B&C spoke with Jon Hall, group managing director of mortgages and savings at OSB (pictured above), and Adrian Moloney, group lending distribution director, to discuss the results and the group’s goals for the year ahead.

Driving growth

During the year, bridging originations jumped 58% and commercial rose 57%, as OSB rolled out AVMs up to 75% LTV and introduced AVMs for light refurbishment.

BTL represented 68% of the group’s total gross loan book, down from 70% in 2024.

Amid a wider diversification strategy, OSB expects BTL to make up no more than 60% of its net loan book by 2029.

When asked whether bridging and commercial finance will replace that volume, Jon said the group saw “growth in all segments” but noted that commercial, semi-commercial, and commercial BTL will drive particular development in the platform.

Emphasising the continued importance of the bridging side of the business, Jon described it as the “glue that knits together opportunities across the different lending types”.

•   The Finance Professional Show 2025: The Video
•   OSB Group grows loan book to £25.9bn as diversification strategy accelerates
•   OSB appoints new BDM to its specialist lending team

New horizons

Last year, OSB Group launched new BTL lender Rely which Adrian stated was not just “Kent Reliance with a bit of polish” or “Precise with a bit of flexibility.”

The pair also spotlighted the success of Precise last year, with Adrian pointing to the larger and more complex loans that have been introduced due to what he said was increased confidence in the brand from the industry.

Jon explained that the flexibility and “solution-based approach”, as well as the skill of the sales and underwriting teams, had strengthened Precise’s position in the market.

“We're increasingly seeing a broader range of intermediaries come to the bridging and the commercial market as that's the demand that their client places upon them,” noted Jon.

The group has seen increased speeds and efficiency through the use of AVMs.

Rely’s new platform allows brokers to move from application to offer within two hours, with the lender aiming to replicate that speed across its bridging business.

Adrian commented: “The ambition and the roadmap is to get the same experience that we have on the Rely platform onto the bridging [side]”.

Bridging interest ramps up

Last year, OSB saw rising broker interest in both bridging and commercial finance. While specialist brokers continued to introduce deals, mortgage clubs and networks were also stepping up. This trend reflects the growing client demand and the brand’s expanding awareness and reach.