"The fact that a major high street bank such as Santander is actively funding lenders in this space underlines the increasing confidence in short-term property finance and the important role it plays in supporting borrowers, brokers, developers and the wider property market"
- Adam Tyler - BDLA
Santander UK has joined the Bridging & Development Lenders Association (BDLA) as an associate member, in a move that signals growing institutional confidence in the short-term property lending market.
The bank participates in the bridging and development finance sector through its Non-Bank Financial Institutions and Professional Services team, which provides specialist lenders with day-to-day banking support alongside a broader range of funding and risk management solutions. Its decision to align formally with the BDLA reflects both the maturity of the sector and the increasing importance of well-capitalised institutional backing to its continued growth.
The BDLA is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to representing bridging and development lenders and their customers, bringing together lenders, funders, legal firms, valuers, technology providers and professional services businesses.
"We are very pleased to welcome Santander as an Associate Member of the BDLA," said Adam Tyler, chief executive of the BDLA.
"Santander is a hugely respected and recognisable name in UK financial services, and its decision to join the association is a positive statement about the strength and direction of the bridging and development finance sector. Access to funding is fundamental to the continued growth and stability of our market.
"The fact that a major high street bank such as Santander is actively funding lenders in this space underlines the increasing confidence in short-term property finance and the important role it plays in supporting borrowers, brokers, developers and the wider property market."
For Santander, the membership formalises a relationship with a sector it already actively supports. The bank's presence across retail, corporate and commercial banking gives it a breadth of capability that few institutional funders can match, and its engagement with specialist lenders in this space has grown alongside the sector itself.
"We're pleased to join the BDLA as an Associate Member and to support an association that plays such an important role in representing the bridging and development finance sector," said Jon Bowring, regional managing director at Santander's Non-Bank Financial Institutions and Professional Services team.
"Santander supports lenders in this part of the market with a full suite of services and we recognise the value of working closely with an organisation that promotes professionalism, transparency and sustainable growth. The bridging and development finance sector continues to play an important role in the wider property finance landscape, and we look forward to further engaging with the BDLA and its members."
The membership adds further weight to the BDLA's position as the representative body of choice for firms operating across the bridging and development finance market, at a time when the sector is attracting increasing attention from mainstream financial institutions.
