Short-term lender, Signature Property Finance, has appointed Bob Stones as its latest relationship manager.
Stones (pictured) will assist the firm expand its offering into Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the North East.
Tony Gilbertson, Signature’s CEO, said: “In challenging times, it is satisfying to bring into our business, experienced individuals like Bob, who has probably forgotten more about property finance than most people have ever learned.
“The past six months has been challenging for the UK as a whole and the property sector in particular, but we focussed on completing deals with our existing clients and ensuring they had the support they needed to get their deals done.
“Our strategy worked and we not only kept lending but increased the number of enquiries, prompted no doubt by many alternative lenders shutting up shop throughout the pandemic and also our commitment to follow through on the terms we agree at the start, winning new admirers.
“But we have decided now is the right time to expand our offering into new areas to ensure property developers nationally can benefit from our unique brand of short term property finance, delivered locally by people who truly understand their market.
“Like me, Bob has a long history in banking, which will stand him in good stead when it comes to handling deals in their entirety, from enquiry to drawdown, starting with raising our profile on the East coast, from the Wash to the Tyne.”
Stones said: “Signature Property Finance came highly recommended to me. It’s a well-managed business with an experienced senior team and great potential to support property developers in the regions for which I will be responsible.
“Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and North East England offer great potential, with the cheaper land and house prices attracting new developers into the area, building new smaller-scale developments and refurbishing older properties, as rural areas grow in popularity post-COVID.
“The business came through the recent market challenges impressively and having had the growth strategy explained to me, I was keen to join. I’m looking forward to ensuring Signature becomes the region’s first choice provider of short term property finance for investors and developers.”
Gilbertson added: “Appointing Bob, is another statement from Signature that we have a unique offering that’s attracting repeat business from brokers, developers and investors who recognise the quality of our service; getting the message out into new regions is now our priority.
“Bob will play a vital role in promoting our business and our appetite for lending, introducing it to the people up the East coast who will make a real difference to our success as a short-term property finance business.”
