Thereโs a common complaint across UK bridging and short-term lending: โ๐๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด.โ
Thatโs true โ but not for the reasons people often think.
The issue isnโt dealmakers. Itโs a shortage of ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น, ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ โ and that gap has widened as the market has grown.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ผ๐น
UK bridging finance has expanded rapidly over the last decade, particularly in the past two years. New lenders, challenger banks and private credit platforms have entered the market, volumes have grown, and products have become more sophisticated.
The talent pipeline hasnโt kept pace.
Many originators have learned on the job in fast-moving environments. That builds strong commercial instincts โ but not always the skills now required as lending becomes more complex, regulated and risk-sensitive.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ
When clients say they canโt hire originators, theyโre usually looking for people who can:
โข Originate confidently and underwrite sensibly
โข Articulate risk clearly to credit committees
โข Operate comfortably within institutional governance
โข Manage relationships when deals get complicated
That combination typically comes from institutional training โ banks, structured finance teams, or scaled credit platforms. There simply arenโt enough people with that background relative to demand.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐
In benign markets, strong sales instincts can be enough.
In todayโs environment, they arenโt.
Higher rates, tighter funding and more scrutiny mean originators are judged on judgment, analysis and communication โ not just volume.
The result is a ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐โ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต, not a cyclical blip.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐๐ผ๐บ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ
The originator shortage in UK bridging finance isnโt about numbers.
Itโs about quality, training and maturity โ and the market has outgrown its talent infrastructure.
As a specialist in UK bridging finance recruitment, ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ by identifying talent with the institutional capability required to perform through the cycle.
