Shawbrook’s New to the Pride: September 2014

By Bridging Loan Directory 11th September 2014

The Pride is stalking the streets of London this month in its quest to recruit a new member: Andrew Hosford, a Director at Voltaire Financial.

Here’s what Andrew had to say about starting to work with Shawbrook:

“We’re a London-based brokerage specialising in residential and commercial mortgages, as well as short-term loans (STLs). I’ve worked with Tom Clark, one of Shawbrook’s BDMs, in the past but Voltaire didn’t have a relationship with the lender until Tom picked up the phone and paid us a visit.

“The first deal we worked on together involved a portfolio of around 14 residential properties in the Surrey area. I remember the client wanted to refinance the existing debt by applying for an STL as well as a term mortgage in order to hold the properties and sell them on in their own time. I think this is why we have a good working relationship – Shawbrook can offer creative solutions to our clients’ complex financial requirements. We both have a strong focus on building relationships and take a flexible approach to borrowers’ needs.

“Voltaire has worked with Shawbrook on residential and commercial investment deals, where we get a lot of traction, but we’re also keen to do more work concerning STLs because their pricing is so competitive. Largely due to our location, the majority of our work involves resi investment. Many of our clients buy in order to refurbish before selling on, although a few will refurb and hold for a period within their portfolio as a BTL. The typical deal, though, sees a client using an STL then refurbing and selling within a six-month time period.

“We do a small amount of advertising but the majority of our work is introducer-based, from a mix of surveyors, lawyers and lenders, and many of those clients are now repeat customers. As a large proportion of our work revolves around blocks of flats that fall within the £2-20m mark, our clients are, on the whole, professional investors and investment companies. Being based in central London, the city and the Southeast is where most of our business comes from, but we work throughout the country, including Scotland.”

Tom Clark, regional Business Development Manager, Commercial Mortgages, Shawbrook Bank commented on his experience with Voltaire:

“I’ve known the guys behind Voltaire (Andrew, Dorothée Queyroux and James Thomlinson) for a long time. The applications we receive are always of a high quality and our flexibility means we can take on the more quirky, less straightforward deals they receive. The team bring so much professionalism to every deal and place a high level of importance on their client relationships. They basically encapsulate what a good working relationship should be, share our strong client focus and are great to work with.”

Have what it takes? To find out more about joining the Shawbrook Pride call us on 01277 751111 or email cm.broker@shawbrook.co.uk