LHV Bank has passed £1 billion of lending to UK SMEs and property investors since launching its SME lending operation in 2023.
The bank said the milestone had been driven by activity across commercial real estate, trading business mortgages and specialist buy-to-let, as well as continued investment in its lending team and proposition.
LHV Bank has expanded its SME lending operation during 2026, including the promotion of Liam Grimes to senior portfolio manager and Jane Woodruff to senior operations manager.
It has also been looking to widen its geographical reach, appointing Harper Macleod as its primary Scottish legal adviser as part of plans to grow its presence north of the border.
Recent transactions include about £22 million of specialist buy-to-let facilities used to support the acquisition of 253 residential properties, together with a £7.01 million refinancing facility for an Oxfordshire hotel, golf and spa resort.
Conor McDermott, director of SME lending at LHV Bank, says: “Reaching £1 billion of lending tells us that we have moved beyond simply establishing ourselves in the market.
“Brokers and borrowers are now coming back to us with larger, more complex opportunities because they know how we approach a deal and, importantly, they know they can have a conversation with the people making the lending decisions.
“The commercial market has not been straightforward over the past few years. Borrowers have had to contend with higher funding costs, changing valuations and greater scrutiny of cash flow, so growth cannot just come from saying yes to more deals.
“It comes from understanding what sits behind the property, how the business performs and what the borrower is trying to achieve.
“That is the approach we want to retain as we grow. £1 billion is a significant marker for a lending business that only began originating loans at the start of 2023, but we’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake.
“We want to keep doing good deals, support more brokers and borrowers, and make sure we maintain the service that has got us to this point.”
