Deliverability is what brokers remember
The survey talks about reputation, but if you asked me to sum up what that means in one word, I’ d probably say deliverability. Can you actually do what you said you were going to do, not just when everything runs smoothly, but when valuations change or an exit takes longer than anyone originally anticipated?
Property has always had a habit of keeping everyone on their toes, so none of those situations are particularly unusual. The real test is how a lender behaves once they happen and whether they continue working constructively with the broker and borrower.
We spend a lot of time talking to brokers, valuers, solicitors, funders and other lenders, and the same point comes up regularly. People aren’ t really asking who claims to be the fastest anymore- they want to know who will still be communicating openly and helping find a solution when a straightforward deal suddenly becomes much more complicated.
That’ s the point where reputation is really earned. It is built through the decisions a lender makes throughout the life of a transaction, rather than simply how quickly it responds to the initial enquiry.
Trust is demonstrated, not described
One recent transaction brought this home to me. The borrower’ s original introducer had dropped the ball on the exit strategy, leaving the client frustrated and searching for another broker to help refinance the loan.
Rather than simply concentrating on protecting our own position, we worked closely with the borrower and their new broker, giving them the time and support needed to move the refinance forward. Afterwards, that broker recommended us to a much wider network because they had seen first-hand how we dealt with a difficult situation.
Trust can also create speed
People sometimes talk about trust and speed as though they are competing priorities, but I don’ t believe they are. A broker who knows a lender’ s appetite is more likely to present the right case from the outset and understand what information will be needed.
That familiarity removes unnecessary friction. Expectations are clearer and transactions can progress more efficiently because both sides already understand how the other works, so trust itself can become one of the biggest contributors to speed.
The relationship should continue after completion too, particularly where a borrower’ s exit relies on refinancing into the term market. I often remind borrowers that they don’ t have three months before their bridge expires- they have three months to complete a refinance, and those are very different things.
Fast decisions will always have a place in bridging finance, and they should. But once every credible lender is capable of moving quickly, brokers naturally start asking a different question: who do I trust to still be alongside me if the deal becomes more complicated halfway through?
Speed might get a lender onto a broker’ s shortlist, but deliverability is what keeps them there. For brokers choosing where to place their next case, that track record can tell them far more than a promised turnaround time.
To discuss a case with the Inspired Lending team, visit the website.
Recognise Bank Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, registration number 10603119 with its registered office at 4th Floor, 5-11 Worship Street, London, England, EC2A 2BH. Recognise Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our Financial Services Register number is 849404.
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