New data from Brickflow’s loan search platform shows that searches for bridging finance for residential, HMO, and mixed-use investment properties reached £12.7 billion in 2025, up from £9.5 billion in 2024.
New data from Brickflow’s loan search platform shows that searches for bridging finance for residential, HMO, and mixed-use investment properties reached £12.7 billion in 2025, up from £9.5 billion in 2024, highlighting continued strong demand for short-term property finance across the UK investment market.
London, 27th April 2026
The data, based on loan searches conducted across the Brickflow platform, indicates that purchase and refinance activity was the primary driver of growth, reflecting improving investor confidence and increased transaction activity during 2025.
Searches for bridging finance for purchase or refinance increased by 65%, rising from £5.4bn in 2024 to £8.9bn in 2025, making it the largest and fastest-growing use case for bridging finance over the year. This spike in activity was largely catalysed by the downward trend in interest rates throughout the year. As the Bank of England cut the base rate six times from its 5.25% peak to reach 3.75% by December 2025, the 1.5 percentage point reduction acted as a release valve for property investors, unlocking acquisition and refinancing strategies that had previously been on hold.
Refurbishment finance also saw growth, with searches increasing from £1.3bn to £1.5bn, while activity varied across asset classes. Refurbishment bridging for standard residential and HMOs remained broadly static year-on-year, but mixed-use refurbishment finance nearly doubled, rising from £76m to £131m, suggesting increased investor appetite for value-add opportunities in mixed-use assets. This shift is a strategic response to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which effectively ends Section 21 "no-fault" evictions on May 1st, 2026. By moving into mixed-use assets, investors can balance residential risk with commercial tenancies that sit outside these new, stricter residential housing regulations.
The HMO sector also recorded significant growth. Searches for bridging finance to purchase or refinance HMOs more than doubled, increasing from £69m in 2024 to £147m in 2025, reflecting continued investor demand for higher-yielding rental assets. The doubling of HMO searches underscores a clear flight to yield. With traditional single-let margins squeezed, investors are utilising bridging finance to pivot into higher-yielding HMO assets, prioritising cash flow in a more complex rental market.
Meanwhile, development exit funding for standard residential decreased from £2.1bn to £1.8bn, which may reflect falling development finance costs and a slightly improving sales market, reducing the need for exit bridging in some cases.
Brickflow’s total annual search volume – across residential, commercial and development property types – climbed by more than 40% between 2024 and 2025. Its user base increased by 30%.
Overall, the data suggests that 2025 saw a shift towards acquisition, refinancing and repositioning strategies, rather than development exits, as investors adapted to changing interest rates, property values and rental demand.
Frazer Campbell, CRO and Co-Founder at Brickflow, commented:
"The 2025 data reflects a period where falling interest rates and a return to stability provided a strong launchpad for property investors. However, 2026 is proving more complex; interest rates are stickier than anticipated, and global tensions have reintroduced a layer of market volatility that requires a more strategic approach.
"In this landscape, agility is key. We are seeing a clear shift toward tech-driven financing, with more investors using the Brickflow platform to secure the most appropriate bridging finance needed to fund their property investment plans, ensuring they stay resilient even as the broader economic environment remains uncertain."
Brickflow is a UK-based digital platform transforming how commercial property finance is sourced and applied for. The platform connects brokers and their borrowers with live rates and criteria from over 150 specialist lenders, enabling faster comparisons and near-instant Decisions in Principle. Brickflow also provides embedded and white-label solutions that help brokers streamline applications and deliver a modern digital experience.
Find out more about Brickflow for Brokers or run your numbers through our live loan comparison:
> Bridging loan calculator
> Commercial mortgage calculator
> Development finance calculator
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Martin Jordana
Long Storey Short
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