“In the world of private banking you often hear words such as ‘bespoke’ and ‘flexible’ when advisers speak about
lending solutions; indeed I used these words regularly in my previous roles. Having been at Brown Shipley for nearly a year now I have more of an understanding of what ‘bespoke’ and ‘flexible’ truly mean and how they come to life on a day-to-day basis.”
Nish Patel, Client Director
In an effort to help explain our lending capabilities I thought it would be helpful to share some recent case studies based on situations that I have recently advised upon and successfully implemented. Through these case studies I will focus on the specifics of the arrangement, challenges and most importantly the client outcome.
CASE STUDY ONEClients - Married couple, aged 71 and 74 seeking to borrow in personal names
Security - London home and new property
Loan type - Regulated Bridge Facility
Term - Clients were confident of a sale within 12 months
Loan Size - £3,900,000 (Purchase + Stamp Duty + interest cost + fees)
THE SITUATIONOur clients generated their wealth through lifelong careers in senior management positions. As is common in the UK, the majority of their wealth was locked within bricks and mortar, namely in their principal residence. Given their family home was no longer fit for purpose due to the level of maintenance and its sheer size, the clients had been searching for a home suitable for their current and future lifestyle needs for months. They had a very specific criteria in mind and finally their ideal home came onto the market unexpectedly.
CONSIDERATIONS AND CHALLENGESThe new target property was “much sought after!” So much was the demand, that the vendors received two offers within two days of the property being marketed. Given the clear interest in this property, the vendors required proof of funding from any purchaser prior to accepting an offer, with a requirement to exchange extremely quickly thereafter.
OUTCOMEKeen not to miss this rare opportunity, but mindful that they hadn’t even put their own house on the market, we swiftly arranged to meet the clients at their home. Here we discussed the specifics to fully understand their requirements, the associated time scales and to collate all the required information so that we could assess their needs and advise accordingly.
After fully assessing the proposed arrangement in line with Brown Shipley’s Credit Policy, with a focus on the client affordability and repayment strategy, we were able to provide a formal offer for 100% funding within 36 hours of the meeting. To give the vendor further confidence, we also arranged for valuations to be booked and solicitors to be instructed.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAD TO SAY“We were very impressed with Brown Shipley’s professionalism, in particular their ability to spin the thing round in a flash, they certainly went the extra mile for us. We hope to continue doing business with Brown Shipley very soon!”
In view of our size, short reporting lines and client focus we are able to be very nimble and support clients in times of need by providing swift decisions and advice. CASE STUDY TWOClients - Married couple, 52 and 47 years old looking to buy their first family home in London
Security - London penthouse and a high end flat owned by another family member
Loan type - Regulated Mortgage Contract
Term - Five year term due to the clients ultimate repayment plan and their medium term goal of being debt free
Loan Size - £2,016,000
THE SITUATIONThese new Brown Shipley international clients are UK resident and non-domiciled. They were referred to us by their business partner who is another valued client. The family wished to bring wealth onshore and make the UK their primary base; however their wealth was tied up in illiquid assets offshore. They required our assistance to provide financing in order to complete on the purchase of their new family home.
CONSIDERATIONS AND CHALLENGESThe majority of the clients’ income and asset base were globally spread, illiquid and difficult to value. The clients had ‘exchanged contracts’ prior to engaging and arranging financing. As such, timescales were tight.
OUTCOMEWorking with international solicitors and accountants, we were able to understand the clients' global assets, liabilities and income profile. This was the clients’ first experience of purchasing UK property and as such we worked with them to guide and educate them through the various processes.
WHAT OUR CLIENT HAD TO SAY“Thank you to all the team members at Brown Shipley for your good wishes, which I really appreciate. It is my first experience with borrowing in the UK and to be honest I heard from others that this is very complex, especially for individuals with overseas income, assets etc. However, I must say that you and your team were very supportive and made it a lot easier than expected.
You would always answer my calls, remind me of what needed to be done and considered my situation in a professional and courteous manner.
I sincerely appreciate your support and feel extremely fortunate to have your team look after me at Brown Shipley.”
Given our ability to provide a holistic view of their global wealth, we were able to help our clients in the purchase of their new family home.The final case study is an example of a more ‘unusual’ request and emphasises our ability to understand and support more complex situations such as the ability to lend in different currencies.
CASE STUDY THREEClients - Two offshore companies (owned by an experienced investor supported by a family office)
Security - Investment portfolios managed by Brown Shipley with a 70% concentration to a single listed European equity (ultimately owned by a number of the client’s wider family members)
Loan type - A revolving Lombard overdraft facility (where the loan is secured against an investment portfolio)
Loan Size - €30,000,000
THE SITUATIONAn international client of Brown Shipley with complex needs holds a large interest in a listed European equity. The clients’ personal wealth is therefore heavily concentrated and correlated to the ‘family owned’ company in question. They are opportunistic investors who were looking to utilise leverage to support further growth of their investments and overall wealth.
CONSIDERATIONS AND CHALLENGES
- Understanding the investment fundamentals of the company with a particular focus upon its liquidity and volatility
- Utilising solicitors in the respective countries to register our charge and also provide legal opinions on the borrowing companies
- Understanding and navigating through any restrictions in pledging the stock
- Stringent timeframes to allow the client to take advantage of time sensitive investment opportunities.
OUTCOMEWe were able to work with and utilise the expertise of our parent, KBL European Private Bankers, to support this client. Ultimately applying a lending value to the clients’ main holding has allowed them to take advantage of further market opportunities while remaining invested. They now also have the ability to diversify away from the position of concentration.
Overall, the client has benefited from this facility by enhancing their investment flexibility via lending. They continue to work with their Brown Shipley investment management team as they take advantage of market opportunities to diversify their wealth.To discuss our
lending solutions in further detail please contact your usual Brown Shipley Adviser.
Nish Patel // Client DirectorNish has experience in regulated lending with a background in structuring real estate and investment backed facilities. Having worked in both commercial and private banks he managed the complex lending needs of ultra-high net worth clients across a domestic and international focussed loan book.
