Spears 500, 2020: Guy Harrington, Distinguished Individual

“There was a gap in the market for a specialist short-term property lender who can provide new levels of transparency, simplicity and client service.” Glenhawk CEO Guy Harrington tells Spear’s.

In 2018, the firm was propped up by HNW capital and the support of Rightmove founder Harry Hill, and latterly secured a £75 million funding from Shawbrook and a large asset manager, to become one of the industry’s leading non-bank lenders. “We’re also by far the youngest to secure a credit line of this type”, he adds. It’s no mean feat, considering how crowded the market is after a surge in the number of new entrants in recent years. Glenhawk has lent over £85 million in the last 18 months.

Harrington draws on experience developing over £100 million worth of prime properties in London to understand both the needs of each individual client and the demands of the ever-changing landscape of London’s real estate. “We can expose investors to the real estate debt market without taking much of the risk” he says. “When the buy-to-let markets are depressed, short term finance is a very decent option.” He adds that borrowers can continue building their portfolio with ongoing development of real estate assets.

Glenhawk lends within the range of £300,000 to £3 million with rates starting from 0.75% a month, with no admin or exit fees. Harrington aims to provide speedy, attenntive, flexible solutions to clients. A lot of the loans are repeat businesses, he reveals. “We are incredibly proud of this.”