The session, chaired by Knowledge Bank founder and CEO Nicola Firth, aimed to place broker queries on the spot and covered different lender perspectives on the distinction between commercial and semi-commercial assets, the varying levels of importance placed on applicant experience, and the challenges linked to placing a mortgage amid the current economic climate in the UK.

“In a complex commercial transaction, it’s not just a simple matter of looking at numbers,” Tanya Elmaz, head of intermediary sales at Together remarked on agreeing commercial deals amid ongoing economic turbulence.

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“You need to look at the valuation, the applicant’s experience, and the current and future use of the commercial property.

“The more realistic you are and the more information you can give a lender on day one, the better,” she said.

Nicola chimed in: “That’s the difference between residential and commercial lending.

“There’s a certain degree of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ involved with residential lending, but it’s the complete opposite with commercial cases.”

In addition to Tanya and Nicola, the panel also comprised Emily Hollands, head of specialist finance at OSB Group; John O’Donovan, partner and head of banking and finance at Harold Benjamin; Nick Russell, sales director at TAB; and Jonathan Prince, senior commercial manager at Allica Bank.