Put yourself in their shoes – Mehta

We look at a file and see a 70% loan to value (LTV) on a semi-detached in Manchester with a 12-month term. There’s no adverse credit, the current lender needs refinancing and a little bit extra is required to help acquire the next project. It’s clean, logical and it fits all the criteria.

But it is very rarely ever this simple. Factors such as experience as a landlord or a developer, whether it’s a first project or their 50th, and their overall appetite to see through to a successful completion are all critical. And to do this, you must look at an application from every angle, both yours and theirs.

It’s not just a loan

When a property professional comes to you for a bridge, they aren’t just looking for capital; they are often placing their personal solvency and reputation on the line.

These are phenomenally busy people, so when they don’t return a call or an email for 24 hours or more, there is always a good reason for the delay.

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And when you’re chasing a valuation on their behalf for the third time that day, you aren’t just doing admin, you’re managing your client’s workload and, more often than not, their sanity.

As an industry that focuses on speed of delivery, we have to empathise with that ‘ticking clock’ feeling, so we stop being a lender and start being a partner.

Understanding the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’

The best deals are structured when we stop asking ‘what do you need?’ and start asking ‘what keeps you up at night?’.

Maybe they’ve had a bad experience with a lender who pulled out at the 11th hour or may have had a credit problem in the past.

If you step into their shoes, you’ll see that they aren’t being difficult when they take a while to respond, or on the other hand, ask for constant updates – they’re busy and, in some cases, anxious.

Protecting their future self

Putting yourself in their shoes may also mean being the bearer of bad news. Sometimes, a client is so desperate to get a deal over the line that they ignore the risks.

If you were in their position, wouldn’t you want a lender who has the courage to say that the exit timescales are too tight or the proposition requires extra thought?

Empathy in bridging isn’t just about being nice, it’s about having the professional integrity to protect the client.

The human bottom line

At the end of the day, we aren’t just moving money around. We are helping people build homes and premises, grow businesses and achieve their goals.

When you make a conscious effort to feel the weight of their risk and the excitement of their ambition, your approach changes.

Next time a file lands on your desk, take 10 seconds to imagine it’s your name on the application – it’ll change how you manage the next email or phone call.