Laleta Buctkuar notes that she recently joined UK’s Assetz Capital in June of this year, “specifically to focus on bridging products and distribution.”
Laleta shared that she began working in financial services more than 20 years ago.
Laleta also noted that she had a part-time job whilst at university as a customer account manager for HFC bank and after graduating, she was “offered the opportunity to work full time with view to be a trainee branch manager.”
Laleta added that luckily for her, “it went well, and [she] became a branch manager and initially worked within the realms of unsecured lending, working with HFC Bank and Citi Group before entering the intermediary market as a BDM.”
While commenting on what a typical day is like while working at Assetz Capital, she shared that it “sounds like a cliché, but fortunately, no two days are the same.”
She reveals that it is “a mixture of dealing with new and existing applications, preparing, and submitting credit reports, and working closely with the wider origination team to ensure we deliver what is required and provide support to junior members.”
Laleta added that the idea is to “generate new business by working with key partners, engage with relevant stakeholders and provide market commentary to relevant internal stakeholders.”
Laleta further noted she enjoys “providing the level of service our introducers and borrower expect and seeing the role we play in the wider market and economy.”
Addressing a question about the amount of bridging lenders currently in the market, and what sets Assetz apart as a Bridging Lender, Laleta noted:
“Assetz’ approach to lending is not prescriptive. Being core development funders, we support land bridging for development and development-exit facilities for borrowers who are at practical completion – so we can support them from the beginning of the journey with land acquisition through the build process to term.”
She added:
“Our pricing is driven by Loan-To-Value, as opposed to security type, size or location and lending over whole of UK including Northern Ireland. We engage with credit teams in the initial stages to ensure support and that every deal is water tight. We are bound by common sense rather than policy which enables us to review applications on its merits, as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’ approach.”
Laleta further revealed that she is “seeing quite a lot of standard residential bridging, including some which require light refurbishment.”
She added that “also, auction properties, both residential and semi commercial in the main, which require time sensitive completion.”
She continued:
“I’ve seen an increase in conversion too, whereby we have a commercial unit with residential planning and BTL conversions to HMO. Also on my desk at the moment are commercial property enquiries with planning to change use and convert planning or land acquisitions, which may require planning amendments to be in play for exit to development finance.”