Specialist distributor Brightstar has reported record growth as broker enquiries continue to rise and, as a result, the firm has seen a 14% increase in staff numbers since the end of June with five new staff joining in the last two months.

Demand for commercial mortgage business within the intermediary market is growing rapidly, the firm said, with Brightstar experiencing three times the volume of enquiries since the start of the year.

Its commercial division, which is now five times larger than it was less than a year ago, is the company’s newest yet fastest growing division. Commercial loans are now a core service in the Brightstar portfolio alongside its other divisions: bridging, second charge loans, development finance and specialist mortgages and buy-to-let.

Rob Collins, director of commercial finance at Brightstar, said: “This is an exciting time for Brightstar which is growing in prominence in the commercial mortgage sector which is continuing to present a wide scope of opportunity.

“Along with mortgages and bridging, commercial lending is an integral component in Brightstar’s suite of services and brokers could be missing out on an income stream by not adding it to their offering.

“The new appointments and the increase in enquiries from brokers will help to further our reputation in the market by elevating our service standards to an even greater level.”