Fleet Mortgages is celebrating its fourth birthday having launched on this day in 2014.

The buy-to-let and specialist lender currently has a loan portfolio of £1.2 billion, and after eight months of 2018 has already surpassed 2017’s origination volume for the entire year.

Meanwhile, it still has no accounts in arrears. The business has grown from 48 employees at the end of 2015, to 97 today.

During the four years of its existence, Fleet Mortgages has reached a number of landmarks, from issuing its first mortgage on 29 January 2015, through to its first securitisation in November 2016.

Since then it has moved into new premises, completed two further securitisations and secured a further funding line in order to develop its buy-to-let product proposition.

Bob Young (pictured), chief executive officer of Fleet Mortgages, said: “Reaching our fourth birthday may not appear to be a ‘milestone’ moment but for all of us involved in Fleet Mortgages – especially those that have been here from that first day – it undoubtedly is.

“We have come a considerable distance in four short years and we have built an excellent lender that we believe has a strong reputation for quality not just amongst the intermediary market but also within the capital markets.

“The difference – as it so often is – being the quality of the people who work for Fleet and the work they are willing to put in to ensure we deliver the best service we possibly can to advisers and their clients.

“We have reached a number of milestones during the past four years including the growth in our overall loan portfolio, our three securitisations, and the fact we continue to have no arrears on our accounts – which is a sign of the quality of our mortgages and our focus on ensuring that only those that can afford to pay, receive a Fleet mortgage.

“Our journey has a long way yet to run but we will continue to strive to be the best we can be, and do all we can to support advisers and their clients active in the buy-to-let market.”