MFS completes £22m lending in December as stamp duty rush continues

The lender said the majority of loans were used to support property investors who were encountering delays from other lenders, mainly mortgage providers.

Others were seeking fast access to finance to take advantage of the Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday due to expire on 31 March.

MFS said the December figures rounded off one of its strongest years after its busiest ever November which saw £45m worth of loans deployed.

The lender also pledged to top-up its £60m Covid-19 recovery fund which it uses to ensure loans can be issued quickly to those at risk of a transaction falling through.

CEO Paresh Raja (pictured) said: “December can sometimes be a quieter month, with transactions winding down over the festive period, but not in 2020.

“With pent up demand created by two lockdowns and the stamp duty holiday running out, we received a significant number of enquiries from those who were facing lengthy delays from, or had been let down by, other lenders.”

Raja added that the business expected to remain very busy in the months ahead.