Over four in five (82%) bridging professionals believe their confidence in the market will grow in the next 12 months, Black & White Bridging (B&W) has found.

The bridging lender’s latest survey, conducted in association with MoneyAge, revealed that of this group, 20% “strongly agreed” that they were optimistic going into next year.

Meanwhile, just 4% believed that their market confidence would drop in 2026.

In the last year, B&W found that 90% of intermediaries saw their confidence in the market increase, compared to 2% who said that it had dropped.

However, confidence in the market over the past year has appeared to have increased more outside of the capital, with 95% of brokers operating in the North, Midlands and the South of England stating that their confidence had grown, compared to 64% in London.

B&W said that while the effects of the Budget in 2024 and speculation ahead of the recent Autumn Budget have "dampened investor confidence", intermediaries are going into the new year with clarity.

Chief operating officer at B&W, Damien Druce, said: “Despite brokers’ concerns around the chaotic Autumn Budget and the turbulence of the last few months, it’s reassuring to see that confidence in the mortgage and bridging market is looking so high. Following two challenging Autumn Budgets in a row, market conditions can only improve. Unless Ms. Reeves has fluffed her numbers, we should expect a less punishing Budget in 2026.”

When asked what area of the market represents the biggest opportunity for the bridging sector in 2026, 57% of brokers responded with re-bridging deals. This was seen as the biggest driver of growth in all regions, other than London.

Development-exit refinance and residential purchases came joint second, with 11% of the vote each.

In the capital, residential purchases (36%) were seen as the biggest opportunity in 2026, while re-bridging and commercial property acquisitions received 29% and 14% of the vote respectively.

Druce said that this geographical difference has been affected by recent policy introductions in the Autumn Budget, with less risks being taken in investments in the capital.

He concluded: "Months of budget speculation around a mansion tax have dampened the London market more significantly than other areas of the UK. Wealthy people are selling up and leaving the country in their droves, leading to an oversupply at the top of London’s market and less demand for higher-value properties. As a result, developers and property investors have been less willing to take risks in the capital. But investor sentiment looks set to change in 2026 as the market returns to some sort of normality after the carnage of the Budget.

"If brokers are right and 2026 does turn out to be economically more positive, bridging products are set to provide fast and flexible financing for investors looking to make quick, strategic deals. Brokers need to be able to advise clients of options beyond standard financing solutions. Flexibility and affordability will be key. Having said that, re-bridging can be risky and I wouldn’t want to endorse it as a growth opportunity."

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