Author: dev

MS Lending Group, a bridging lending firm with over 20 years’ experience, has secured an initial £50m senior-secured facility with Pollen Street Capital.

Pollen Street is a fast growing and purpose led alternative investment asset manager, investing in credit and private equity strategies focusing on the real estate, financial and business services sectors.

Michael Stratton, CEO and Founder of MS Lending Group, said: “This partnership with Pollen Street further boosts MS Lending Group’s ability to provide finance and funding solutions across the market. The injection of funds means we can remain agile in the market – not only with speed and ease for our customers, but also the hands-on, hassle-free service which is what we’re known for.“

“With uncertainty around interest rates increasing, this is a huge statement from us as a lender to show our customers and brokers they can rely on us, knowing the security of our funding partners and that we have a fixed facility in place.”

“Pollen Street quickly understood and acknowledged our unique offering in the marketplace and enabled us to tailor the funding line around our specific needs. They work with us as a strategic partner, and not just a provider of capital. They did not seek to put barriers into place which would alter how we already do things, and why our customers come back time after time.

“It has been refreshing to work with like-minded individuals at Pollen Street who understand and support our business ambitions and growth plans, plus it’s a huge credit to the MS team that we’re at this stage after only 18 months of trading. We are really looking forward to a long and successful partnership with Pollen Street.”

MS Lending Group have financed over £55m since it began trading in January 2021, with over half of that amount lent in the first half of 2022.

Ben Jackson, Investment Manager at Pollen Street Capital, commented: “Pollen Street Capital is delighted to have supported MS Lending Group in such a pivotal milestone for the business. Our real estate strategy is built on selective partnerships with real estate lending platforms.

“This new facility with MS Lending Group fits well with our strategy and our aims to maintain liquidity in the short-term bridge lending market. We are thrilled to be working with Michael Stratton and Robert Goodall who bring over 40 years’ experience in the industry to MS Lending Group.”

North West based, MS Lending Group have completed a £4m week. The most successful week for the business since it began early 2021. The week included 12 completions, ranging from vanilla residential assets to quirky commercial and semi-commercial assets. Highlighting the lenders diverse product range.

CEO Michael Stratton said, ‘it was a busy yet great week for the business! There were rumours in the industry that lenders were planning to increase their rates in July following the Bank of England’s announcement. We also found lenders were pulling out of deals or increasing the amount they had initially agreed to charge the customer at the last minute. We saw an influx in enquiries and completions and were delighted to help out as many clients as we did. Our no valuation product really comes into fruition when customers are stuck last minute’.

June also included one of MS Lending Group’s largest deals. The company completed a £1.2m capital raise on a hotel in the North West. The deal was highly complex, full of multiple complicated lease structures. Although a unique and new one for the team, by working in cohesion with the client, broker, and solicitors, MS were able to complete within 12 days. As well as one of the companies quickest, a £518,000 loan was also completed in June in just 3 days. The auction purchase in London was completed without a valuation when the clients initial BTL lender pulled out at the 11th hour.

This month the company has taken on two additional staff, and have a further two joining in the next few months.

Michael Stratton added “As the pipeline grows we’re always conscious of the service we want to deliver to our clients, that’s why we will always hire to ensure our service never falters. Our clients appetites are there, and so is ours!”

In June the business were delighted to have completed 200 fundings.

As a business set up at the start of 2021 this is a huge milestone for the company, and we could not be prouder of the MS Lending Group team who have made this happen.

Michael Stratton, CEO, said the achievement was down to the company’s “fantastic work ethic, and the business being built on the notion that bridging should be simple and easy”

He added, “we have some really great products that we are seeing brokers and clients really tap into, we’re not only making their lives easier with our speed, we find it is our service and process which means they are coming back for more”

The news is on the back of yet another record breaking month for the company, and a strong pipeline in place for the remainder of 2022.

Michael stated, “our no valuation product is extremely popular because of the speed it delivers for our clients, but the interest we are seeing in our ESG product has been really promising and hopefully our ESG strategy makes other lenders take note of the necessity in the current climate”

The business aims to lend a further £45m by the end of 2022, totalling £75m for the year.

After entering the market in January 2021 with a no valuation upto £500k on residential property product, we have now extended this to commercial and semi- commercial properties too.

Our aim is always to look for ways to help the customer, especially those in time sensitive situations. With valuation turnaround times longer than ever, as well as amazing feedback on our no valuation on residential properties product, we are enhancing the customers journey even further with this new offering. Especially those looking for quick completions or who are up against it in term of time frames on an auction purchase.

Managing Director, Rob Goodall, ‘The appetite for the no valuation upto £500k on residential properties has been so strong for the business, we’re really pleased to be able to offer it across commercial and semi-commercial properties too’

The process allows MS Lending Group to be able to move even quicker in the market providing offers within hours of receiving an application.

Our outlook across the board not just commercial just shows we’re constantly adapting and being agile to the customers wants and needs. We understand their pains in the bridging market as a whole and if we can make this a better process for them then we will. We will always do all we can!

In today’s rapidly changing business climate, attention to ESG issues are becoming critical to long-term competitive success. Sustainability and ESG are now more important than ever.

MS Lending Group recognise this and are taking a proactive approach to ESG policies and messaging.

After funding over £25m of business last year, in our first year of trading, MS Lending Group have launched 2 new products as part of its market leading ESG product range.

MS Lending Group will lend upto 85% on residential purchases, and upto 75% on commercial purchases. Both of these products are available when there is a signed agreement for lease in place with a: Housing Association, Registered Provider, Community Interest Companies ( C.I.C ), or Registered Charity.

Furthermore, clients purchasing a property will benefit from a 1% refund of the total gross loan amount on redemption, when improvements to the EPC rating are made.

