At the Finance Professional Show in London, a panel of experts discussed how they were supporting short-term projects, from simple cosmetic upgrades to light refurbishments.
Panellists agreed the market was performing strongly, with high transaction volumes and an optimistic outlook for 2026, despite some uncertainty around the upcoming Autumn Budget.
One aspect highlighted was a strong demand from investors who used short-term financing to increase the value of their properties before refinancing.
High transaction volumes despite Budget uncertainty
Jamie Pritchard, director of sales at MS Lending Group, said that while there was “a lot of negativity about the Budget”, investors still wanted to invest in property that added value. He continued that he was already witnessing “massive increases in volume”, with over 70 refurbishment deals completed by his company in the last month alone.
Erbil Erbil, senior BDM at Bridge Invest, agreed that the market was growing fast. He compared the situation to five or six years ago, when he believed the market had already reached saturation point for lenders, specialised advisers and advisers.
“But today there are fantastic signs that the market is continuing to absorb this growth, although the opportunity won’t be there forever,” Erbil added.
For the foreseeable future, bridging finance can be a practical step to achieving acquisition and exit, said Mike Underwood, relationship director at Black & White Bridging.
“Bridging is very much a means to an end and it’s more affordable than ever,” he added.
The vital role of packagers
Georgie Martin, head of operations at Envelop, explained how packagers could improve access to the market, especially to inexperienced clients.
The panellists universally shared the view that conducting careful due diligence was essential to preventing delays and ensuring each deal was successful.
“One of the main things we do is check the Land Registry to make sure we know who owns the property. These properties can change hands, but Land Registry records may not be updated,” she added.
Timing is key
Georgie also emphasised that speed was of the essence, so having those important conversations, packaging each case and getting all the information ready upfront would ensure everything was prepared for the lender.
Unsurprisingly, all the panellists reiterated the importance of delivering services as quickly as possible, adding that this could be a key differentiator due to stiff competition and higher client expectations.
However, the need for in-person meetings were a key limitation however. Diana Lofti, partner and solicitor at Starck Uberoi Solicitors, said that while her firm, like others, aimed to complete turnaround within a few days, lenders could still require in-person meetings, continuing that this was why her starting point was to request a call or an online meeting to accelerate the process.
“However, in most cases, lenders won’t require an in-person meeting,” she added.