The new normal for us…
According to the latest Bridging Trends data, bridging loan transactions in Q2 fell to £165.7m, ‘the quietest quarter since Q1 last year’. This represents a 40% drop compared to last quarter’s record months, and more importantly, the data also reports an increase in average completion time from 54 days in Q1 to 58 days in Q2.
Whilst completions have remained steady at Black & White, our turnaround times are shorter, we are turning deals around in an average time of just 28 days – or one calendar month, if you like.
Here is how we can facilitate that:
- Our loan process is straightforward. As soon as we receive an enquiry, it is quickly and efficiently triaged by our Relationship Team, which is experienced specialist lending people. The deal is then discussed with the lending team, who look at it forensically, with our credit committee on standby if there are creases that need ironing out. If we can make the deal work, it will then be put to application. You won’t be waiting long for an answer.
- We do what we say. All our rates, LTVs, criteria, and information are displayed and communicated clearly, they are ‘up to’ not ‘from,’ we don’t move the goalposts at any stage. We offer fair, easy-to-understand, transparent lending products and NEVER deviate from that. It’s easy for borrowers to deal with us, so less time is spent going back and forth between parties, and more time is spent on what is important – getting clients the funds they need, quickly.
- We want to get deals done. Our team is hungry, we have years of experience within specialist finance, we know how to structure deals, we enjoy close relationships with brokers, and we are passionate about helping to complete the wide variety of property projects that land on our desks.
It was a bit of a surprise to read that average completion times have risen recently, particularly as borrowers are still looking to get deals done. Whilst completions might be down across the industry, our enquiries and applications have remained steady, with a slight, but to be expected, lull during the summer holidays.
We keep our finger on the pulse and are aware of some of our competitors experiencing issues with their loan book and finding it tough when renegotiating with funding lines in the new interest rate environment we find ourselves in. We are different, we communicated LTV caps and marginal rate increases in April 2022 and are now able to grow further whilst many in the market are steadying themselves.
I would encourage any brokers who haven’t tried us yet to speak with us to see how we can help them and their clients. We have lots of repeat business which goes to show the strong working relationships we have with brokers, and we want to continue to best serve the intermediary community as much as we can in the coming years.
Get in touch with our team:
enquiries@blackandwhitebridging.co.uk
0117 937 4333