The latest version of the West One Bridging Index shows short-term business finance secured against real estate valued at a new record of £360m in the twelve months to April. Despite its value to the economy, the bridging industry is currently unregulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which means as a result, the Government does not produce any official statistics on the industry.
First established in 2011, the Index analyses net lending figures, average loan size, interest rate fluctuation and market predictions to plot trends across the industry as a whole, as well as statistics published by the Association of Bridging Professionals and other leading UK bridging loan lenders.
Duncan Kreeger, director at West One Loans, said: "The Bridging Index paints an illuminating picture of how the bridging industry is booming in contrast to the deterioration of business lending by mainstream banks.
"Mortgage lending has suffered a 60% drop since the pre-crisis peak and even the most optimistic predictions don't expect mainstream banks to take up that slack for perhaps a decade, if ever. Against this black hole, the bridging industry is shining light into business lending and bringing to life many projects which would otherwise struggle to get off the ground.
"Wikipedia has become the world's largest and most popular general reference source, ranking sixth globally among all websites and with an estimated 365 million readers worldwide. We are thrilled that the West One Bridging Index is being brought to the attention of such a large audience, particularly as Wikipedia entries are now subject to such stringent quality checks by moderators."
Alternative lending is now the only option available to many small and medium sized firms (SMEs) in the current economic climate and offers the speed and agility needed to finance commercial products at short notice. In a recent report, the CBI has hailed a 'new normal' in financing, with mainstream banks unable to meet demand for business lending.
Despite the huge opportunities on offer, a separate West One Loans research survey revealed that many borrowers are still insure as to how bridging finance can help them to attain short-term funding. Four out of five mortgage brokers believe that borrowers are missing out on opportunities because they do not understand the process involved in alternative finance.
Mark Abrahams, director at West One Loans, said: "Traditional finance is undergoing a process of disintermediation. We are cutting out the mainstream bank 'middle man' and putting lenders directly in touch with borrowers. This could be terminal for certain old ways of doing things, but also gives the opportunity to build a more solid foundation for the future of finance."
