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Building growth for property developers & investors
We’ve financed every kind of real estate and property development project you can imagine, from sustainable homes and student housing, to rugby stadiums and cutting-edge laboratories.
When you need a business loan to finance a development project, or expand your property portfolio with buy-to-let, it’s vital to find a real estate loan partner who knows how your industry works.
At OakNorth we live and breathe property: whether you’re a developer or a property investor, we’ve provided property development finance to convert offices, release equity for new acquisitions, build student residences, turn vacant buildings into new homes, and much more. We’ll work with you to create bespoke loan facilities ranging from £250,000 to tens of millions, so you can get moving quickly.
We’ll be with you from start to future, with financing shaped around the complexities of property development.
Whether it’s flexible pricing structures, covering acquisition and refurbishment in a single loan, or something else entirely, we’ll create solutions that match the full life-cycle of your project.
We’ve helped dozens of developers breathe new life into existing properties.
From family-run housebuilders to global property developers, we can provide a range of facilities to support repositioning or refurbishment programmes.
Real estate projects can involve a range of activities, which may evolve into repeat development projects.
Our umbrella facilities offer multiple loans as part of one agreement, so you can deliver projects more quickly and reduce costs.
We work closely with a range of mezzanine providers, which can help you raise funds for projects through a hybrid of debt and equity financing.
This means you can spread equity among a range of different developments or purchases.
Looking to expand your buy-to-let portfolio?
If you’re looking to invest in residential property, we’ve got a streamlined digital application journey for fast flexible financing from £250,000 up to £3,000,000. You’ll be able to create an online account where you can manage every part of your application and you could receive custom loan terms in just five minutes.*
*Subject to each application circumstance
We’re proud to have financed property development projects that regenerate neighbourhoods, create net-zero smart homes, and have helped to drive the growth of the UK’s science and technology sector.
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Meet Kate, CEO of Bruntwood SciTech
We were able to provide the debt funding that they needed to continue their support of the UK science industry and expansion plans across the country, and supported them even when other banks weren’t able to.
Bruntwood SciTech is focused on commercial property in the science and technology sectors – we just provided the environment for those businesses to come in, work together, collaborate, and support them through their growth journey.
I’m a finance person by trade. I’d always had a bit of a desire to go work in industry and a role at Bruntwood came up. So, I joined the group just over 10 years ago now and have worked in various different roles over the years, and then was asked to take on the Chief Executive role just over 18 months ago, so I’ve moved on to something a bit more expansive than just the numbers.
We were looking to begin to grow our footprint in Birmingham initially. We had one opportunity on the table at the time, which was the development of a new building. We designed the building up, had a cost plan, and needed some debt funding to support us in getting that off the ground and built, and then the pandemic hit. It took us a while to kind of regroup and get our heads around that. But I think ultimately, we still believed in the fact that this was the sector that was really going to begin to power the growth of the UK coming out of the pandemic.
Having gone back to a couple of other funders at the time, pre-pandemic who were interested, they had withdrawn from that market, but OakNorth was still keen to support us through that journey and could spot the fact that actually, this business was in quite a sweet spot sectorally as far as real estate was concerned. And so were keen to continue to fund the building, which was brilliant. OakNorth just has a slightly different slant in the way that they do business, and it is a lot quicker. The ability for me to pick up the phone to an individual that I know and understand us as a business is absolutely key. OakNorth is one of those lenders that will look at things that are a little bit out of the box that others won’t.
Going to credit committee I thought was really beneficial. They are hearing our background, our story, our expertise, our financial position from us as a team, rather than things being lost in translation. I think it just made the whole process far quicker, far slicker, to tell me what they need to achieve. I tell them what I need to achieve, and we get there.
We’re entrepreneurs at heart, so we build our real estate loans with business owners front and centre. That means no inflexible and inefficient finance facilities, no-time wasting, and no ambiguity. Just straightforward debt finance without giving up equity.