Michael Stratton, CEO & Founder said on the launch, ‘ ESG has been high on the agenda for MS Lending for some time and I am extremely excited and proud that we have been able to launch these market leading products. We have thought long and hard about what we feel the products need to look like to make sure the customer, as ever, is at the forefront of everything we do. The products will not only help our customers during their acquisition / refurbishment stage, but with their onward exit be it longer term finance or sale.’

‘By incentivising efficiency our customers will not only save on costs but it will also make their property more valuable in the long term. The 1%, coupled with the enhanced LTV’s, highlight how committed we are as a lender to integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into our funding decisions and processes.’

Having launched the business with a niche product of no minimum loan size, and no valuation necessary upto £500k, we have recently completed our 100th deal.

The business funded its first deal just short of a year ago. Since then we have continued to grow and grow, hitting record figures in terms of loan sizes and fundings each month.

Founder and CEO, Michael Stratton, said: “This is a great achievement for the team, and I am really proud of all of the amazing work they have done to hit such a milestone.

The last 12 months have been unprecedented and I am happy we have been able to facilitate a clear gap in the bridging market for so many clients through our easy approach and speed to bridging finance.

From £50,000 to £1.5m deals, all are equally important to us as a company and our clients definitely know that!”

As business demand continues to grow MS Lending Group is set to add an additional four people to the team in the first quarter of 2022, it is just one of our many big wins.

“It’s been a great year but in order to continue to work at the speed our clients need, and the service they expect, it is important we grow the team to facilitate the amount of business. We’re really looking forward to 2022.”

MS Lending Group has completed their largest loan since the business began earlier this year with a new record breaking figure.

In only its 8 months of trading, the new bridging lender has worked stringently to complete a £1.15 million loan for a client in Surrey.

The £1,150,000 loan process took less than two weeks from application to funding. Speed was necessary as the development loan the client took when the properties were initially purchased was due to expire.

The client took a bridging loan in order to pay off the development loan which was taken out when the two properties were purchased. The two residential assets based in Sunbury on Thames are currently on the market with a combined value of £2m.

As both properties are currently on the market, the client was able to take advantage of MS Lending Group’s desktop valuation product. This enabled the lender to move quickly and complete in less than two weeks from when it was introduced.

The deal was brokered by Adam Klein of Atlas Property Finance

‘MS Lending Group Ltd delivered an extremely prompt development exit bridge loan on 2 recently completed properties for one of our clients.

We were most impressed by the constant communication throughout the process and the speed that this lender could make decisions.

This allowed our client to refinance the development lender and allowed further time to sell the property on the open market.

This was done within 2 weeks to ensure that the client was not penalised by any notice period fees with the current lender.

MS Lending Group Ltd were a pleasure to work with and we are delighted to get this deal over the line’

Managing Director, Michael Stratton, ‘This is our largest bridging deal to late. The deal was a first charge over two properties, at a LTV off 60%.’

“We have had a very successful year; we have surpassed our projections. Brokers are realising we are as agile and fast as we say we are, with no strict fixed criteria! We review every deal on a case-by-case basis and this means we can facilitate many more bridging loans our competitors cannot.”

Speaking of the future, Michael said, ‘As the business is growing it’s important our team reflects this. We have taken on a bigger office space from October and will be recruiting further talent both in the North and South.

August is already MS Lending’s biggest ever month with over £3million lent to borrowers. With more deals in the pipeline due to complete by the end of the month.

MS Lending Group’s ambitious growth targets since launching in January 2021 have been met and surpassed. It is continuously expanding its loan book to help experienced property investors take advantage of the buoyant market, with speed at the forefront of their service.

MS Lending Group has provided a £505,000 loan for the purchase of a £675,000 mixed-use commercial property in Ilford, Essex.

The property comprises ground floor retail units and first floor offices, situated within a detached building which has 13 upper floors.

The client required the funds to meet the auction deadline, which they were already in their notice period.

The facility was arranged at 75% LTV without a valuation, all within 36 hours.

Managing Director, Michael Stratton, “I am delighted that MS Lending Group is already being recognised for its speed in the market and is becoming the ‘go to lender’ when it comes to fast completions — particularly with auction purchases and deadlines,”

“Clients know when they contact us they can count on us; we will never promise something we can’t deliver on.”

We’re proud to provide a great service day in day out and we’re excited to grow even more with every milestone.

MS Lending Group has completed a £250,000 bridging loan in under 48 hours for a new borrower who required a large funding for the purchase of a £600,000 BTL property ahead of the stamp duty holiday deadline.

Within 30 minutes of receiving the call, the lender reviewed the application and sent terms to the client.

Once the terms were agreed, the report on title was received the following day and all checks were completed and funds transferred in less than two days.

The facility was agreed on a 12-month term in order to give the client time to re-mortgage with a lender onto a long-term BTL product.

Managing Director, said: “This is a great example of our no valuation necessary up to £500,000 loan product in practice.

“We are so pleased we were able to deliver a great service for our client.”

“We are extremely conscious of ensuring we have products which really help our customers, and makes their lives easier, while also offering them a great experience.”

Client quote: “I can’t thank MS Lending Group enough. I had a mortgage in place but the process was taking too long which was making me very nervous ahead of the stamp duty deadline. MS Lending Group stepped in and got a bridging loan completed within 48 hours to save the purchase and my deposit. I can’t thank the team enough and would recommend them to any other investors”

Broker quote: “My client’s offer had been sat with a lender or a few weeks and I was conscious the stamp duty holiday deadline was looming. I got in touch with the team at MS Lending Group who got the deal agreed and instructed to solicitors the same day. We them completed within 48 hours of application submission. Wow, what a service and experience.”

We’re immensely proud of our ever growing team, get in touch to find out how we can help you too.