The most searched-for term in the BTL sector was ‘lending to limited companies’, followed closely by ‘first-time landlords’.

The bridging sector saw 23% of search criteria changes in July, with the top search being once again ‘regulated bridging’.

However, ‘heavy refurbishment’ appeared in bridging broker searches for the first time since February this year, suggesting that larger refurbishment projects are being undertaken.

While the commercial sector saw fewer criteria changes than others, searches for ‘commercial owner occupier’ entered the top five for the first time in three months.

The most popular search in the commercial sector was once again “semi-commercial properties”, showing brokers are continuing to search intently for lenders offering loans for this purpose.

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Nicola Firth, CEO at Knowledge Bank (pictured above) said: “July was another hugely busy month for criteria changes and our dedicated team worked flat out with lenders to keep up with these — it would have been impossible for brokers to stay on top of all the changes.

“The standout sector for change in July was BTL and a raft of product and criteria changes flooded in each day.

“Bridging lenders continue to innovate and it is one of the most fluid sectors in the market — this makes it highly adaptable to political and economic change and brokers need to keep a close eye on updates which are happening daily.

“With reports that completion times are becoming longer and longer, coupled with rates rising, it’s imperative that brokers don’t waste a second on failed applications and know at the outset which lenders will accept their clients by checking criteria conditions prior to a product search."