Hope Capital - Look back on Q4 2025 by Hope Capital Property Finance

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Q4 2025 Edition

Keeping you connected to everything happening at Hope Capital Property Finance

EditorsNote

Happy New Year!

Before we dive into an exciting year ahead, let’s take a moment to reflect on the final quarter of 2025, and what a remarkable quarter it was.

In case you missed the big news, we began a new chapter as Hope Capital Property Finance. This fresh era marks a bold step forward for us, with a renewed identity that strengthens our position as a leader in the bridging finance market, all while staying true to our roots and core values.

Alongside this, we achieved several important accreditations, strengthening our credibility and commitment to our team. We also took the time to revisit our values, ensuring that as we grow, we remain rooted in the principles that have always defined us.

Looking ahead, we are truly excited for the future as Hope Capital Property Finance, ready to embrace new opportunities, continue driving innovation in the market, and build on the strong foundations we have established.

Enjoy the read and thank you for your continued support!

Emily Crowe Senior Marketing & PR Executive

What’s Inside

The news is out – we have officially rebranded from Hope Capital to Hope Capital Property Finance.

As we approach our 15th year in business, we felt it was the right moment to introduce a fresh new look and feel that better represents who we are today and the direction in which the business continues to evolve.

A great deal of work went into ensuring this was far more than just a change of name or a new, flashy colour. From the design of the logo to the carefully chosen colour palette, every element was crafted

to reflect our maturity after many years in the market, while clearly conveying the values we stand for and the high standards we hold ourselves to.

We chose The Finance Professional Show as the platform to introduce the new Hope Capital Property Finance, and we are thrilled with the impact it has already had on the market. The feedback has been phenomenal, from long-standing partners to brokers across the industry, with overwhelmingly positive responses to the new brand.

ANone of this would have exceptional efforts worked tirelessly behind rebrand to life and 10-11

Following our most supported by increased in our strongest position

A Bold New Look

Unveiling our new logo, colours and direction

have been possible without the of our marketing team, who behind the scenes to bring the and create an incredible stand.

Please turn to pages 10-11 to see our knockout stand.

most successful year to date, increased funding lines, we are now position yet to continue enhancing

our proposition and grow. This rebrand shows the industry who we are and what we stand for.

At the core, it reflects our ongoing support to our brokers and borrowers with flexible, competitive and tailored bridging finance solutions as we look ahead to the next era of Hope Capital Property Finance. What will be next? You’ll have to wait and see!

The Mission, Vision, And Values, That Drives Us

Our purpose, principles and ambitions for the future

It’s not just our look that has evolved alongside our direction for the future –we’ve also launched a set of brand-new values as well.

As part of our full brand refresh, we saw this as the perfect opportunity to do things differently by giving our team a genuine platform to help define the values they believe the new Hope Capital Property Finance should represent. That’s where Kerry Hodgkiss of Mind Development came in.

This was a two-stage process, beginning with an initial workshop led by Kerry, where small groups across the business identified the values, they felt were most important. Once everyone had the opportunity to share their views, this was followed by a series of dynamic and engaging workshops, kindly hosted at the Brabners office, which helped us dig deeper into who we are as a business and how we work together as a team.

Kerry Hodgkiss Director at Mind Development

The outcome was a clearly defined set of values – Honest, Original-thinking, People-driven, Empowered – that authentically reflect our culture, reinforce our commitment to Relationships Beyond Lending, and place our team firmly at the heart of everything we do.

A big thank you to Kerry for her support and guidance during this stage; we were

Original-thinking

so pleased to have her involved in the journey.

Alongside this, we also revisited our mission and vision to ensure they fully align with our rebrand and future direction, clearly reflecting our purpose, ambitions and the way we want to support our brokers, borrowers and partners.

As we move forward, we’re excited about

what the future holds for us as a business. Guided by our refreshed brand, values, mission and vision, we remain focused on delivering innovative specialist finance solutions that truly support our brokers and borrowers. Through exceptional service, we’re proud to continue to lead the way in the specialist lending industry.

Recognised as a Great Place To Work®

And our industry pledges

Over the last quarter, we have made significant progress in strengthening our culture, supporting our team and shaping a workplace we can all feel proud to be part of. From major accreditations to new well-being and inclusion pledges, we have been hard at work making sure our commitments make a true difference to our team.

We are particularly proud of our Great Place To Work® Certification™, a recognition that is based entirely on feedback from our own team. We had an astonishing 94% of participants say that Hope Capital Property Finance is a great place to work, a fantastic achievement considering the UK average of just 54%.

