High-net-worth borrowers are increasingly using finance to preserve liquidity and manage their wider wealth rather than simply to secure capital, according to Enness Global.
The brokerage’s Private Client Finance Report for the first half of 2026 found that wealthy clients were placing greater value on certainty of execution and bespoke lending arrangements, despite continued volatility in financial and property markets.
Outstanding UK residential mortgage balances reached £1.746 trillion, while new mortgage commitments rose to £78 billion, according to Financial Conduct Authority mortgage lending statistics for the first quarter of 2026. Enness said the figures pointed to improving confidence in a lending market that remained selective.
The number of available mortgage products reached its highest level since 2007, although more than 530 fixed-rate deals were withdrawn during March as lenders repriced their ranges.
Enness expects about 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgages to expire during 2026, supporting refinancing activity and demand for specialist mortgage advice in the second half of the year.
The report identified growing use of securities-backed finance, bridging loans and cross-border facilities as affluent borrowers sought to fund investments and manage their balance sheets without releasing existing assets.
Islay Robinson, chief executive of Enness Global, said: “The strongest borrowers are often not the simplest. Increasingly, successful borrowing is less about accessing capital and more about structuring it intelligently around a client’s broader wealth position.
“Sophisticated borrowers are placing greater value on certainty of execution and preserving liquidity than simply achieving the lowest possible rate.”
Prime London remained attractive to international purchasers despite weaker transaction volumes, the report said. Housing supply increased by 13.8% year on year, while average discounts to asking prices widened to 10.5%.
Prime central London prices remained about 7% below their level a year earlier. Transactions worth more than £5 million also remained above pre-pandemic averages despite an annual decline.
US buyers were among the most active overseas purchasers, particularly those working in technology, artificial intelligence and private equity.
Enness expects demand for bespoke lending to continue growing during the second half of 2026 as clients’ wealth structures become more international and complex.
