News

Over the course of 2025, the Omega team has seen ever more complicated borrowing structures, transactions, and layered complexities across the commercial and specialist finance space. This is a response created to drive efficiencies, as clients seek to create returns in an otherwise effectively flat economy. Whether clients needed to explore secured loans to assist with deposit requirements or overcome credit problems, investors find better or new approaches to drive yields, the commercial finance landscape has certainly progressed in response to evolving needs.

Development finance

This year has seen an elevated level of development finance enquiries across an ever-increasing range of requirements and investment areas. Clients who did not want to wait until a project concluded, or sales proceeds realised, continue to utilise development exit finance to release profits ahead of time for onward use. This type of short term and development exit finance enabled developers to utilise funds in an existing project or repay debt due to expire, and move onto the next project. It has been a key solution to keep the market moving.

Regulated bridging loans

We have also seen the demand for regulated bridging loans increase this year. The growth of bridging loans and other short‑term secured finance solutions enable clients to move quickly rather than wait for a property sale to complete. The extended sales periods impacting the market in 2025 has resulted in lenders developing multiple exit strategies and us collaborating with clients to support them on either overrunning development finance projects, regulated bridging and other shorter-term transactions. Specialist products launched in the high net worth area, and regulated bridging rates available at 0.55% have been some of the many progressive responses to demand.

Refurbishment and conversions

Finance for refurbishment, conversion and value adding projects has grown in both demand from investors and from lender products available in the market. We continue to deal with many traditional development schemes; but many have focused on refurbishment or conversion as the margins offered generate perhaps greater return. The team has collaborated with our clients on reviewing cashflows, better understanding increasing costs or lengthening build and transactional processes, and ensuring any terms are built around these allowing contingency for the unknowns.

Retail and office commercial mortgages

Alongside development finance, we have seen rising interest in  commercial mortgages for retail space and for offices across the UK, but certainly commercial mortgages for offices in London, where businesses are seeking a range of options and flexible solutions to secure prime locations. Omega’s long-established reputation as commercial finance broker and specialist advisors, has enabled us to navigate lender requirements throughout 2025 and secure favourable terms for premises and clients of all types.

Trading businesses

Continued lender support for trading businesses has been evident over the last year. One thing the Omega team always receives high praise for is the free initial advice, reviewing trading accounts and assessing ongoing debt commitments against any proposed new borrowing. The ability to facilitate the additional cashflow support and loans to help drive growth of those entities has been critical. It has been gratifying for the team to see the trading businesses we have assisted secure the desired premises, support their growth through new locations or achieve significant enhancements to profit in this time. We have offered businesses solutions financing through their SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) or SSAS (Small Self-Administered Scheme) when purchasing or funding commercial or semi-commercial property as well as many multi-layered structures. This is a specialist area Omega have operated in for decades and have been able to give our partner networks favourable terms and options over this last year for their clients that deliver on their requirements.

Everyone in the team has worked hard this year to increase traction and conversion of enquiries to completed cases, something which can only be achieved through hard work and team approach, ensuring strong working relationships with our lending partners and introducing partners. As client confidence returns and lenders respond positively, we hope 2026 will gain further momentum in all areas of commercial and specialist property finance (and England may yet win a game of Cricket!)