Bridging loan activity has remained relatively stable in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest Bridging Trends data.

Contributors recorded total gross lending of £202m in Q1 with faster completion times despite increased volumes, and a notable rise in investment purchases.

Bridging Trends is a quarterly publication developed by short-term finance lender, MT Finance, as a method for monitoring the latest trends in the UK bridging finance sector.

Despite increased volume of applications, the average completion time decreased significantly by seven days, from 39 days in Q4 2024 to 32 days in Q1 2025 – the lowest it has ever been since Bridging Trends launched in 2015.

The market also recorded a significant increase in investment purchases, rising from 13% in Q4 2024 to 23% in Q1 2025. Investment purchases now account for the largest portion of loan purposes.

Director of bridging at MT Finance, Raphael Benggio, said that the latest data for the bridging market shows “remarkable market stability”.

“The uptick in investment purchases, from 13% to 23%, suggests a strong link to stamp duty considerations, demonstrating borrowers’ keen awareness of these opportunities,” Benggio said.

“The resultant decrease in completion time, where a surge in activity could have potentially strained processing times, represents the sector’s enhanced efficiency, showing how quickly lenders can support the market. We expect continued sector stability and favourable market conditions throughout 2025.”

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