Loans Warehouse has called on bridging lenders to embrace using electronic signatures, following a decade of investment in better technology, streamlined underwriting and faster decision-making.

The specialist finance broker has stated that while the sector has enjoyed "remarkable growth" in the past 10 years, there remains an opportunity to move the industry forward through the digital execution of legal documentation.

Loans Warehouse said that while leaders have transformed the front end of the customer journey, the final stage of the transaction can still involve printing documents, signing them by hand and returning them before funds can be released.

As a result, transactions often take days rather than hours, leading to a bottleneck.

The firm said electronic signatures have become commonplace across financial services, legal services and the wider property market, with the second charge market demonstrating how effective the approach can be.

Loans Warehouse added that the move to digital signatures is not “a leap into the unknown”, with HM Land Registry already accepting electronically signed deeds in many circumstances, as the technology exists alongside the legal framework.

While there are occasions where wet-ink signatures remain appropriate, the lender stated that electronic execution does not have to mean removing professional oversight, independent legal advice or witnessing.

Loans Warehouse believes the bridging industry has a "genuine opportunity to embrace" electronic signatures more widely, as lenders in the second charge lending market have demonstrated.

Head of bridging and development at Loans Warehouse, Vikki Edwards, said: "This isn’t simply about shaving a few hours off completion times. It’s about improving the customer journey, reducing friction for brokers and solicitors, and making the process easier and more accessible for borrowers.

"Bridging has never stood still. The industry has built its reputation by embracing innovation and finding faster, more flexible ways to serve customers. Electronic signatures feel like the next natural evolution.

"For a market built on speed, flexibility and customer service, the time has come for bridging lenders to embrace electronic signatures wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so."

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