Signature Property Finance has delivered another record year as origination for 2023 hit £81.8m, a 47% increase over its previous record year, 2022.

Tom Howells, the firm’s chief operating officer, has overseen Signature continuing to focus on building productive, mutually beneficial relationships with finance and mortgage brokers and recruiting relationship managers to develop these partnerships.

Howells (pictured) said: “We began the year strongly, but there was little indication early on, that we could sustain the pace we had set ourselves to achieve the self-imposed target of £60M for the year.

“It is gratifying when a strategy based on supporting brokers and their clients with a high-quality service, based on building strong personal relationships, certainty of funding and an efficient deal process, delivers more than expected.

“We believe the £60M target we set ourselves for the year was a challenging one, so to end the year on £81.8M was immensely satisfying for the firm as a whole. It was also personally satisfying for every member of the team, who all played a part in us surpassing our 2023 target.

“Although the origination total for the year is extraordinary, the year itself was typical with the usual last-minute loans to rescue deals when other lenders changed terms or their minds, a fluctuating market, opinions of market doom or boom in equal measure and recruitment issues.

“We recognise that this was a stellar performance and one we are unlikely to repeat. But we expect that as more brokers recognise our commitment to doing what we say we’re going to do and following through on promises made at the outset, they will bring more business our way.”

Signature CEO Tony Gilbertson, added: “Changes to the way we work and improvements in our service that reflect the changing needs of brokers and their clients, like reducing the time taken from indicative terms to drawdown, is winning us a lot of new admirers, but it’s the deals we need if 2024 is to maintain our upward trajectory.

“Our success is based upon the quality of the service we deliver, rather than price. And whilst this is a difficult point of difference to prove to clients before they engage with Signature, it quickly becomes apparent to them when our in-house legal team are pushing their deal forwards.

“We have always been a hands-on lender and we believe our success is due in part to our willingness to make site visits to help us understand a developer’s vision. It’s the best way to appreciate a development in detail, whilst demonstrating our commitment to getting deals done.

“To help brokers and developers unlock the potential in property we are speeding up and simplifying our processes to reduce the challenges they face to fund their projects, whether it’s a £50K refurbishment, or a £3M ground-up development. It’s our commitment to lend across the UK, with local experience on hand for support, that will ensure Signature continues to grow and succeed.”