Maslow Capital launches AVM route for residential bridging

Specialist bridging and development finance lender Maslow Capital has announced that it has partnered with Westcor International, adding the firm's title insurance to its residential bridging loans in England and Wales. 

The lender has also introduced an automated valuation model (AVM) route for eligible loans of up to £1m. Maslow said the changes aim to reduce delays at the legal and valuation stages, with insurance covering title risks.

Brokers get an indication of value instantly on AVM cases, the lender says, rather than waiting for a full surveyor’s valuation to be arranged and completed. Legal fees follow a fixed scale linked to loan size, and a single fee covers both the automated valuation and the asset manager inspection, so brokers can see costs upfront.

Westcor’s policy covers specified title risks on eligible cases backed by either a full valuation or Maslow’s new AVM route.

Under the AVM route, the lender weighs the automated valuation alongside an asset manager inspection and its wider underwriting assessment. The route covers loans of up to £1m, at up to 75% gross LTV for purchases and 60% gross LTV for refinances. 

Maslow accepts open-market and auction purchases, and auction buyers face fixed completion deadlines that leave limited room for delays in legal work or valuations. On purchase cases, borrowers can also fund non-structural improvement works costing up to £150,000 from their own resources. All applications remain subject to Maslow’s established underwriting, legal due diligence and eligibility requirements.

Mark Posniak, managing director, short-term finance at Maslow Capital (pictured), said: “In bridging, the legal process is often where valuable time is lost. Brokers need a lender that can reduce that friction without compromising the protection of its security. 

"Our partnership with Westcor International gives us a proven, insurance-backed way to achieve that. Our underwriting standards remain unchanged; what changes is how legal and valuation information is gathered and how specific risks are managed on suitable cases.”

“We have deliberately made the title cover available on full valuation cases as well as those using our new AVM route, so the benefits are not limited to transactions using an automated valuation,” he added. “Together, these enhancements give brokers a faster, simpler and more predictable process.”

Josh Astbury-Dennis, head of schemes at Westcor International, added: “Title insurance gives lenders an additional layer of protection by providing insurance cover against specified title risks, allowing legal due diligence to be focused where it matters most for each transaction. This can help bridging lenders move faster while maintaining robust risk controls.”

“Maslow has been rigorous in defining where that cover applies and how it sits alongside its underwriting,” he noted. “For brokers, the result is a more efficient legal process with less potential for delay and improved prospects of completing on time, particularly for auction purchases.”