New funders on board for UK Agricultural Finance
UK Agricultural Finance are excited to announce they have a new funder on board. With this new funding, they now have access to £300 million in funds ready to lend.
With the current economic situation, this could be just the boost your clients need for their agricultural businesses. Whether funds are required for refinancing and recovery or for expansion and new business opportunities we are here to help.
We can offer finance for a range of agricultural applications from property finance through to diversification and even renewables.
What makes UK Agricultural Finance different?
We get asked this question quite a lot by brokers, introducers, and borrowers alike. In fact, lots of lenders are likely to advertise that they are different and special, but this doesn’t always transpire when it comes to working with them.
So, when we think about why we are different, we could mention our excellent customer service or flexible lending options. But this could sound like any other lender talking about how good they are. Instead, we like to focus on how we are tangibly different.
We can talk about our niche approach. Some lenders like to advertise how they can do it all, but we believe strongly in our niche, and we know that our expertise in agricultural finance sets us apart. It’s not just our experience as lenders that stands out, it’s that our team have personal connections with the agricultural and rural communities we serve.
We speak the language of our borrowers and apply our finance expertise for our brokers and introducers. We act as a translator between our borrowers and brokers to ensure we achieve the most appropriate finance option for everyone involved.
What do real brokers think about working with UK Agricultural Finance?
Beyond our experience in the sector, we know we provide a different and better service to brokers and borrowers than most lenders. This was highlighted perfectly in a recent conversation one of our team had with a broker.
The broker was lamenting the robotic responses and procedures of many lenders and commented on our approach. He said:
“In my dealings with UK Agricultural Finance Limited, it was refreshing to deal with a lender whose BDMs actually sounded enthusiastic and interested in my enquiry, who were willing to take time to talk through their proposition, and who had the patience to explain what they would look for to support an application and how to present it.
“They also gave me an early indication of what terms might be available and actually sounded like they wanted to lend money – with no promises of course – rather than the hoop jumping, dancing around–the–edges impression I have had so many times with High Street lenders.
“The other great thing with UK Agricultural Finance Limited is that they don’t have a panel – or the “panel mentality” – that some high street lenders have, where they seem to expect you to be grateful if they even consider doing any business with you at all.”
Paul Louis Miller from Saddleworth Independent Mortgages Limited.
We don’t do panels and hoop jumping
We do not have a “panel” approach when dealing with brokers and introducers. We don’t use rigid lending algorithms to work out if we can lend. We use people: our BDMs are highly experienced, and they speak directly with brokers and borrowers to understand their needs. Our BDMs also have direct contact with our underwriting team and our credit control committee. We give them full access to argue the case for a loan even if it doesn’t fit the magic ideal criteria.
All our introducers, in whatever format they come in, can deal directly with our BDM team without the need to go through an intermediary. Depending on your area, each introducer is given a dedicated BDM who will be their point of contact for the whole application process and beyond.
No matter what size of their organisation, we welcome introducers to pick up the phone and speak to their local BDM about a deal they are working on. The experience our BDMs have also means they can guide brokers through the application process and assist with cases that might be out of the comfort zone of the broker.
Meet our BDM team
We have three BDMs who have been with us for some time and one new BDM to introduce to the NACFB membership.
Tracey Simm – South West & South Wales
Tracey has spent her whole career in finance and banking. She gained experience in personal and commercial finance with companies including Santander, Barclays and The Money Advice Service before her move to UK Agricultural Finance.
She has fulfilled various roles in the financial sector and as such, has a keen understanding of each stage of the lending process. Tracey grew up on a family farm and has an intrinsic understanding of rural and farming communities.
Sue McIntosh-Gibbs – Central England, Mid and North Wales
With over 35 years of experience in finance, Sue understands the opportunities and challenges facing the agricultural sector.
Sue comes from a farming background and spent most of her childhood on her grandfather’s farm.
Her experience in both the agricultural and financial industries means she is well-placed to understand the needs of borrowers from small holdings to country estates. Sue’s favourite pastimes are spending time with her dog and family.
Louise Old – North England & Scotland
Louise is our Client Relationship Manager based in the North of England. She joined UK Agricultural Finance in 2018 having worked previously for Northern Rock PLC.
During her 15-year service at Northern Rock, Louise worked in Asset Management, Mortgage Underwriting and as a Business Development Manager.
Excelling in customer service, Louise enjoys building successful working relationships with introducers and especially enjoys the opportunity of meeting borrowers out on site.
Sharon Welch – East Anglia
Sharon has over 17 years of experience in the financial services sector, with most of her years spent at Barclays Bank supporting a vast portfolio of clients, including agricultural enterprises. Over the years, she has held roles such as Credit Underwriter and Relationship Manager, where she has gained experience in structuring debt proposals and helping steer customers through some of the most challenging economic crises of the past few years.
Having also previously worked in accountancy, Sharon maintains great relationships with professionals in the sector and is always excited to explore how best to support agricultural businesses with their bottom line.