Not sure which financing you need? From term debt to revolving credit facilities and bridging loans, our financing is bespoke to your use case. Find out more about the different types of debt in our guide to business loans. Or, first time financing property? Check out our complete guide to property development financing to find out more.
QUICK ACCESS TO CASH
Get funded faster
We’re a bank founded by entrepreneurs, so we know just how important it is to keep things moving quickly.
With OakNorth, funds can be with you in a matter of weeks, so you can break ground without any frustrating, lengthy hold-ups.
HIGHLY CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS
Tailor your finance to your future
Our facilities allow you to avoid the risks and inefficiencies involved with project-by-project financing.
We’ll create a tailored facility that matches precisely what you’re trying to accomplish.
A TRANSPARENT PROCESS
Meet key decision makers
The process of applying for a loan can feel mysterious and opaque sometimes, with no real insight into why you might have been approved or turned down.
OakNorth is different: we invite you to meet our Credit Committee and keep you in the loop throughout.
EXPERTS THAT UNDERSTAND BUSINESS GROWTH
Reach success with the right people
We work with a whole range of industry sectors, but we’ve backed more development projects than anything else.
From converting old fire stations to building tens of thousands of new homes up and down the country, our expertise is rooted in years of practical experience.
The team at OakNorth were able to put together a single facility that captures both the acquisition and refurbishment of the hotel, allowing us to focus on the repositioning of the assets, and move quickly without interruption.
OakNorth’s experience gained from working with some of the leading property developers really shone through during the entire lending process, allowing us time to invest in areas where our own expertise and passion can make the most impact.
The OakNorth team operated quickly and transparently, with the entrepreneurial approach and commercial acumen that was promised.
This is the third time we’ve chosen OakNorth Bank as our funding partner and there’s a reason we keep returning to them – the team is collaborative, constructive, and commercial. There’s no broad-brush assumptions or computer-says-no decisions.
“The fact that we managed to secure the finance we need in just one week is pretty incredible and we really appreciate the time OakNorth put in to ensure this happened.”
Fund your next move today
If you have a clear vision for growth, we can make it happen. Speak to a member of our team and we’ll help you kickstart your next move.
Case studies
The Challenge Founded in 2004 by Ian Baxter, Baxter Homes has been building homes for over 15 years, completing projects across the Fylde Coast, Elswick, Great Eccleston and Garstang. With the reduction of finance options for vital SME housebuilders having been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic as many other banks retrench from the market, Baxter […]
The Challenge Founded in 2008, Martin Homes specialises in new build and conversion developments within the prime locations of London, Sussex, Surrey and Kent. With Brighton benefitting from the major city exodus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the stamp duty holiday, with buyer demand up 45% in 2020 compared to 2019, the […]
FAQs
What distinguishes OakNorth from traditional banks?
Our speed and flexibility: we’ll work with you to design something truly bespoke – so you can acquire and refurbish a site all under one facility, for example. And we’ll do it far quicker than high street banks.
I’m expecting to deliver repeat development projects. What other facilities are available?
We have years of experience helping businesses avoid the pitfalls of project-by-project financing. Our umbrella facilities allow for multiple projects and the acquisition of new assets, so you can deliver projects more quickly and reduce costs.
How do you go about designing bespoke facilities for property developers?
Along with taking the time to speak to you and understand your objectives, we also use forecasting tools to get a sense of where you’re going. We’re not restricted by historic financials, which means we can build something truly personalised, that takes into account your business’ growth trajectory.
How is the cost of an OakNorth business loan calculated?
The cost of your loan is based on what kind of borrower you are, or your risk profile, which depends on factors like credit history, industry sector and more. We focus on speed, flexibility and competitive terms over price.
Do you provide “interest-only” business loans?
Depending on factors like your business’ risk profile and what you need the funding for, we can provide amortising loans, where you gradually pay off your debt with regular payments, as well as non-amortising loans, where you pay off the loan in a lump sum.
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