The NACFB’s results for its 2015 survey have revealed that commercial mortgages registered the biggest level of growth in 2015, climbing from £2.226 billion to £3.448 billion, a rise of 54.9%.

Encouragingly, for the first time in five years, not one single funding category fell in value. The NACFB saw growth across all sectors.

Lending levels by new types of business finance such as peer to peer and crowdfunding continued to rise, from last year’s level of £624 million up to £847 million. NACFB brokers are on target to exceed £1 billion in the alternative finance field by this time in 2016.

Invoice finance was up by more than 40%, from last year’s £658 million to a new high of £946 million in 2015.

Leasing and asset finance reached £4.017 billion, up from £2.721 billion in 2014.

Vehicle finance showed impressive growth for the second year running, exceeding £1 billion for the first time since 2008 and setting a new record at £1.244 billion.

The number of lenders working with the NACFB has increased from 45 during the recession to a record 128 lenders in 2015. Total business written by NACFB members has now risen 62% in just two years

Adam Tyler, chief executive of NACFB, said: “Whilst we have seen a steady increase in Lending throughout the last 12 months this year’s survey has provided us with expected results, but with a swing towards traditional lending such as commercial mortgages and asset finance.

“The market continues to diversify at an incredible rate and we continue to attract high numbers of new and established lenders who see our brokers as the best and busiest in the industry. This survey data, and the written and verbal feedback we have been getting from our 1500-strong membership, certainly backs up that perception.”