You never know what is waiting around the corner…




There is no doubt that 2021 was quite a roller coaster ride in the specialist lending market, with it being very difficult to predict what ups and downs were on the horizon.

However, the appetite for bridging loans remains strong and has a bright future ahead.

This is partly due to two reasons: 

  1. investors and developers need short-term loan solutions to capitalise on opportunities
  2. the bridging market is inherently resilient

With more and more bridging lenders establishing themselves within the marketplace, the number of brokers and borrowers considering specialist finance as a leading option continues to grow. However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures, some finance providers have struggled to weather the storm, whereas others have shown their resilience and reacted positively to this unprecedented time. 

The word resilience is defined as facing difficulties head-on instead of falling into unhealthy coping strategies. Throughout the year, there have been various hurdles for bridging lenders to navigate. Nonetheless, Hope Capital was able to bounce back and tackle any challenges which we were presented with. This was achieved owing to the hard work, dedication and commitment of every member of the team..

There are various factors which contribute to being successful, but ultimately it boils down to the people within the business. Our team works collaboratively and shares the same values of the broker and client — and this is at the heart of everything they do. Each employee has excellent industry knowledge and plays a big part in ensuring that every broker and borrower receives a service that is quick, flexible, specialist and transparent. 

Throughout the pandemic, the team have proved that they can cope with stress and unexpected challenges and have even thrived during this period. This has been imperative in ensuring we could continue delivering solutions for brokers and borrowers. 

As a team, we found new ways to work which ensured our offering was not disrupted. It is imperative borrowers can access good bridging lenders that can deliver what they are looking to achieve, within their specific timeframe. While this can at times be tricky, depending on the client’s individual circumstances, technology and product innovation have been key over the past two years to ensure deals can be secured.

Investing in technological innovation is becoming more integral in the bridging finance market, which is why we are always looking to utilise new processes to improve the customer experience going forward. Not only does having efficient services in place help to provide a smooth, seamless experience through ‘normal’ periods of lending, this has been particularly important during the various lockdowns. 

In 2021, we managed to support more clients than ever. However, while the year was a great success for the team, the ability to foster long-term thinking was an invaluable skill. 

What will 2022 have in store? That’s the million-dollar question! However, we will continue to work as a team to think about and plan Hope Capital’s future goals and aims to ensure we move in the right direction. In the words of Frank Sinatra, I feel very confident that the best is yet to come.

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