Another significant achievement this quarter is becoming an accredited Living Wage Employer. This means we have committed to paying every member of our team a wage that reflects real day to day living costs rather than the government minimum. It represents how much value we place on financial security and quality of life for everyone in our team.

Our pledges don’t stop there. We further strengthened our commitment to inclusion by signing the Menopause Workplace Pledge and introducing our new menopause champions, our brilliant CFO, Kate Cowan and HR Manager, Steph Kinsella. This ensures that all employees affected by menopause are supported, understood and treated with respect in the workplace.

CFO

Manager

Kate Cowan

Stephanie Kinsella HR

In addition, we further reinforced our commitment to mental health and wellbeing by signing the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter. Joining the MIMHC and supporting mental health across the sector felt like a natural next step, particularly as we already have dedicated mental health first aiders within the business, thanks to the help of Evolving Mindset - Jemma Wood, Kate Cowan, Laura Carr, Pauline O’Gorman, Sarah Butler, Stephanie Kinsella, and Steve Sealey. This commitment is further supported by recent enhancements to our internal wellbeing portal, myHOPE, as we continue striving to raise standards across the industry.

Finally, we also proudly joined the Pride in Finance Alliance. By working alongside the Alliance, we aim to champion equality, share best practice and help create workplaces where LGBT+ colleagues and clients feel respected, represented and empowered. We’re proud to have not one but three LGBT+ champions in our workplace: Daisy Howard, Grace Richmond and Laurel Livesey.

Daisy Howard Graphic & Web Designer

Grace Richmond Relationship Support Specialist

Laurel Livesey Senior Underwriting Coordinator

Jemma Wood Head of Portfolio Managment

Laura Carr Head of Underwriting

Pauline O’Gorman Office Manager

Sarah Butler Head of Marketing & Communications

Steve Sealy Chairman

Stephanie Kinsella HR Manager

The Finance Professional Show 2025

Launching the new Hope Capital Property Finance

Alongside the launch of our new brand, The Finance Professional Show was the perfect platform to highlight enhancements to our offering.

At the start of 2025, we made a significant change to our bridging finance proposition by introducing a flat-rate pricing structure across our entire bridging range. Building on this, we took another step to reinforce our position as a competitive lender by reducing our rates across the board.

Residential bridging loans up to 75% LTV reduced from 0.89% to 0.85%, semi-commercial bridging loans up to 70% LTV went from 0.95%, and commercial bridging loans were reduced from 1.09% to 0.99%.

The show itself was a fantastic success, chance to reintroduce ourselves to the connect with a wide range of brokers.

LTV were semi-commercial from 1.05% to up to 65% LTV

success, giving us the the industry and

It was also the perfect opportunity to launch our new beer, FUNDS ON TAP!

If you attended the show, did you get a chance to try one? We’d love to hear what you thought!

We’re especially proud of our Graphic and Web Designer, Daisy Howard, who worked closely with Max Dias-Gunawardena of Maximum Exhibitions to create a stand that truly captured our new brand

Simplifying Scottish Lending

No upfront legal undertaking thanks to gunnercooke Scotland

Laura Carr, Head of Underwriting

e’ve made residential bridging loans in Scotland simpler. By teaming up with gunnercooke Scotland, we’re now offering a no upfront legal undertaking, so borrowers applying for loans up to £1m can get started without paying legal fees in advance.

This partnership builds on years of collaboration with gunnercooke in England and Wales, and we’re excited to strengthen that relationship in Scotland. Together, we’re focused on delivering a smoother, more efficient experience for clients across a wide range of residential projects.

Since launching our bridging proposition in Scotland in 2018, we’ve learned what it takes to get deals completed efficiently and the level of expertise the market demands. Combined with our other fast-track features including instant valuations, desktop valuations, and full title insurance, this initiative helps make the entire bridging process quicker and more straightforward.

For us, it’s about putting borrowers first, removing unnecessary hurdles, and ensuring funding in Scotland is as competitive and accessible as it should be.

A special thanks to Bryan Finlayson at gunnercooke Scotland for his support on this initiative. We’re looking forward to helping our borrowers take full advantage of this enhancement in 2026 and beyond.

e had some fantastic news last quarter, as our Senior Underwriter, Andrew Bate, was recognised in Financial Reporter’s inaugural 30 Under 30 list. This new industry accolade highlights rising stars across financial services, and Andrew’s inclusion is a brilliant reflection of his development, dedication and impact within our team.

