Stonebridge Group, the mortgage and insurance network, has made a strong start to 2013 according to its latest completion and case data from Legal & General.

The figures show mortgage transactions continuing to trend upwards and monthly business levels showing large year-on-year improvements.

By the end of May 2013, Stonebridge Group had handled mortgage completions with a value of 50% higher than over the first five months of last year and is already well over half way towards last year’s total figure with a month in hand. The actual number of cases completed has also risen by a third from the corresponding 2012 timescale.

The most recent monthly statistics available – for May 2013 – show that the value of cases is 68% higher than the same month a year ago and the volume of cases is up by 48%.

Richard Adams, managing director of Stonebridge Group, said: “As we near the halfway point of the year, we are justifiably proud of the strong start we have made to 2013 and hope to continue this level of performance over the coming months.

“The success is partly attributable to the fact we have increased the number of appointed representative firms within the network, but also to the fact that the market seems to have turned a corner in terms of borrower demand, lending supply and general confidence.

“With initiatives such as Funding for Lending and the Help to Buy scheme only likely to improve things further, there is no reason to believe we can’t maintain these impressive figures.”