The Intermediary – March 2026 - Flipbook - Page 64
BRIDGING
Opinion
A sector built
on resilience
T
he latest BDLA lending
data provides an
encouraging snapshot.
In the final quarter
of 2025, applications
for bridging finance
reached £11.7bn, a 2.6% increase on
the previous quarter. Loan books
remained above £13bn, standing at
£13.4bn, while development lending
also rose during the period.
These figures are particularly
notable given the wider economic
backdrop. The Autumn Budget created
a degree of uncertainty in the property
market during October and November,
yet borrower demand for short-term
finance continued to rise and lenders
remained active.
But while the data provides a strong
indication of current activity, the
more important question is what
it tells us about the direction of the
market over the next few years.
A sector matured
Historically, bridging was oen
associated with urgent transactions or
chain-breaks. While those scenarios
still exist, today’s borrowers are
approaching bridging finance far
more strategically.
Investors are using it to fund
refurbishment projects and property
conversions. Developers are relying
on it to move quickly on acquisition
opportunities. Increasingly, borrowers
are incorporating bridging into
carefully structured funding journeys
– acquiring a property, adding value
and then refinancing.
That evolution has been supported
by a growing understanding among
brokers of how specialist finance
can be used more creatively to solve
complex property challenges.
Brokers are becoming more
confident in the use of bridging, and
borrowers are increasingly aware
of the role it can play in unlocking
opportunities in a market that still
demands speed and flexibility.
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The Intermediary | March 2026
As the market continues to evolve,
and bridging becomes an increasingly
integral part of the property finance
ecosystem, collaboration is only going
to become more important
One area where this is particularly
relevant is fraud prevention. Fraud
remains one of the most significant
risks facing lenders, and specialist
property finance is no exception. As
the market grows and transactions
become more complex, identifying
potential risks earlier in the process
becomes essential.
We’ve launched a sector-first, realtime early warning system – built in
partnership with Synectics Solutions,
the specialists behind the National
SIRA system. Shared intelligence
and collaborative approaches are
essential to protect the integrity of the
market as a whole, and this GDPRcompliant platform allows BDLA
lenders to share alerts securely when
suspicious applications, behaviours,
or anomalies arise.
The aim is to enable lenders to
identify potentially fraudulent
applications at an earlier stage by
sharing insights and intelligence
across the industry in a responsible
and secure way.
Another area that will continue
to shape the future of the sector is
education. It is essential that brokers
and industry professionals have a clear
understanding of how these products
work and how they fit within the
wider specialist finance landscape.
The Certified Practitioner in
Specialist Property Finance (CPSP)
qualification has already helped to
raise knowledge and professionalism
across the sector, and we expect
education to remain a key focus for
the industry.
The BDLA is also working alongside
other associations to promote higher
standards of education, knowledge
and professionalism, and we expect
this collaboration to gather pace in the
coming months.
ADAM TYLER
is CEO at the Bridging &
Development Lenders
Association (BDLA)
Strength for the future
Alongside these initiatives, the
BDLA itself is continuing to evolve
to ensure it can effectively represent
the interests of lenders and the wider
market. Recent appointments reflect
this focus. Vic Jannels has joined the
association as non-executive chair,
bringing extensive experience from
across financial services and trade
body leadership.
We have also welcomed Ray
Cohen as regulatory and compliance
adviser to the board and Jonathan
Newman as legal adviser to the board.
Their expertise will strengthen
the association’s engagement with
regulators, policymakers and industry
stakeholders as the sector develops.
We continue to grow our
membership and invest in the systems
and processes that ensure the BDLA
remains best placed to protect the
interests of lenders and customers, at
the same time as upholding standards
of transparency and professionalism.
Looking ahead
The bridging and development finance
sector remains active, resilient and
well supported by both brokers and
borrowers. However, the next chapter
will not simply be about scale.
It will be about strengthening
standards, encouraging collaboration
and ensuring the sector continues to
operate with the professionalism and
transparency that the market expects.
Bridging has demonstrated its
ability to adapt to changing conditions
over many years. With continued
collaboration across lenders, brokers
and industry bodies, the sector is
well positioned to play an even more
important role in supporting the UK
property market in the years ahead. ●