Ambitious, analytical and consistently calm under pressure, Andrew has had an impressive journey with us. Starting as a Loan Administrator in 2021 and progressing to Senior Underwriter in just three years, he has shown exceptional ability, sharp attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to delivering the best outcomes for our clients.

His approach and leadership are helping to set a new benchmark for underwriting within the specialist lending space, and we are incredibly proud to see Andrew’s hard work being acknowledged.

Congratulations, Andrew!

Making the Financial Reporter 30 Under 30 List

Congratulations to Andrew Bate

Andrew Bate, Senior Underwriter

Sharing the Festive Spirit

Unwrapping holiday fun with our year-end competition

Over the Christmas period, we were delighted to host a festive competition, giving away a series of fantastic prizes via our social media platforms, including an Apple iPhone 16, Meta Quest 3S, PlayStation 5, Apple iPad A16, Apple AirPods, an Amethyst Christmas Gift Hamper, Sony in-ear headphones, a Bordeaux Wine Gift Pack, an AU Vodka Gift Pack, a Celebration Christmas Gift Hamper, a Wine & Treat Christmas Gift Hamper, and a Freixenet Prosecco & Candle set.

All entrants had to do was check our LinkedIn page every day at 2pm, make sure they were following us, and like, comment, and share the post for their chance to win - it was that simple!

In total, we received over 1,000 entries during the competition – who doesn’t love a competition at Christmas! A huge thank you to everyone who took part and a massive congratulations to all our winners.

The Sunshine

Our favourite date

If you’ve been following our journey, you’ll know that our partnership with the Sunshine Group now spans more than nine years.

The Sunshine Group is a North West–based support group for women through every stage of breast cancer, from diagnosis, through treatment, and beyond. Run by a small group of volunteers and steered by women for women, the charity

relies entirely on donations, giving penny to support

Their work is funded a range of regular events, and the is a wonderful opportunity celebrate the organisation raise vital funds.

We’re so proud event each year, ball was no exception. Our team thoroughly

Sunshine Ball date of the year

on voluntary giving back every support those affected. funded through regular charity the annual ball opportunity to organisation and funds. to sponsor the year, and this year’s exception. thoroughly enjoyed

the evening, and we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Ann Coffey, who once again organised a brilliant event.

To order tickets for the Sunshine Ball 2026 please contact Ann Coffey on 07815 619 971 or by email: ann@sunshinegroup. org.uk.

Bringing the Festive Fun

The Hope Collective put together a fantastic December Itinerary

We take our office Christmas activities very seriously each year, and this year was no different, with the Hope Collective organising plenty to keep us festive throughout December.

We began the month with a Christmas edition of Friday Afternoon Fun, featuring an office scavenger hunt and quiz hosted by our enthusiastic Finance Assistant, Tracey Jones. It was a brilliant way to kickstart December’s celebrations and set the tone for the weeks ahead.

Our annual Christmas Party followed at the Racquet Club, where some of the team enjoyed an evening together celebrating the year’s achievements.

The festivities continued the following Monday with Mulled Wine Monday, which has become a much-loved tradition over the years. Alongside the mulled wine, we also offered a non-alcoholic option with delicious Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser hot chocolates for those who wanted to enjoy a warm, sweet treat.

Later in the month, breakfast with Bucks annual White Elephant brought a £10 gift, laughter, and friendly tried to secure their remains a great and add an extra

We also held a second Fun session, featuring challenged teams songs from just the alongside Christmas Throughout December, The Mayor of Sefton’s alongside the rest of Sefton’s Christmas

Fun

month, the team enjoyed a McDonald’s Bucks Fizz before taking part in our Elephant gift exchange. Each person gift, creating plenty of surprises, friendly competition as everyone their favourite present. This tradition way to bring the team together extra layer of excitement to the day.

second Christmas Friday Afternoon featuring a festive music quiz that teams to identify popular Christmas the first few seconds, enjoyed Christmas cocktails and mocktails. December, the team also supported Sefton’s Christmas Toy Appeal rest of our office building. The Mayor Christmas Toy Appeal is an annual

community initiative led by the Mayor to support children and families across the borough who may be facing financial hardship during the festive season. The appeal relies on the generosity of local businesses, organisations and residents to donate new, unwrapped gifts, helping to ensure that no child goes without at Christmas.

Together, we collected a significant number of presents to help ensure as many children across Sefton as possible had something to open at Christmas. This initiative remains an important and meaningful part of our festive activities, and we’re proud to have supported it for several years.

