
Specialist bridging lender Hilco Real Estate Finance (HREF) has appointed Steve Allen as its senior business development manager (BDM).
Allen (pictured) has worked in financial services for more than 30 years, including 20 years as a financial adviser. He was a regulated bridging broker for London-based firms SPF Private Finance and Clifton Private Finance.
For the last six years, he has worked in the bridging finance sector, transacting deals with a network of specialist finance brokers across the UK, including roles as a BDM at Hope Capital, SDKA and Horizon Development Finance.
Brad Altberger, chief executive of HREF, said: “We are delighted that Steve has joined us, which will enhance our business origination capabilities throughout the UK. This demonstrates our commitment to the UK market and is a sign of our continued expansion plans.”
HREF provides tailored, flexible property finance solutions nationwide across various real estate sectors and capital structures. This includes short-term loans for growth, acquisition opportunities, development exits and refinancing exits, with loan sizes ranging from £1m to over £50m.
The lender said it had an “increasingly large pipeline” of transactions planned for Q3.
HREF launched last summer and completed £50m worth of loans in its first four months of business.
Earlier this month, the lender joined the Association of Short Term Lenders (ASTL), shortly after becoming a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) in April.
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
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