Bridging Trends: Completion times fall by a week in Q3
The latest Bridging Trends data was released earlier today. Compiled by us here at MT Finance, it provides a snapshot of the UK bridging industry and reflects the trends that are shaping the sector. Here’s what you need to know.
Speed prioritised amid Budget uncertainty
As a sense of caution remains about the economy – and what will happen to the base rate – many borrowers are turning to specialist lenders to fund their finance needs thanks to the speed and flexibility they offer. In total, a fifth of the bridging loans transacted in Q3 2025 were used to fund the purchase of an investment asset, suggesting that landlords are looking to move quickly amid uncertainty around the upcoming Autumn Budget – and speculation that Stamp Duty could be increased.
This focus on speed was also reflected in the average completion time, which fell by a week from 48 days in Q2 to 41 in Q3.
External factors taking their toll
A seemingly slower property market has been impacting borrowers whose exit strategy is resale. This has led to a sharp spike in re-bridges, which jumped from 7% in Q2 to 12% in Q3. Meanwhile, demand for refinance plummeted, with regulated refinance decreasing by a third from 18% in Q2 to 12% in Q3. Unregulated refinance nearly halved, falling from 11% in Q2 to 6% in Q3. This could be attributed to the fact that interest rates have been relatively stable over the past year, which may mean that a number of refinances have already taken place. Other borrowers are likely holding out in case there is another base rate drop before committing.
Despite landlords looking to move quickly, the proportion of unregulated bridging loans fell very slightly from 55% in Q2 to 54% in Q3. The percentage of second charge bridging loans rose slightly from 10% in Q2 to 12% in Q3. The average loan-to-value rose fractionally from 54% in Q2 to 55% in Q3.
Deadline-driven solutions
If you’re looking for short-term finance delivered at speed then we are here to support you. We know that the current economic climate has its own challenges but we will do everything we can to help find a solution that delivers the best possible outcome for you. Our bridging loans have been designed to be fast, efficient and versatile. They can be used for a variety of different purposes, from funding a property purchase to preventing a chain break. To make the process even quicker, we also offer AVMs in standard residential property applications with a maximum loan-to-value of 65% and a maximum value of £750,000.
If you’d like to find out more about our bridging loans then we’d love to hear from you. Simply fill in our online form and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Bridging Trends combines bridging loan completions from several specialist finance packagers operating within the UK bridging market: AFIG, Brightstar Financial, Capital B, Clever Lending, Clifton Private Finance, Complete FS, Enness, Impact Specialist Finance, LDNfinance, Optimum Commercial, Sirius Group, and UK Property Finance. The data for top broker criteria searches is supplied by Knowledge Bank.
