Bridging lending volumes eased in the second quarter of 2026, but the way borrowers used bridging finance shifted noticeably. Chain breaks, auction purchases, heavy refurbishment and second-charge bridging all took a larger share of transactions, while completion times shortened.
In short: Bridging Trends, published on 25 August 2026, recorded £173.1 million of gross bridging lending in Q2 2026, 15% lower than the £199.2 million recorded in Q1. The average monthly interest rate eased to 0.81%, average loan to value rose to 55%, and the average completion time fell from 53 to 46 days.
What do the Q2 2026 figures show?
Bridging Trends aggregates data from a group of specialist finance brokers. Its Q2 2026 release, reported by Enness Global and contributors including MT Finance, recorded:
- Gross contributor lending of £173.1 million, down 15% from £199.2 million in Q1.
- An average monthly interest rate of 0.81%, down from 0.82%.
- An average loan to value of 55%, up from 52%.
- An average completion time of 46 days, down from 53 days.
- Regulated bridging at 48% of transactions, up from 41%.
How did borrowers use bridging finance?
The mix of loan purposes moved between the first and second quarters:
- Second-charge bridging: 9% to 22%.
- Preventing a chain break: 14% to 18%.
- Purchasing an investment property: 22% to 18%.
- Auction finance: 11% to 14%.
- Heavy refurbishment: 6% to 10%.
- Funding a business injection: 4% to 9%.
The rise in chain-break and auction use is consistent with bridging being used where timing is fixed and conventional finance cannot complete in time. Our guides to auction finance and the bridging loan timeline explain both scenarios.
What does a shorter completion time mean?
A fall in the average completion time from 53 to 46 days suggests the process moved faster across the contributors’ cases. It is still an average: individual completions depend on the valuation, the legal work, the title and the borrower’s own documentation. Borrowers with a fixed deadline should treat published averages as a guide only.
Where does first-charge, business-purpose bridging fit?
Bridging Trends covers regulated and unregulated lending, and first and second charges. Business-purpose, first-charge bridging, the segment Ponte Finance lends in, is one part of that picture. For the criteria and enquiry process, see how Ponte’s deal review works.
Frequently asked questions
How much bridging lending was recorded in Q2 2026?
Bridging Trends contributors recorded £173.1 million of gross bridging lending in Q2 2026, down 15% from £199.2 million in Q1.
What was the average bridging loan rate in Q2 2026?
The average monthly interest rate recorded by Bridging Trends was 0.81% in Q2 2026, compared with 0.82% in Q1.
How long did bridging loans take to complete in Q2 2026?
The average completion time recorded by Bridging Trends fell to 46 days in Q2 2026, from 53 days in Q1.
Source: Bridging Trends, Q2 2026, as published 25 August 2026. Figures relate to contributor data and may not represent the whole market.
Important information
Ponte Finance PLC is a private lender, not a bank, and is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Lending is for business purposes only and is not available to consumers or for property occupied, or to be occupied, by the borrower or a family member as a home. All loans are secured against property, and the property may be repossessed if repayments are not maintained. This article is for general information only and reflects publicly available data at the date of publication. It does not constitute an offer of finance, a forecast, or financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Ponte Finance PLC is registered in England and Wales, company number 15859004, registered office 225 Clapham Road, London SW9 9BE.