Your guide to West One for intermediaries

Whether you're an aspiring or current mortgage broker, working with capable mortgage lenders can help you become a top intermediary in the United Kingdom. For instance, West One is a well-established property loan provider that caters to different clients. They have a comprehensive range of products including residential, buy-to-let, and second charge mortgages. 

In this article, Mortgage Introducer will explore how West One for intermediaries can support you and your clients. We’ll go over their mortgage offerings, helpful tools, and what makes them stand out in UK’s lending market. Looking for a mortgage lender that offers flexible options for easy to complex client cases? Read on to find out. 

Learn about West One for intermediaries 

West One is the trading name of these three underlying firms: 

• West One Loan Ltd. 
• West One Secured Loans Ltd. 
• West One Development Finance Ltd. 

Both West One Loan Ltd. and West One Secured Loans Ltd. are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). All three are registered in England and Wales. They’re also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). 

What makes West One different from other mortgage lenders 

West One doesn’t rely on automated decisions. Real people look at each case, so they can often say yes when other mortgage lenders say no. Their team understands unique situations and works closely with intermediaries like you to get deals done. 

They’re also quick and decisive. West One is used to working on tight deadlines, especially for bridging or development cases. 

Manual underwriting and personalised service 

West One for intermediaries employs a manual underwriting process for all cases. This is to make sure that real people assess each application. This approach allows them to consider unique circumstances and often approve cases that automated systems might decline. 

“I wouldn’t say there’s one particular type of client that suits West One per se, because the criteria allow for a variety of applications,” Jeni Browne, Sales Director of Mortgage Finance Brokers, says. She has over 20 years of experience in BTL broking. 

“If you’ve got an application with a slight hurdle on your desk, say a property in Scotland, flats over commercial, or highly leveraged background portfolios, it’s definitely worth asking West One if they can help.” 

Speed and dedicated support 

They're also known for their fast turnaround times, particularly in bridging and development finance. West One has a dedicated Premier Loan Team for larger and more complex bridging cases. With this, they can provide a dedicated and bespoke service to your clients. 

Plus, each borrower will be assigned a dedicated portfolio manager who works closely with intermediaries throughout the process. They’ll offer more customised support at every stage. 

“On several occasions, they’ve been the only lender that could help with some niche cases without my clients paying significantly higher rates,” Browne says. 

“I’ve also had great experiences with the service; cases move through quickly, and communication is good throughout.” 

Check out this video to know more about West One for intermediaries: 

West One has various tools to assist mortgage brokers and their clients who want to apply for home loans. This is why most of the top mortgage intermediaries in the UK will benefit from working with West One. 

Mortgage products offered by West One 

Here are three of West One for intermediaries’ mortgage offerings: 

1. bridging loans 
2. buy-to-let mortgage 
3. residential mortgage 

Let’s take a closer look at each: 

1. Bridging loans 

West One’s bridging loans are designed to give your clients easy access to funds when they need short-term finance. These loans are ideal for situations where speed is necessary such as: 

• property auctions 
• refurbishments 
• refinancing 
• buying land and semi-commercial or commercial properties 

Bridging loans usually last up to 12 months and are used as a temporary solution before your clients move on to a longer-term mortgage or sell the property. West One has been offering bridging finance since 2007 and has built a good reputation for fast decisions and a personalised approach. 

Their experienced underwriting team looks at every case carefully and works with you to get deals done as soon as possible. They don’t rely on automated systems, which means they can often help when others can’t. 

West One offers both regulated and unregulated bridging loans, with first or second charge options. Loans can be secured on all property types such as residential, semi-commercial, or commercial across England, Wales, and mainland Scotland. 

Some features of West One’s bridging loans include: 

• up to 70% LTV 
• loan amounts up to £30 million (more might be considered) 
• no early repayment charges (EPCs) 
• terms from 1 month 
• offshore ownership structures considered 

Interest rates are based on these four factors: 

• quality of the asset 
• clients' profile 
• market conditions 
• loan-to-value (LTV) 

Overall, West One’s bridging loans are suitable for mortgage brokers working on time-sensitive or complex cases. Watch this short clip for extra info on its acceptable uses: 

The bridging loans market has been expanding and is poised to hit £12.2 billion in 2025. Check out this article to help you decide whether this niche market is for you.  

2. Buy-to-let mortgage 

Next is West One’s buy-to-let mortgages. Whether your clients are first-time investors or experienced portfolio owners, this product is ideal for various landlord types. West One can also lend on many different property types and accept applications from individuals and limited companies. 

For their buy-to-let product line, West One takes a flexible approach. Each case is assessed on its own merits. There’s also no credit scoring. This makes West One’s buy-to-let offering a smart choice for clients with unusual situations or less-than-perfect credit. 

Here are some of its features: 

• lending up to £10 million per borrower 
• no minimum income requirement 
• day-one limited company and refinance cases 
• max 80% LTV up to £1.5 million 
• applicants up to 80 years old 
• first-time landlords and buyers considered 
• impaired credit accepted 

These buy-to-let products are available across England, Wales, and Scotland, with both standard and specialist options offered only through intermediaries. 

“Rather than just trying to match other lenders competitively, West One proactively seeks out gaps in the BTL lender market and, where possible, curates solutions to fill those voids,” Browne says. 

“This helps keep the market moving forward, which benefits our landlord clients’ ever-changing array of challenges.” 

3. Residential mortgage 

West One for intermediaries also offers residential mortgage products. They’re made for borrowers who don’t always fit the standard lending rules. This product line is available for purchases and remortgages, including capital raising for legal purposes like debt consolidation or home improvements. 

For residential mortgage applicants, West One accepts foreign nationals who want to buy or remortgage a property. Potential clients should be holders of: 

• skilled worker visa 
• health and care worker visa  
• ancestry visa 

Here are some of this product’s features: 

• no credit scoring; each case is assessed on its own merits 
• suitable for self-employed clients with at least 2 years of accounts 
• capital raising allowed for most legal purposes 
• fast-track remortgage service available 
• available to employed, self-employed, contractors, and older borrowers 

LTV is available up to 90% in most cases and up to 95% for first-time buyers through limited edition products. 

Speaking of LTV, you can take a look at this video to understand what it is. Having knowledge of mortgage and financial terms is helpful if you want to become a successful mortgage broker or intermediary: 

Find out the latest figures from all the top mortgage lenders such as mortgage rates and their LTV percentages in our guide to current mortgage rates in the UK. You can also check back weekly for updates. 

Working with West One for intermediaries 

It’s vital to work with mortgage lenders that you can use as leverage to boost your career while providing solutions for your clients’ needs. As you’ve seen above, West One for intermediaries has a competitive set of mortgage products for property buyers in the UK. They also have useful tools on their online platform that can help make your job easier and deliver better results. 

Their broker-focused approach and hands-on support make it easier for you to manage complex cases. So, if you’re looking for a lending firm with award-winning service that values broker relationships, West One is worth considering. 

But of course, every client is different. Exploring other banks and mortgage lenders can help you find the best match for each case. Check out some of them below: 

• NatWest for intermediaries 
• Barclays for intermediaries 
• HSBC for intermediaries 
• Nationwide for intermediaries 
• Accord for intermediaries 
• Coventry for intermediaries 
• Leeds for intermediaries 
• Skipton for intermediaries 
• Aldermore for intermediaries 
• Precise for intermediaries 

You can check out other mortgage lenders with intermediary-focused platforms in our Guides section.