"Brokers have a positive outlook partly because they remain instinctively agile, with many of them having weathered the unpredictability of a post-2008 world."
One out of four respondents said they consider Brexit a key challenge, while one fifth believe that it will bring new business opportunities.
Despite this uncertainty, commercial brokers stil have a positive future outlook. 77% of respondents believe that the number of loans they broker will increase and more than half believe the figure will rise by a lot.
Property, professional services, construction and manufacturing were perceived as the key industries for business growth.
Niels Turfboer, managing director at Spotcap, said: “Commercial finance intermediaries are an important part of the SME funding jigsaw. The survey insights show that there is a lot of potential for them to help fill the £22 billion funding gap. The more adaptable and open-minded to change intermediaries – and lenders – are, the better and faster they can compete and grow their business.“
Graham Toy, CEO of the NACFB, added: “The research chimes with our own view of the commercial finance broker’s role in supporting and advising business borrowers. Brokers have a positive outlook partly because they remain instinctively agile, with many of them having weathered the unpredictability of a post-2008 world."
