Catalyst reports record lending of £22m in December

Catalyst’s average day-one loan size also grew by 13 per cent and during the year, the largest loan issued for a single facility came to £8.6m. Average loan terms extended from 11 to 12 months. 

The lender also said its gross lending rose by 2022 with the highest number of loan completions occurring. In 2022, Catalyst committed funding across 216 loan facilities. 

Its borrowers also repaid 197 loans in 2022, which it said was the highest number of repayments in a single year. 

Catalyst: ‘Looking for reasons to lend’

Chris Fairfax (pictured), CEO of Catalyst, said it was proud of the lender as 2022 was “exceptionally challenging” for the market. 

He noted that the lender paused the launch of its buy-to-let proposition but said the fact it was able to grow across its core products made him even prouder. 

Fairfax added: “Catalyst is diversely funded, but we were by no means exempt from fluctuations in funder pricing and risk appetite. We are a responsive lender, built to pivot quickly and adapt our proposition so that we can continue to provide competitive short-term property finance via our broker partners. 

“In 2023, we will continue to push for growth, making sure we’re delivering great solutions for bridging, refurbishment, development, land, and commercial finance. Just as it was when we launched over five years ago, our ethos is ‘We’re here to make sure you never miss a good opportunity’ and we stand by that; we are the lender who looks for reasons to lend and we will support brokers and property professionals who want to grow their businesses as we grow ours.”