Michelle Lowe

What do you enjoy about specialist finance?

“I love being there for clients and helping them on their journey,” she said.

Indeed, truly being there for borrowers has rarely been more important. The last few years have been economically challenging, to say the least.

Rising costs, lending hesitancy, and an unstable economic climate has left many property investors on an unsteady footing. The chances of something going wrong in a post mini-budget world can be particularly high.

That fact isn’t lost on Michelle.

“It’s important to be there for borrowers where a ‘vanilla’ lender – perhaps a high street bank, or some of the challenger banks – will likely decline their circumstances.”

“We’ve seen plenty of property investors who have been rejected by other lenders for one reason or another. Helping those people get on with their journeys, grow, and expand their portfolios – that’s the thing that brings me most joy.”

What is it you think you offer to the brokers you work with?

Arguably, in this market, what Michelle provides is what brokers need most.

“I would say my personal USP is integrity and honesty.”

Michelle prides herself on giving her brokers a “quick yes or no”. With so many uncertainties out there, saving our client’s time and potential money wherever possible is paramount.

This is true regardless of whether borrowers are seeking bridging loans for Yorkshire, or Leeds bridging finance.

What would you like to see introduced or prioritised in the specialist finance market?

Broadly, Michelle believes we need to change the perspective on landlords. Buy-to-let investors provide an invaluable service for the market. But in recent years, it’s become apparent that they’re being unfairly blamed for wider economic issues.

“You know, I think that landlords are very penalised at the moment,” she said.

“Within the market, landlords are facing very high tax burdens these days, which is eating into their profits. It’s risky, and unfair to view landlords as cash cows that can be exploited when the state runs low on funds.

“I would like to see a change in how landlords are viewed across the UK. We need to encourage landlords to come back to the market, not scare them away.”

We understand just how crucial landlords are at MFS. All our BDMs share a drive for supporting landlords wherever possible, and we’re constantly launching new products and promotions towards that end.

Where do you think there’s opportunity for property investors, and where would you like to see more funding directed to?

Ironically, the locations and assets that mainstream lenders are hesitant to move on could provide opportunities for investors.

“It’s hard to progress in the BTL market in the North at the moment,” Michelle said.

“There are a few lenders that can assist, but it’s difficult for certain landlords.”

Specifically, Michelle noted it’s tricky to find support for rural developments at the moment, but there is a “huge need, or a huge want” enveloping these spots.

“Even now, there’s a lot of demand for Airbnb, holiday let type properties in these rural areas. But lenders tend to restrict capital for them as they’re not comfortable, they worry they’ll be harder to sell.”

Perhaps. But, at MFS, we’re not afraid of these kinds of niche challenges, and we incorporate the wider picture into our lending capabilities. Ultimately, if there’s a need for bridging loans in Yorkshire and elsewhere in the North East, we will be there for investors looking to take advantage.

Are there any typical borrowers or cases that you tend to work with?

“Up in the North, there’s a lot of holiday let enquiries,” she said. This makes sense, considering many investors may be struggling with attaining finance for this market on the high street.

“There’s also plenty of first time buyers and first time landlords, I tend to get a lot of enquiries for those types of borrowers.”

Michelle noted she’s seeing these kinds of enquiries as the market is very restricted where she’s based. She shared her thoughts on why that’s the case.

“Property values are restricting the Northern market,” she said.

“There’s lots of cheap properties up here but with minimum loan values, it’s tricky for investors to snap them up.”

That’s where we come in, however, and Michelle is optimistic about Northern potential.

What do you do to get your mind off the world of property finance?

Michelle, literally, switches off.

“You know what, I like taking myself outdoors, with no signal on my phone – absolutely nothing.

“I go camping, or for long walks, I just enjoy exploring and being out in the countryside, I love going out in nature. My sister’s got a farm, so I spend a lot of time there around the animals, I think they give you a bit of sanity back!”

The temptation is always there to throw away one’s phone and go and live in the forest. Michelle said that plan sounds good, albeit with a caveat.

“I’d love to do that, but I’d like to have a little supermarket or something around the corner so I don’t have to fully live off the land and eat like a squirrel!”

Idealism, with a touch of realism. It’s no wonder that Michelle is such a successful BDM.