The Team Behind Every Successful Bridging Deal

There is a tendency in our industry to talk about products first and relationships second. I have always taken the opposite view.

At Signature Property Finance, headquartered in Cardiff, we are a principal lender providing non-regulated bridging and development funding. In simple terms, non-regulated bridging is where somebody is borrowing to make a profit. It is typically used by property investors, landlords and developers rather than homeowners borrowing against their main residence. That distinction matters, but what matters more to me is how advisers position themselves around it.

I will be leading a panel discussion at the Cornerstone Finance Group Expo in Newport in March which brings that point to life. Rather than standing up and running through terminology, I want advisers to see how a deal actually works from start to finish. We will walk through real case studies, from initial enquiry to drawdown and, crucially, to repayment.

On the panel will be a borrower, a lawyer, a valuer and us as the lender. Each will explain the part they play in the transaction. The aim is straightforward: to show that unregulated bridging is not an isolated product delivered by one firm, but a team effort. From enquiry to completion, and often on to refinance, there is a thread of relationships that runs through the entire process.

Cornerstone is currently supporting its Appointed Representatives to upskill so they can offer non-regulated bridging alongside regulated products. Many of them can already advise on regulated bridging, but they have been asking to broaden their knowledge and qualifications.

The first step is understanding what unregulated bridging is and how it works in practice.

I prefer to keep things practical. People learn more quickly from understanding a real example than from hearing about loan-to-values and gross development values in isolation. So our case studies will consider different scenarios.

In each example, advisers will see not just how the bridging loan is structured, but how the exit is planned. If a borrower is refinancing onto a long-term buy-to-let mortgage, there is a further conversation to be had and, often, further advice to be given. For advisers, that means understanding the full journey rather than focusing on one transaction.

There is also a commercial reality here. Bridging loans typically complete far more quickly than term facilities. Advisers who are used to waiting several months for a mortgage to draw down can find that a bridging case completes within weeks. That creates income sooner. And where a bridging loan is refinanced onto a term facility, there is potential to advise again at that stage. It is about broadening the service to clients and recognising the earning potential that comes with it.

What I often say to advisers is this: a proportion of your existing clients are already using bridging. If they are not using you for it, they are using someone else. Many advisers regularly refinance buy-to-let properties without always asking what happened at the acquisition stage. Some of those purchases will have been funded with short-term finance. The opportunity is already sitting within their client base.

That opportunity exists whether the market is rising or falling. When prices are increasing, investors use bridging to move quickly, refurbish and either sell or refinance. When prices soften, opportunities can arise where sellers need to transact at speed. The premium paid for bridging reflects that certainty and pace. Used properly, it can create a solution that works for both buyer and seller.

None of that works without local expertise. We insist on valuers who understand the market in which they operate. A report is only as good as the knowledge behind it. The same applies to legal advisers and to lenders. The relationship between those professionals underpins the deal and gives advisers confidence that their client is being supported properly.

Signature has never tried to be the biggest or the cheapest. I built the business on service, speed and certainty. Cornerstone shares that relationship-led approach. For Appointed Representatives, offering unregulated bridging is not about stepping into a complex new world on their own. It is about being part of a wider team, with access to valuers, lawyers and lenders who do this day in, day out.

That belief in teamwork is something we talk about a lot. Our brand ambassador, Scott Quinnell, will also be at the Expo. His career as a Welsh rugby international and British Lion is a reminder that individual performance only ever takes you so far. Success comes from the strength of the team around you.

For advisers and introducers, the message is similar. Unregulated bridging is not a departure from what you already do. It is an extension of it. With the right relationships in place, and a clear understanding of the process from enquiry to exit, it becomes another way of supporting clients properly and building longer-term partnerships rather than one-off transactions.

The Expo is set to take place at Newport’s ICC Wales on Thursday March 19 between 10am and 3.30pm and is open to members of the Cornerstone Network and invited guests.  To find out more about the Expo and to enquire about attending email Jonathan Needham at j.needham@cornerstonefinance.co.uk or Philip Emanuel at p.emanuel@cornerstonefinance.co.uk