Underwriting the Exit: Why It’s Central to Bridging Finance
By Lorenzo Satchell, Director of Sales at CapitalRise
In the bridging finance landscape, one thing is clear: the exit strategy has always been central to bridging finance. But in 2025, the exit strategy is more sharply in focus than ever before.
At CapitalRise, we’ve seen a marked shift in how bridging finance is being underwritten. While asset quality and borrower experience remain critical, the spotlight has moved to the exit. Whether it’s a sale, refinance, or equity release, lenders are scrutinising the exit plan with greater intensity than ever before.
Why? Because the market demands it. With the complexities of the current planning systems, longer sales cycles, and evolving buyer sentiment, credible primary and secondary exit plans are essential to mitigate risk and ensure project viability for all parties. Borrowers who can demonstrate a clear, achievable path to repayment are not only more likely to secure funding, they’re also better positioned to deliver successful outcomes.
This heightened focus has influenced how we structure deals at CapitalRise. We work closely with our borrowers on a case-by-case basis to understand their exit strategy from day one, tailoring our terms to support it. That might mean aligning loan maturity with expected sales timelines, or building in flexibility for refinance options.
It’s also about transparency. We want to see realistic comparables, robust demand analysis, and contingency planning. In prime markets, where values can fluctuate and buyer expectations are high, this level of detail is particularly essential.
But underwriting the exit isn’t just about risk management, it’s also about building long-term partnerships. We’re here to help borrowers succeed, and that means being proactive, collaborative, and commercially minded. When the exit is strong, the deal is strong – and that benefits everyone.
As bridging finance continues to evolve, we believe this focus on the exit will define the next generation of lending. At CapitalRise, we’re proud to be leading the way.
