Private Capital Available
Broker-led bridging and structured finance of £2m–£10m, secured against prime residential and commercial property across the UK and Europe, underwritten in-house, with direct access to the decision makers.
Our Approach
We provide disciplined, asset-backed property lending focused on capital preservation and dependable returns. Alongside deploying our own capital, we actively partner with lenders, banks, and investors seeking a trusted, experienced lending partner.
Led by James Caan CBE (20+ years' real estate investment experience) and Alastair Carmichael (20+ years in real estate finance), HB Real Estate Lending provides bespoke unregulated loans secured against prime UK and European property. With swift underwriting and access to the decision makers, we provide terms backed by both capital and the horsepower to execute.
We write £2m–£10m bridging, development-exit and structured loans secured against prime residential and commercial property in the UK and Europe, underwritten in-house against our own balance sheet, and delivered through brokers we work with repeatedly.
Who this is for: Brokers and borrowers needing short-term secured finance on a deadline, and investors seeking asset-backed income alongside our own capital.
We lend our own money, so a term sheet is a decision rather than an application passed to a credit committee elsewhere.
In-house underwriting and direct access to the decision makers means fast, deliverable terms, and an honest no when a deal does not work.
Bridging, refinancing, development exit and bespoke structures shaped around the security and the exit, not a rate card.
Led by James Caan CBE and Alastair Carmichael, with 20+ years each in real estate investment and property finance.
Our People
Head of Real Estate Lending
20+ years' experience
Specialism
Real estate lending, credit underwriting and structured property finance.
20+ years in real estate finance
LinkedIn
Real Estate Lending Originations Manager
5+ years' experience
Specialism
Loan origination, broker relationships and deal structuring.
Real Estate Lending Analyst
5+ years' experience
Specialism
Credit analysis, underwriting support and loan monitoring.
Chairman & Founder
35+ years' experience
Specialism
Entrepreneurship, private equity and growth strategy. Four decades building, backing and exiting founder-led businesses.
20+ years' real estate investment experience
LinkedIn
Chief Investment Officer
25+ years' experience
Specialism
Investment strategy, portfolio construction and deal structuring across the firm's platforms.
Chief Investment Officer, Hamilton Bradshaw
LinkedIn
Real Estate Lending Expert
40+ years' experience
Specialism
Real estate lending across UK and European markets, including origination, credit structuring and workout experience through multiple property cycles.
40+ years across UK and European real estate markets
LinkedIn
General Counsel
15+ years' experience
Specialism
Corporate law, transactional documentation and portfolio legal support.
15+ years as HB's General Counsel
LinkedIn
Investment Director
15+ years' experience
Specialism
Investment and transaction execution across audit, risk advisory and real estate finance on UK and European deals.
15+ years in investment and real estate finance
LinkedInWe work with two distinct audiences. Choose the route that fits you.
Route One
For brokers, banks and borrowers seeking a bespoke unregulated facility secured against prime UK or European property. Loans of £2m–£10m, swift underwriting, and direct access to the decision makers.
Discuss a facilityRoute Two
For professional and high-net-worth investors, family offices and institutions looking to participate in asset-backed lending alongside our own capital, with a medium-term horizon.
Discuss deploying capitalA broker, bank, or borrower introduces a secured lending opportunity against prime UK or European property.
Valuation, borrower profile, exit strategy, and legal structure are assessed by our in-house team.
Bespoke terms are issued with the security package: first charge, guarantees, and fiduciary structures as required.
Funds are drawn against a first-ranking legal charge, with interest terms agreed up front.
The loan is actively monitored through to exit: sale, refinance, or an alternative agreed route to repayment.
A private developer needed to refinance an existing asset and release equity at a pace mainstream lenders could not match. We structured a bespoke facility secured through a fiduciary trust and personal guarantee, with rolled-up interest and more than one route to exit.
A privately owned investment company required a bridge while a prime central London asset was brought to market. Our facility gave the borrower certainty of funding and the time needed to achieve the right price.
A private individual needed a cross-border refinance with discretion and speed. We released equity efficiently and gave the borrower a realistic window to market the property.
Investing alongside Martley Capital in a landmark Birmingham office asset acquired at a cyclical low. Approximately 80% of our investment was structured as mezzanine debt, providing a contracted quarterly cash yield while retaining equity upside.
A commercial bridging facility for an experienced European property professional we had backed before. Speed, discretion and a practical view of the asset mattered more than standard criteria. We drew on our advisor network to support a higher-than-usual LTV despite a down valuation, secured by a first-ranking charge, a fiduciary trust with the lender as beneficiary, and a personal guarantee.
Loan Size
£2m – £10m / €2.5m – €12m
Loan Type
Senior, mezzanine, and bridging
Asset Type
Prime residential and commercial real estate
Use of Funds
Acquisition, refinance, bridging, renovation, development support
Term
Up to 3 years
Max LTV
Typically up to 75%
Geography
UK and select European prime locations
Structure
Flexible and tailored to each project
Every loan is protected by a layered security structure. The exact package varies by transaction, but typically includes:
We regularly host breakfast sessions bringing together developers, lenders, brokers and advisers for industry networking and knowledge sharing across the real estate market.
Sessions are intentionally small, candid and practical, an opportunity to discuss live market conditions, deal structures and funding appetite with people doing the same work.
Contact Us If Interested
Bringing together the people shaping the real estate lending market.
Candid, practical conversations over breakfast.
Our bridging and real estate roundtables bring lenders, brokers and developers together. Here is how the trade press reported on the discussions.
Broker insights from a Hamilton Bradshaw roundtable on cross-border equity release and where lenders are being squeezed in the current market.
Takeaways from our bridging roundtable on why certainty of funding and lender credibility now matter more than headline pricing.
Speak directly with Alastair Carmichael and the real estate lending team.
Contact Alastair & the TeamImportant Information
This page is for information only and is not an offer, inducement or invitation to lend, borrow or invest. Lending and investment involve risk, including the risk of losing some or all of the capital deployed. Security, loan-to-value limits and structuring are intended to mitigate risk but do not remove it; property values can fall and borrowers may default. Past transactions are illustrative only and are not a guide to future outcomes. Any facilities or opportunities referred to are unregulated and are intended for professional and high-net-worth investors and counterparties. Please take independent advice before proceeding.
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