According to the firm, this shows that more business owners are considering ways to buy their own commercial office or premises, perhaps to save on rising rental costs.

Commercial-focused searches were also popular among bridging brokers, with ‘commercial property’ being one of the top terms in this category in July — this could be due to experienced investors starting to move away from the residential BTL market and more into commercial property.

Despite this, searches for ‘no requirements to be a homeowner’ and ‘first-time landlord’ indicated that clients were actively seeking to get on the property ladder, especially those who cannot meet the income requirements for their own home.

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Overall, searches in both bridging and commercial remained fairly consistent, with ‘minimum loan amount’ taking the top spot in both categories.

‘Regulated bridging’ also continued to dominate bridging finance searches in July — a term that has been in the top two for over two years.

Nicola Firth, CEO at Knowledge Bank (pictured above), said: “A growing number of brokers are wisely using criteria search to identify lenders capable of offering the required lending solutions.

“Despite ongoing economic shifts, searches show how brokers demonstrate commendable care and caution when advising vulnerable applicants seeking solutions.

“This thoughtful approach speaks to their dedication to safeguarding their clients from potential challenges in an unpredictable market.”