Business Development Manager – Real Estate Lending

Hanning Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Not disclosed in the posting: a principal real estate lender in Mayfair, London is seeking a Business Development Manager to originate bridging finance opportunities and build long-term relationships with brokers, debt advisers and borrowers. You will work with a senior Relationship Manager, receive training, and have a clear path toward a career in real estate lending.

You will manage a personal pipeline, participate in meetings and events, and contribute to the team’s annual £300m lending

Qualifications

• 2–3 years' relevant experience in real estate lending, debt advisory or brokerage.
• Strong commercial awareness and genuine interest in real estate lending and bridging finance.
• Confident communicator with ability to build and maintain relationships.
• Proactive, hardworking and resilient with the confidence to meet clients and intermediaries.
• Ambitious to develop a long-term career in lending origination.

Responsibilities

• Originate new bridging finance opportunities (£1m–£25m).
• Build and develop relationships with debt advisers, brokers, intermediaries and direct borrowers.
• Develop and manage a personal pipeline of prospective transactions.
• Support Transactions with Relationship Managers through structuring and credit assessment.
• Attend client meetings and industry events to generate new business.
• Track activity and pipeline performance to develop internal processes.
• Aim to meet individual and team lending targets (team target £300m).

Skills

Business development

Relationship building

Bridge finance knowledge

Communication skills

Job description

The Company:

Our client is a principal real estate lender based in Mayfair, London, currently experiencing significant growth following a major capital injection approximately two years ago. The business has grown its loan book from £39m and is targeting £1bn, with further capital available to support an additional £1bn of lending. The business operates across three lending verticals and is continuing to expand its origination capabilities.

The lender primarily focuses on bridging finance, providing loans ranging from £1m to £25m, with an average loan size of approximately £10m. Its core focus is residential real estate, although it also lends against commercial assets. The business offers an entrepreneurial, hands-on environment, with an emphasis on teamwork, relationship building and continued growth.

Job Objective:

The successful candidate will be based in Mayfair, London, and will join the structured lending team as a Business Development Manager. Working closely with an experienced senior Relationship Manager, you will focus on originating new lending opportunities, developing relationships with brokers, debt advisers and borrowers, and building a strong pipeline of potential transactions.

This is a commercially focused, relationship-driven role suited to someone who is ambitious, proactive and motivated by winning new business. You will receive training and development from the senior team, with exposure to senior leadership and the opportunity to build a long-term career within real estate lending.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Originate new bridging finance opportunities across residential and commercial real estate, with loan sizes ranging from £1m to £25m.
• Build and develop relationships with debt advisers, brokers, intermediaries and direct borrowers.
• Proactively engage with an existing contact list and convert inbound enquiries into live lending opportunities.
• Develop, manage and maintain a personal pipeline of prospective transactions.
• Qualify new opportunities and work closely with Relationship Managers, who will lead on structuring and credit assessment.
• Maintain involvement throughout the lending process, supporting transactions through to completion.
• Attend client meetings, industry events and networking opportunities to generate new business.
• Track business development activity and pipeline performance, supporting the continued development of internal systems and processes.
• Work towards individual and team lending targets, contributing to the structured lending team's annual target of £300m.

Candidate Profile:

• 2-3 years' relevant experience, ideally within real estate lending, debt advisory or brokerage.
• Candidates from broader real estate or financial services backgrounds will also be considered.
• Strong commercial awareness and a genuine interest in real estate lending and bridging finance.
• Confident communicator with the ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships.
• Proven ability or potential to generate new business and develop a pipeline of opportunities.
• Proactive, hardworking and resilient, with the confidence to spend significant time meeting clients and intermediaries.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where systems and processes are continuing to evolve.
• Ambitious and motivated to develop a long-term career in lending origination.

Remuneration:

The role is paying a competitive salary, dependent on experience, plus benefits and bonus.