In this episode, Michael Dean sits down with Jacob Bouet Andersen, Managing Director at Avamore Capital, to discuss the lender's remarkable turnaround and ambitious growth plans. Nine months into his role, Jacob shares how Avamore has achieved 90% growth in origination while simultaneously cleaning up the loan book and maintaining zero capital losses. Jacob introduces Avamore's "Four Pillars of Credit" framework - product, developer, delivery, and financials - explaining why backing the right sponsor matters more than ever in today's market.

The conversation explores their proactive approach to asset management, described as "looking for smoke rather than fighting fires," and how technology investments are streamlining the underwriting process. The discussion also covers Avamore's recently published Residential Market Outlook, touching on the regional renaissance in UK property development, the growing appetite for HMOs and income-generating assets, and why two-thirds of their exits now come through refinance rather than sales. Jacob outlines the team's target of 250 million in lending for the upcoming financial year and the operational changes being implemented to achieve it.

Whether you're a broker, developer, or industry observer, this episode offers valuable insights into how a specialist lender is positioning itself for growth while maintaining credit discipline in an uncertain market.

Guest: Jacob Bouet Andersen, Managing Director, Avamore Capital Guest

Socials: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobbouet/

Sponsored by: Avamore Capital https://avamorecapital.com

#specialistfinance #PropertyFinance #DevelopmentFinance #SpecialistLending #Bridging #Development #CreditManagement #AssetManagement #PropertyDevelopment #RealEstateFinance #BusinessStrategy #LoanBook #Underwriting #HMO #ResidentialDevelopment #RegionalProperty #UKProperty #Refinance #LendingGrowth #PropertyFunder

In this episode, we sit down with Alex Kountourides, co-founder of Valos, to challenge the assumption that all proptech is racing to replace human expertise. Alex shares how his experience as a qualified surveyor revealed a massive gap in the market—valuers were drowning in administrative tasks rather than doing what they're trained for: determining value. Valos flips the AVM model on its head by automating the busywork, not the valuer. We dive into the nuanced future of human valuations across different asset classes, dissect what's broken in the proptech industry (spoiler: oversaturation and chasing VC money), and hear Alex's candid take on why bootstrapping has given them control of their destiny. If you're curious about building sustainable proptech or rethinking automation in real estate, this one's for you.

Guest: Alex Kountourides

Guest Socials:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexkountourides/

Instagram: @akountourides

Sponsored by:Avamore Capital

https://avamorecapital.com

#SpecialistFinance #PropertyFinance #Recruitment #SpecialistLending #Bridging #Development #Business #Leadership #Hiring #TalentAcquisition #FounderSyndrome #Headhunting #FinancialServices #CareerDevelopment #StartupGrowth #PropertyDevelopment #RealEstateFinance #BusinessStrategy #TeamBuilding #Entrepreneurship

Shazad Ahmed, aka 'Where's Shaz' and Director of Elan Property Finance, takes us on a brutally honest journey through modern brokerage from his South Wales base. We explore the reality check newer investors need (spoiler: that £10k savings pot won't go as far as the property guru promised), the dark side of private finance and Ponzi-adjacent schemes promising 30% returns, and why deal sourcing isn't the dirty word mortgage lenders think it is. Shaz reveals how solicitors are holding deals hostage with capacity issues and suspiciously convenient delays, shares his vibe coding experiments with AI tools that summarise 50-page credit files in plain English, and explains why LinkedIn post hijacking is the ultimate cardinal sin. We dissect HMO valuation concerns that keep credit teams up at night, debate whether families will have anywhere left to live, explore the receivership red flags killing future refinances, and discuss why communication with lenders beats going ghost every single time. Plus, Shaz's advice to his 21-year-old self about peaking earlier might just be the reality check we all needed.

Guest: Shazad Ahmed, Director of Elan Property Finance

Guest Socials:

https://www.instagram.com/wheresshaz/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wheresshaz

https://www.youtube.com/@Wheresshaz

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shazadahmed/

Sponsored by:

Avamore Capital

https://avamorecapital.com

#SpecialistFinance #PropertyFinance #Recruitment #SpecialistLending #Bridging #Development #Business #Leadership #Hiring #TalentAcquisition #FounderSyndrome #Headhunting #FinancialServices #CareerDevelopment #StartupGrowth #PropertyDevelopment #RealEstateFinance #BusinessStrategy #TeamBuilding #Entrepreneurship