Property finance offers rise as lender confidence strengthens

By Milan Rojan

A new study has shown that borrower activity in the UK specialist property finance market has remained resilient despite a slowdown in search volumes, with more enquiries progressing to funding decisions as brokers and borrowers move further through the lending process.

The analysis has revealed that more than $700 million in loan offers have been generated across bridging finance, commercial mortgages and development finance during the second quarter. While overall search activity has softened compared with the previous quarter, demand has continued to translate into higher-quality applications, reflecting greater borrower commitment in a more selective lending environment.

Development finance has remained the largest segment, accounting for approximately $11.5 billion in search value, representing 61% of total searches across the platform. The segment has generated around $319 million in loan offers, while bridging finance has accounted for approximately $349 million and commercial mortgages have contributed around $33 million in offers.

Sabinder Robinson-Sandhu, Head of Growth, said: “This quarter’s numbers have shown real momentum building across the platform, particularly in how quickly brokers and borrowers have moved from search to a Decision in Principle. We have also seen lenders expand into areas they had previously overlooked, with land finance providing the clearest example. In a market where conditions continue to evolve, access to timely, granular data has enabled brokers to make more informed lending recommendations and support clients with greater confidence.”

The study has also found that requests for Decisions in Principle (DIPs) have increased despite weaker search activity. Bridging finance DIP requests have risen by 6%, while commercial mortgage DIPs have climbed by 12%, suggesting that brokers and borrowers have become more focused on progressing viable transactions rather than making exploratory searches.

Another notable trend has emerged in land finance. The number of bridging lenders prepared to finance land with detailed planning permission has increased by 61% since late 2025, reflecting broader lender confidence following planning reforms and growing interest in development opportunities.

The platform has further expanded its lending ecosystem through the addition of HBI Capital, Pallas Capital and Bridge Invest, providing brokers with a wider range of specialist funding options across bridging and development finance.