Category: News

Working with the brokerage arm of The Harrogate Group – which provides finance solutions for the real estate sector and originated and advised on the deal – the client was seeking to raise capital across 14 unencumbered properties in order to purchase further properties to add to their portfolio. The clients had committed to purchasing the assets however with completion looming were uncertain their initial lender could complete on time.

Completing on the 31st August, MS Lending Group was able to use two existing valuation reports which enabled the client to move quickly and forward with their onward purchases. This saved the client both time, and thousands of pounds in new valuation fees.

Faisal Arif, chief executive officer of The Harrogate Group, said: “Our brief was to source funding quickly so our client, who has a substantial existing portfolio, could acquire a £14m residential and commercial property portfolio in Birmingham and the West Midlands. We were able to deliver this inside a month, thanks to our collaboration with MS Lending Group, who acted swiftly and professionally.”

This deal rounds off a great 2023 so far for the MS Lending Group, lending over £53m with sights on a further £30m before the end of the year.

Michael Stratton, CEO, and founder of MS Lending Group, said, ” For a loan of such substantial size, not many lenders would have been able to accept a re type of two previous valuation reports. However, with our knowledge, understanding and experience we are able as a lender to say yes to the quirkier deals and find a way to get comfortable. Our Relationship Manager, Amer, showed huge insatiability, understanding what the client and broker needed to achieve. At MS Lending Group we pride ourselves on always listening to our clients’ needs, and not having fixed parameters which create a barrier to lending.”

Working with the brokerage arm of The Harrogate Group – which provides finance solutions for the real estate sector and originated and advised on the deal – the client was seeking to raise capital across 14 unencumbered properties in order to purchase further properties to add to their portfolio. The clients had committed to purchasing the assets however with completion looming were uncertain their initial lender could complete on time.

Completing on the 31st August, MS Lending Group was able to use two existing valuation reports which enabled the client to move quickly and forward with their onward purchases. This saved the client both time, and thousands of pounds in new valuation fees.

Faisal Arif, chief executive officer of The Harrogate Group, said: “Our brief was to source funding quickly so our client, who has a substantial existing portfolio, could acquire a £14m residential and commercial property portfolio in Birmingham and the West Midlands. We were able to deliver this inside a month, thanks to our collaboration with MS Lending Group, who acted swiftly and professionally.”

This deal rounds off a great 2023 so far for the MS Lending Group, lending over £53m with sights on a further £30m before the end of the year.

Michael Stratton, CEO, and founder of MS Lending Group, said, ” For a loan of such substantial size, not many lenders would have been able to accept a re type of two previous valuation reports. However, with our knowledge, understanding and experience we are able as a lender to say yes to the quirkier deals and find a way to get comfortable. Our Relationship Manager, Amer, showed huge insatiability, understanding what the client and broker needed to achieve. At MS Lending Group we pride ourselves on always listening to our clients’ needs, and not having fixed parameters which create a barrier to lending.”

MS Lending Group has hired seven additional members to its growing team. The lender has hired additional members of staff in all areas of the business from the processing and underwriting team. As well as bolstered its finance department.

The hires are due to mass growth at the lender in 2022 and will support their ambitious growth plans for 2023. “We are known for our service in the industry and our ability to complete as quickly as the clients need. As we become busier we are conscious our service simply cannot waiver.

Therefore we have invested in all areas of the business to continue to deliver an easy process for all of our clients”. Michael Stratton CEO & founder mentioned. The lender plans to lend over £200 million by 2024. “I am delighted whilst some bridging lenders have pulled various products due to the economic climate we have chosen to use this period to seek further growth. The appetite from our clients is there and we don’t want to let any of them down.

Our new hires are fantastic and epitomise our whole ethos at MS Lending Group, Alice, Joe, Mike, Adam, Aimee, Gabrielle and Tobias are all welcome additions to our team.“

North West based lender, MS Lending Group has surpassed over £100m in lending in its first two years of trading, lending large scale bridging loans is not anything we’re not used to.

This represents a huge 268% increase in the lender’s loan book compared to 2021. Lending £22m in 2021, and increasing to £81m in 2022.

The lender has also expanded its office space in the final quarter of 2022 in order to continue to expand its headcount and levels of business.

Following the lending amounts, Michael Stratton, founder and CEO remarked: “I’m really pleased to announce we have hit over £100m in our first two years. Our clients are capitalising on our no valuation up to £500k, and desktop valuation up to £2million products.

However I think our relationship- led lending; our speed and service, is ultimately what has brought so much business and repeat business. I am thrilled at the amount of business we have been able to complete for our clients, and I am so grateful for everyone’s continued support and our staff.

We more than exceeded our 2022 lending targets, and whilst in 2023 we’re conscious of the challenging economic outlook, 2023 is set to take MS Lending Group to even higher levels. We were aware with interest rate changes in Q4 that the amount of business may slow down. Instead, December was a record breaking month for the company, lending over £17.6m.

The news caps off a great year for MS Lending Group which saw the lender secure two major funding lines.

MS Lending Group has funded a record breaking £7.605m deal in Adlington, Cheshire.

Completing only two days before Christmas, the deal is the largest ever transaction for the company.

The borrower had an existing facility with another lender who had a charge over two adjacent sites: a completed 45,000 sq ft industrial unit and the other with planning for 75,000 sq ft unit but the clients existing lender was unable to commit further funds.

The site, located just 15 miles from MS Lending Group’s office, enabled the team to visit and agree the terms the same day. A full valuation was carried out and the deal was completed in less than 10 days.

Rob Goodall, Managing Director, ‘it was a pleasure to complete this deal, not only because I have personally known the customer for over 20 years, but after being let down his existing lender, we helped enable him to move forward and fully develop a prime site in Cheshire.

The client appreciated the fact that we did what we said we were going to do and in the requested short timescales too.’ MS Lending Group who pride themselves on speed and flexibility in the bridging market enabled the funding to complete quickly, the existing lender to be redeemed, whilst also allowing the borrower to progress with the build in 2023.

The news comes off the back of a very successful year for the company completing over £80m in 2022 alone. Michael Stratton, CEO, added, “although a large transaction this case exemplifies everything that we’re about and want to be known for at MS Lending Group. Speed, flexibility and guaranteeing our customers that when we say we will get something done we do just that!”

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!”