Bridging lender Tuscan Capital has made a new senior level broker-facing appointment and opened a second regional office in Manchester.

Carl Graham has been appointed to the newly-created position of regional director reporting directly to CEO, Colin Sanders.

Graham becomes responsible for the lender’s two regional hubs located in Birmingham and the just-opened central Manchester office. In addition to day-to-day operational management of both sites, his principal mission is to develop long-term relationships with locally-based brokers, introducers and advisers.

Graham brings to Tuscan Capital over 17 years’ experience in the specialist mortgage and property finance sectors. He joined Advantage Homeloans in 2003 where he held roles in credit and risk. In 2008, he moved to Beacon Homeloans as credit manager for the North.

In 2011, he joined Bridgebank Capital as sales director where he sat on the board and was responsible for setting-up the Quantum by Bridgebank Capital brand.

After a period with Octopus Real Estate – during which time he helped build the business plan for its Manchester office launch – his final move before joining Tuscan Capital was to Rocket Bridging as credit director.

Graham said: “Following the success of our first regional office in Birmingham, Tuscan Capital continues to build on its objective to become the go-to bridging lender for brokers in England and Wales.

“Having worked mainly in the North for the past 15 years in a specialist debt capacity, it’s clear to me that a second dedicated regional office based in Manchester will allow us to deliver the support local introducers crave.

“Our stakeholders recognise that a regional presence is paramount. Our lending criteria will therefore be tailored to local requirements to furnish brokers and their clients with the funding they seek.

“With high demand for both mixed-use and residential property across the North and Midlands, I am genuinely excited about our continued impact and expansion in these important growth regions of the U.K.”

Tuscan Capital said its new Manchester office is located in the heart of the city on John Dalton Street and is capable of processing deals end-to-end: from initial enquiry through to funding draw-down.

As with the Birmingham hub, full back-office support will be provided by the lender’s head office in central London.

Sanders (pictured) said its decision to invest in Manchester was driven by sustained demand for funding from its network of introducers, particularly for purchases at auction and for refurbishment projects.

He added: “Increasing investment in the Northern Powerhouse, and a trend for professionals to flee London for more affordable living in the North, has unquestionably driven demand which has resulted in significant uplifts in the residential real estate investment market.

“We therefore believe that this is the right time, in spite of all the current nervousness and uncertainty, to be bold and take the next step in our expansion plan.

“Pivotal to this is the appointment of Carl as our new regional director. His track record and reputation speak for themselves, and I and the rest of the team welcome him whole-heartedly to Tuscan Capital.”