Over a third of brokers say their business performance in 2012 has exceeded expectations, according to new research from United Trust Bank.

A further 43% of brokers working in the bridging, development finance and asset finance sectors said their businesses were performing as well as expected.

However, 19% described 2012 as ‘a struggle’ and 2% as ‘a disaster’.

When asked for opinions on outgoing Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King, 63% of brokers felt that he had performed his duties well whilst 21% disagreed. 16% were undecided.

“It’s encouraging to see that despite the sluggish performance of the UK economy the majority of brokers have enjoyed a reasonably successful year,” said Harley Kagan, managing director of United Trust Bank.

“From experience we’ve seen many brokers seizing the opportunity to offer their services to the many customers who’ve found that borrowing from their high street bank is nowhere near as easy as it used to be. Across bridging, development finance and asset finance brokers are providing a vital service to individuals and companies in need of short term financing solutions.”