Keystone boosts efficiency with criteria overhaul

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Keystone Property Finance has introduced a raft of criteria enhancements designed to speed up applications and reduce paperwork for brokers.

Effective immediately, the specialist buy-to-let lender has increased its maximum loan size from £2.5 million to £3 million, while the total portfolio loan limit has risen from £10 million to £15 million.

The changes are aimed at supporting landlords with larger or more complex holdings.

In a move to simplify income verification, Keystone will now accept just the latest tax return for self-employed landlords or a single payslip for employed borrowers, replacing the previous requirement for three months of documentation.

The lender is also adopting title insurance on remortgages for standard properties and small HMOs of up to six occupants, with loans of up to £2 million. Title insurance provides protection against ownership disputes or legal claims and can help resolve title issues early, allowing cases to move through underwriting more swiftly.

Further streamlining comes with the use of automated valuation models (AVMs) for all standard properties in product transfer cases, replacing the need for a physical valuation.

The latest update follows Keystone’s recent partnership with conveyancing services provider LMS, which gives brokers and clients access to a national network of approved solicitor firms.

Elise Coole, Keystone Property Finance
Elise Coole, Keystone Property Finance

Elise Coole, managing director at Keystone Property Finance, said: “These enhancements are all about streamlining the application journey for brokers and their clients. By reducing documentation requirements and embracing AVMs and title insurance, we’re removing friction from the process and delivering faster, more flexible solutions.”

She added: “The increased loan limits reflect our confidence in the market and our commitment to supporting landlords with larger or more complex portfolios.

“Combined with simplified income verification and our partnership with LMS, brokers will experience a smoother, more efficient process from application to completion.

“These updates stem from extensive broker feedback, which continues to shape how we evolve our criteria and systems.

“We will keep listening to our partners to ensure that our range and offering continue to meet their needs in what is an ever-evolving market.”

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