Welcome

Leanne

ur sales team’s growth hasn’t slowed down. After proudly promoting Chris Grierson to Relationship Manager, and celebrating Alicia Alty’s promotion to Sales Specialist in Q3, we’re excited to welcome another new addition.

Leanne Stafford has joined us as a Sales Specialist, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise. She’s a fantastic addition to our team and will play a key role in supporting our growing business.

Welcome to the team, Leanne!

Sharing Our Offering with Optimum ELITE

We always enjoy taking part in webinars, as they give us a fantastic opportunity to share our criteria and connect with new brokers. Our latest session, joined by our Relationship Manager Chris Grierson, was a perfect example of the value these webinars bring, especially those brilliantly hosted by Optimum ELITE.

During the webinar, a broker flagged a complex deal: their client needed to repay an existing facility and complete a rebridge across three properties, including HMOs and MUFB, during one

of the busiest times of the year. With many lenders slowing down, meeting the deadline was crucial to avoid extra interest costs.

Did our team deliver? Of course they did! Thanks to our longstanding partnership with solicitors, Dutton Gregory, Naomi Williams, represented both us and the borrower, saving significant time and money, and a desktop valuation was completed in just 48 hours. Everyone stayed fully engaged, ensuring a smooth process. Amazing work by our team, including Chris

Grierson, Samuel Lea, Ryan Peers, and a huge thank you to Rebecca Barnes and Charlotte Vickers at Wenham Specialist Finance, and Optimum Elite for the introduction.

The deal was completed in just two weeks, with a week to spare, saving the borrower thousands in interest and proving our ability to deliver fast, efficient bridging finance, even during the busiest times of the year. Not a bad deal to wrap up the year!

Recognised Across the Board Finalists in leadership,

marketing and industry awards

The Financial Reporter 30 Under 30 list wasn’t the only recognition we received over the last quarter. We were proud to have been shortlisted across a wide range of industry awards, highlighting the strength and depth of talent across the business:

The North West PROPS Awards 2025

Funder of the Year

Financial Reporter,

Mortgage Industry Marketing Awards 2025

Best MarketingSpecialist Lending

Mortgage Introducer Awards 2025

Mortgage Industry Employer of Choice

Mortgage Introducer Awards 2025

Woman of DistinctionKate Cowan, Chief Financial Officer

Mortgage Introducer Awards 2025

Rising Star – Michelle Powell, Senior Relationship Support Specialist

Star of Hope 2025

Recognising outstanding commitment and achievement

2025 has been a year dedicated to celebrating the incredible individuals across our team who have gone above and beyond, truly lived our values, and exceeded all expectations through our Star of Hope Awards. A huge congratulations once again to our 2025 winners so far:

Q3: Nathan Campbell and Charlotte Holt

Q2: Daisy Howard and Chris Grierson

Q1: Stacey Bradwell

Now it’s time to reveal our latest Star of Hope winners.

This quarter, we didn’t just celebrate our quarterly Star of Hope, but we also celebrated our annual award, the Shining Star of Hope, too!

First up, we’re delighted to announce that Alicia Alty has won the Q4 2025 Star of Hope Award. Since joining the business in February 2025, Alicia has gone above and beyond, earning a welldeserved promotion from Sales Administrator to Sales Specialist. Winning this award so early on really shows the impact she’s already making. Congratulations, Alicia!

Secondly, we’d like to congratulate Hammad Abassi, who has taken home the Shining Star of Hope Award. Having been with the business for several years, Hammad has shown outstanding progression over the past year, taking on more complex deal types, all while consistently supporting the team. He embodies all of our values and is a pleasure to have in the team. Well done, Hammad!

Alicia is often described as the backbone of the Sales team. She consistently goes above and beyond, picking up anything that needs doing without complaint and always making time to support her colleagues, regardless of her own workload. Over the past 12 months, her confidence has grown enormously, and she is constantly pushing herself to learn and be the best she can be. Not forgetting she does it all with a smile and is an absolute pleasure to work with.

Alicia Alty Sales Specialist

Hammad Abbasi Underwriter

We’re delighted to congratulate Hammad Abassi on winning the Shining Star of Hope Award. Over the past year, Hammad has shown exceptional progression. He consistently goes above and beyond to support the team, proactively engaging with brokers and offering solutions rather than problems. This approach has earned him outstanding broker and stakeholder feedback, with some brokers even requesting him as their dedicated underwriter.