For investors and self-employed borrowers, flexibility is outpacing familiarity – and brokers are taking note
Specialist lending isn’t a fallback. For a growing number of UK borrowers, it’s the first port of call – and for brokers like Michael Lennie
(pictured), it’s the space where momentum meets opportunity.
“Everything that we do is very much in the specialist space. And I [have done] that from the get-go, to be honest, I’ve not really known anything different,” said Lennie, a broker with Go Financial. Since joining the firm just four years ago, they have grown from three people to a team of 15, by focusing on clients whose borrowing needs don’t fit high street moulds.
Bridging, buy-to-let and speed-led portfolios
“Our niche is mainly bridging and limited company buy-to-let. That's probably where 90% of our business is,” Lennie said. The remaining portion includes commercial development, but his core volume sits with property investors looking for speed, not red tape.
That demand is coming from multiple sources. One is a growing group of self-employed professionals and SME owners with surplus capital to deploy. “A lot of people, when they have that kind of excess money there, they look for a clever place to invest it, and a lot of the time that is property,” he said.
Another is a younger generation of investors willing to absorb slightly higher rates for faster completions and more flexible underwriting. “It may be a little bit more expensive on interest rates and stuff like that, but if they are looking to aggressively build a portfolio, it's going to be a lot easier to do that with specialist lenders,” Lennie said.
Expats, too, are an active segment. “I've got a few clients that work in places like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where they go out and they don't pay any income tax, so they're able to save quite well,” he said. Much of this business comes through informal networks, with overseas clients looking to deploy savings in UK property.
Bridging still misunderstood
Despite growing awareness, misconceptions persist – particularly around bridging. “I just happened to mention bridging [to a client] because we obviously do sort of tens of millions every year in bridging. And the way that the gentleman worded it was, is that not just like a legal loan shark?” Lennie said.
In response, he offers clarity: bridging is a short-term tool, typically 12 to 18 months, used for time-sensitive acquisitions or refurbishments. “People are quite frequently almost scared off by bridging because it is that little bit more expensive, but it's so, so useful for people that are aggressively looking to build portfolios,” he said.
Speed and familiarity over one-size-fits-all
The advantage isn’t just in products – it’s in process. Specialist lenders can offer faster decisions and more direct contact. “Specialist lenders may be a little bit smaller, but that makes [the service] a little bit more personalised as well,” Lennie said. “You can always have a chat with business development managers if something maybe doesn't quite fit criteria.”
That responsiveness is crucial for younger clients focused on scale. “They're happy to sacrifice half a percent on interest rate, if it means they know it can get done in five to six weeks instead of 10 to 12 weeks,” he said.
The broker’s job: sort quickly, close fast
For Lennie, the broker’s role is less about casting a wide net and more about knowing where deals will land. “It really just comes down to knowing your lenders,” he said. “We're not going to waste time taking stuff to lenders that we know doesn't fit criteria.”
That includes awareness of finer points, like refinancing restrictions. “There are, especially in Scotland, at least half a dozen lenders that can refinance within six months,” he said – a detail that often surprises less experienced investors.
Lenders, too, must play their part. Clear communication and live updates are vital in this high-velocity space. “It's just keeping on top of things and making sure we know lenders, we know criteria,” Lennie said. “Familiarity with the kind of projects that clients are doing is massive for making sure that the deal is going to get done and they're not going to fall through the cracks.”
The new normal in lending
As high street lenders remain constrained by credit policy and processing timelines, brokers are increasingly steering growth-focused clients toward more agile providers. “Specialist lenders are the ones to deal with, in my opinion, because it's so much easier. It's so much quicker,” Lennie said.
As affordability pressures mount and regulation evolves, flexibility and speed are emerging as the real currencies of property finance. And for brokers like Lennie, specialist lending isn’t just a niche – it’s the new normal.
