Bridging
West One Loans to combine bridging and development finance arms into short-term lending division
West One Loans will bring together its bridging and development finance arms into one short-term lending division.
The firm said the short-term lending division would “offer a more integrated solution to property developers and investors”.
It added that an example of this would be having a more “joined-up view across projects” and making the process of moving between two products more seamless for customers, which would make the customer and broker experience more seamless.
The division will be headed by Tom Cantor, currently head of bridging finance, and Guy Murray, who is head of development finance at the moment. They will have the titles of co-head of short-term lending.
Cantor has been with Enra Specialist Finance for nearly six years, which is the parent firm of West One Loans, and before that was an associate at Baylor Klein for nearly two years. Prior to that, he was working at Royal bank of Scotland for nearly three years.
Murray has worked at West One Loans for around nine years, initially joining as a lending underwriter, and before that was owner and director of Murray International for around 14 years, which was his own firm.
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West One Loans said its bridging and development finance division had achieved over £1bn in completions and had grown its headcount by 14% and 30% respectively.
Murray said: “This move is a game-changer for our short-term lending proposition. By bringing our bridging and development finance teams into one business unit, we’re able to offer a truly integrated solution that’s tailored to the unique needs of individual clients.
“Switching products or lenders halfway through a project can be challenging and time-consuming. With our new combined solution, that’s no longer a concern, as we can take them from start to finish with just a single application.”
Cantor added: “This move is all about making the lives of brokers and their clients easier by providing them with a one-stop-shop solution for their short-term borrowing needs.
“Under the new structure, they can expect faster decisions and more flexibility throughout their project. It’s all about delivering a service that truly understands and supports their ambitions.”
Waters continued: “Our bridging and development finance divisions have consistently exceeded expectations, achieving record completions in 2023 despite a challenging market.
“But while they are performing at a high level individually, we believe combining their expertise into one business unit will enhance our short-term lending proposition even further.
“This merger is about creating greater scale, stronger resilience and more cohesive management – all aimed at delivering an even better service for our customers.”