The Brydg-hosted event examined the impact of the current political climate on real estate values in the short and long term and attracted an audience of family offices and intermediaries.

In addition to Edward, the panel included Daniel Bendavid, managing director at Brydg (second right); Nicolas Guilloteau, CIO at Spice Capital (second left); Sebastian Deckker, director at Savills (centre); and moderator Beth Fisher, editor at Bridging & Commercial (right). 

When asked whether principal lenders were a broker’s go-to choice, Edward explained that it was not the only option it would look at, as that would discount almost the entire market.

“In a tough market, we’ll try to stick with principal lenders, or as close to principal lenders as we can,” he divulged.

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“…We’ve almost gone back to fundamentals on bridging now, where we want certainty, we want speed and the client doesn’t mind spending a little bit more money to remove that transactional risk.”

Nicolas added: “That’s why, as a family office, we’re never the cheapest or lending the highest, but we do get the deals because people know that the money is going to be there.”

Daniel highlighted that there are “a lot of people lending the money of others”.

“So, it’s easier to do a loan when it’s not your money, when you’re only interested in the upside. 

“…I think that there is a lot of leverage and [there are] very aggressive lenders [in] the market.”

He added that he would be interested to see how many had experience in property investment or property lending and had been “in front of a natural problem”. 

“How many of them have done repossession or faced another cycle — in real estate, not in another industry?”

The full video can be watched on the Brydg website.