It asked brokers which areas of their business had performed best during the first half of the year, 30% of respondents said bridging finance while 29% said commercial loans were behind the growth.

Lancashire Mortgage Corporation said that despite the Funding for Lending Scheme lowering rates in the residential mortgage sector, in the commercial sector brokers were increasingly turning towards specialist lenders in pursuit of finance.

The lender found that 45% of brokers said they would be concentrating more on commercial finance between now and the second half of the year while a similar figure (42%) said they would focus on bridging and short-term loans.

Gary Bailey, sales and marketing director at Lancashire Mortgage Corporation, said: “Many businesses are desperate for capital in order to help them grow – and brokers are responding to this by focusing on the provision of commercial and bridging finance from specialist lenders who have the appetite to lend.

“As businesses look to brokers to assist with sourcing commercial finance, there has been a corresponding increase in the confidence brokers are showing in the sector.

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“When selecting a lending partner, it’s important brokers look for a well-established provider that is able to deliver the fast and flexible service they need in order to offer customers what they are looking for.”