"There is certainly heightened interest and demand in commercial finance among SMEs, many of whom have experienced an increase in business confidence over the last few months. "
FR: Tell us about your background and your current role at Norton Group?
I recently joined Norton Group as bridging and commercial sales manager, where I will be responsible for heading up the bridging and commercial loans department. My main focus will be growing the existing client base and building relationships with new and existing intermediaries.
I have over 14 years of expertise in lending and before joining Norton, I was a senior business development manager at Reparo Finance specialising in first and second charge secured lending. Prior to this, I spent 10 years as a local business manager at Lloyds Bank.
My career has provided me with broad experience in the second charge and bridging market and I am passionate about building lasting relationships with brokers. I am delighted to be joining Norton at such an exciting time as the business celebrates its 50th anniversary.
FR: What advice would you give to brokers and their clients who are new to the bridging and commercial market?
Given the complexities around the specialist lending market, particularly bridging and commercial cases, brokers unfamiliar with these products should definitely speak to specialists and use a packager when sourcing a deal.
Norton Group has been around for 50 years, and our packager arm, Norton Broker Services is well versed in all areas of the specialist lending market. This knowledge and expertise means we are extremely well positioned to provide hands-on support throughout the entire advisory process.
The complexity surrounding bridging and commercial loans, coupled with the broad range of options available, can be mind-boggling for those brokers new to the market. By getting in touch and letting us do the hard work, brokers can sit back and focus on the aspects of their business where they feel more comfortable.
FR: What do you consider to be the key trends in the bridging and commercial finance market this year?
There is certainly heightened interest and demand in commercial finance among SMEs, many of whom have experienced an increase in business confidence over the last few months.
This has been driven mainly by falling inflation and the recent base rate cut, which are both driving increased demand as borrowers look at ways to refinance in order to fund growth and business expansion, or to pay off debt.
With the UK economy now looking more stable, many of these SME borrowers are feeling more confident about their future prospects and want to push on with growth plans for their business. Hopefully this demand will continue as we head into the second half of the year and stability and confidence grows even further.
FR: You mentioned that Norton is turning 50 this year - how is the company marking this milestone?
I feel truly honoured to be joining the company at such a pivotal time and I am looking forward to enjoying the number of celebrations that have been organised to mark the occasion.
On an industry level, this is such a significant achievement. Fifty years ago, and even up until recently, specialist lending was considered a niche area of the mortgage market.
Today, changing lifestyles and different employment needs means this area of the market is becoming more commonplace and will only continue to grow. Being part of that is very special.
