying on others. As a lender, it’s vital to work with the broker and third parties to find solutions, communicate tight time frames and complexities, and work together to get the deal done.

You mentioned being drawn to HTB’s “accessible, consistent and pragmatic” approach. How do you plan to bring those qualities to life in your work?

What was one of the most challenging deals you’ve ever worked on—and what did it teach you?

Communication. It sounds simple but being available even before the deal lands on a broker’s desk makes all the difference. Understanding complex bridging structures and being just as quick to say no as to say yes matters.

The power of a clear no, the reasons behind it and a possible solution can

If you could travel to any period in time, what would it be??

Not necessarily a time period—I’ve no idea what I’d do in the 1950s without my Dyson Airwrap. But I’d go back to see 13-year-old me and tell her: “Believe in yourself. The next 20 years will be a ride, but life will be wonderful.” Not having anyone in my corner growing up had its challenges but it made me who I am and it’s why I’m such an advocate for supporting others and mentoring those on a similar journey.

Which app could you not survive for a day without?

I should probably say WhatsApp or Google Maps; I’m terrible with directions. But anyone who knows me will have heard all about PictureThis, an app that helps you keep your plants alive from a single photo. Genius.

What’s one thing that always makes you laugh?

I have to say my fiancé don’t I?

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It took seven months—a capital stack that would impress even the most jaded broker and added years to my life, haha. It was a nine-bed, ground-up, eco home build with senior, mezz and gifted equity. There were highs with the initial appraisal and credit approval and lows when the mezz lender pulled out mid-deal and we had to restructure. It taught me that it’s not done till it’s done. You need to stay agile, always have a plan B and C, and value lenders who work as part of your team, especially when things go pear-shaped.

What bridging trends or opportunities do you think we should be paying more attention to now?

Clients are getting creative, adding value to existing assets rather than going for ground-up builds. There’s more focus on commercial to resi, resi to HMO, planning gains and capital raises for buy-and-renovate projects. Supporting clients to purchase, fund works and term out gives investors and developers real security at every stage. Having a trusted lending partner by their side makes that journey smoother.

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