West One Loans will bring together its bridging and development finance arms into one short-term lending division.
The firm said the short-term lending division would “offer a more integrated solution to property developers and investors”.
It added that an example of this would be having a more “joined-up view across projects” and making the process of moving between two products more seamless for customers, which would make the customer and broker experience more seamless.
The division will be headed by Tom Cantor, currently head of bridging finance, and Guy Murray, who is head of development finance at the moment. They will have the titles of co-head of short-term lending.
Cantor has been with Enra Specialist Finance for nearly six years, which is the parent firm of West One Loans, and before that was an associate at Baylor Klein for nearly two years. Prior to that, he was working at Royal bank of Scotland for nearly three years.
Murray has worked at West One Loans for around nine years, initially joining as a lending underwriter, and before that was owner and director of Murray International for around 14 years, which was his own firm.
West One Loans said its bridging and development finance division had achieved over £1bn in completions and had grown its headcount by 14% and 30% respectively.
Murray said: “This move is a game-changer for our short-term lending proposition. By bringing our bridging and development finance teams into one business unit, we’re able to offer a truly integrated solution that’s tailored to the unique needs of individual clients.
“Switching products or lenders halfway through a project can be challenging and time-consuming. With our new combined solution, that’s no longer a concern, as we can take them from start to finish with just a single application.”
Cantor added: “This move is all about making the lives of brokers and their clients easier by providing them with a one-stop-shop solution for their short-term borrowing needs.
“Under the new structure, they can expect faster decisions and more flexibility throughout their project. It’s all about delivering a service that truly understands and supports their ambitions.”
Waters continued: “Our bridging and development finance divisions have consistently exceeded expectations, achieving record completions in 2023 despite a challenging market.
“But while they are performing at a high level individually, we believe combining their expertise into one business unit will enhance our short-term lending proposition even further.
“This merger is about creating greater scale, stronger resilience and more cohesive management – all aimed at delivering an even better service for our customers.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
