Episode 34 - Tuesday 6th October

Probate bridging, auction-led funding and commercial mortgage refinancing highlight continued lender flexibility

This week's transactions highlight continued activity across probate bridging, auction-led funding and commercial mortgage refinancing, with specialist lenders supporting borrowers through legal complexity, time-sensitive acquisitions and the transition from short-term finance into longer-term funding.

From ScotLend Group navigating a probate-linked refinance across two South-East London properties, to MS Lending Group demonstrating its appetite for auction transactions across two very different deal profiles, and TAB refinancing an income-producing office development onto a longer-term commercial mortgage, each transaction demonstrates the importance of speed, practical underwriting and understanding the borrower's wider strategy.

Below are three of the standout transactions from this week's market activity, followed by Owen Nayar's commentary on the key trends emerging across the real estate lending market.

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ScotLend Group completes £1.05m probate-linked bridge in South-East London

Transaction Overview:

Lender: ScotLend Group
Facility: First Charge Bridging Loan
Loan Size: £1.05m
Security: Two Buy-to-Let Properties
Location: South-East London

ScotLend Group completed a £1.05m first charge bridging facility secured against two buy-to-let properties in South-East London.

The properties were subject to probate, with funding required to repay the existing charges and facilitate the transfer of the assets into the borrower's name.

Alongside refinancing the existing debt, the facility provided additional capital to support refurbishment works across both properties, allowing the borrower to modernise the assets ahead of their planned sale on the open market.

The transaction required close collaboration between the broker and ScotLend teams to navigate the probate position, existing charges and transfer of ownership while ensuring the borrower had sufficient funding to progress the refurbishment strategy.

By structuring the facility around both the immediate refinancing requirement and the borrower's plans for the properties, ScotLend was able to provide a solution that allowed the wider property pipeline to continue moving.

The transaction demonstrates the role structured finance can play where larger commercial assets require a funding solution capable of adapting alongside the borrower's wider strategy.

Deal Team:

• Mikie Butcher, Business Development Manager, ScotLend Group.
• Jennifer Swan, Underwriter, ScotLend Group.
• David Travers, CEO & Co-Founder, ScotLend Group.
• Ruth Aimson, Head of Sales, ScotLend Group.

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MS Lending Group delivers over £1.45m across two auction-led transactions

Transaction Overview:

Lender: MS Lending Group
Facility: Auction Funding
Combined Debt Value: £1.45m+
Transactions: Single-Property Conversion & 30-Unit Residential Portfolio Acquisition

MS Lending Group completed two auction-led transactions representing more than £1.45m of funding across two very different borrower requirements.

The first involved a £153,000 single-property purchase completed within just 14 days from application to completion.

The borrower had previously converted a neighbouring property into an HMO and identified another value-add opportunity at auction. When the original lender withdrew from the transaction, MS Lending Group stepped in and provided the funding required to keep the acquisition moving.

The second transaction involved the acquisition of a 30-unit residential portfolio, supported by a facility of more than £1.3m and completed within three weeks.

While significantly larger in scale, the transaction similarly required speed and certainty to meet the requirements of an auction-led acquisition.

Together, the two deals demonstrate how specialist lenders can support auction purchases across very different transaction profiles, from individual value-add opportunities through to larger residential portfolio acquisitions.

Deal Team:

• Michael Stratton, Founder & CEO, MS Lending Group.

TAB completes £1.433m commercial mortgage in Bishop's Stortford

Transaction Overview:

Lender: TAB
Facility: Commercial Mortgage
Loan Size: £1.433m
Security: Multi-Let Office Development
Location: Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Term: 5 Years

TAB completed a £1.433m commercial mortgage secured against a multi-let office development in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.

The first-charge facility refinanced an existing bridging loan and provides a longer-term funding structure aligned with the borrower's investment strategy.

The security comprises a modern commercial office development extending to approximately 13,265 sq. ft., arranged across several buildings and incorporating a range of self-contained office suites.

The property is occupied by multiple commercial tenants, providing an established rental income stream. With experience across both commercial and residential investment, the borrower intends to retain the asset over the longer term.

The facility allows the borrower to transition away from short-term bridging finance and into a commercial mortgage more closely aligned with the income-producing nature of the property and the planned hold strategy. Refinance is expected to provide the exit at the end of the five-year term.

The transaction demonstrates how commercial mortgages can provide an appropriate next step for established assets once the immediate requirement for bridging finance has passed, while also showing how close collaboration between lender, broker and underwriting teams can help more complex cases progress efficiently.

Deal Team:

• Gary Melville, BDM, TAB.
• Mame Loum, Underwriter, TAB.
• Sonny Gosai, Brilliant Group.

What this week's transactions tell us about the market

This week's transactions highlight continued activity across probate bridging, auction-led funding and commercial mortgage refinancing, with specialist lenders supporting borrowers through legal complexity, time-sensitive acquisitions and the transition from short-term finance into longer-term funding.

Probate-linked transactions can require lenders to take a more considered approach where ownership, existing charges and future plans for the properties all need to be addressed. Where funding is required to refinance existing debt, facilitate the transfer of assets and support refurbishment works, close collaboration between lenders, brokers and borrowers can help keep transactions moving despite the additional legal considerations.

Auction finance also continues to demonstrate the importance of speed and certainty. Whether supporting a smaller value-add opportunity after another lender withdraws or funding a larger portfolio acquisition, lenders that can assess transactions quickly and provide confidence around completion can help experienced investors take advantage of opportunities within demanding auction timescales.

Commercial mortgage refinancing is also providing borrowers with a route away from short-term bridging once assets are established and income-producing. For investors planning to retain commercial property longer term, refinancing onto a facility aligned with the asset's rental income and wider hold strategy can provide greater stability and a more appropriate funding structure.

Across this week's transactions, the recurring theme is the importance of lenders understanding the circumstances behind each deal. Whether navigating probate, meeting auction deadlines or transitioning from bridging into longer-term commercial finance, practical underwriting, speed and close collaboration continue to help specialist lenders structure facilities around the borrower's wider objectives.

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Why these Transactions Matter

Tuesday's Top Transactions showcases some of the most notable deals completed across the UK real estate finance market each week.

By highlighting completed transactions across bridging finance, development finance, commercial real estate lending and specialist funding solutions, the series provides brokers, lenders, developers and property professionals with valuable insight into current lending activity and evolving market trends.

More than simply reporting completed deals, each episode offers a snapshot of where lender appetite exists and how facilities are being structured to support increasingly complex borrowing requirements.

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Have a Transaction Worth Sharing?

If you've completed a notable real estate finance transaction and would like it featured in a future edition of Tuesday's Top Transactions, we'd love to hear from you.

Sharing successful deals helps showcase innovation across the market while providing valuable insight for brokers, lenders and property professionals following the latest lending activity.

To submit a transaction for a future episode, contact Owen here:

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