“GB Bank’s flexibility as a relatively new entrant has been instrumental, and these completions reflect our ability to deliver solutions for clients that high street lenders and traditional private banks cannot serve”
– Nikita Nigai – Arc & Co.
Nikita Nigai, head of international at Arc & Co., has finalised three buy-to-let transactions with GB Bank over the past three months, totalling £19.5 million across a range of residential properties. The deals demonstrate both Arc & Co.’s ability to structure solutions for complex borrower profiles and property types, and GB Bank’s growing appetite for intricate residential finance.
Transaction 1: £13.5m Primrose Hill refinance
Arc & Co. arranged a £13.5 million facility to refinance a prime residential property in Primrose Hill, London, valued at £20 million.
The client wanted to refinance existing private bank debt of approximately £10 million while releasing additional equity to expand their property portfolio. The property was held as a buy-to-let investment by a foreign UHNW client, adding complexity to the underwriting process.
Key terms:
Loan amount: £13,500,000
LTV: 67%
Term: 60 months
The client requested a hybrid fixed and variable rate over five years. GB Bank’s flexible approach, combined with Arc & Co.’s structuring expertise, enabled the transaction to complete successfully.
Transaction 2: £3.5m for a multi-unit BTL in Kent
This £3.5 million buy-to-let facility covered 19 apartments in a newly completed development in Kent, all leased to the local council on a fixed annual premium.
Key terms:
Loan amount: £3,500,000
LTV: 70%
Term: 5 years
The deal highlights GB Bank’s willingness to finance larger multi-unit portfolios secured by local authority tenancies.
Transaction 3: £2.5m Wembley new build
The third facility was £2.5 million for seven apartments occupying an entire floor in a new-build Wembley development.
Key terms:
Loan amount: £2,500,000
Term: 3 years
The transaction faced several challenges, including an overseas borrower, a property valuation down by more than 10%, reduced expected rental income, and a tight developer deadline.
“Each of these deals presented significant hurdles — cross-border complexities, absent tenancy documentation, valuation challenges, and extreme time pressure, and yet completing £19.5 million across the three transactions in as many months demonstrates Arc & Co.’s ability to structure and execute complex residential finance where conventional lending parameters simply don’t apply,” comments Nikita Nigai.
“The £13.5m Primrose Hill refinance required 18 months of engagement, including identifying the right lender and navigating intricate underwriting processes to achieve Private Bank rates at high LTV without AUM requirements. The Wembley transaction involved managing a down-valuation, postponed completions, and imminent default risk while securing terms for a Russian client in the current environment.”
He added, “Our expertise lies in understanding which lenders can accommodate specific complexity and how to structure transactions to align borrower needs with lender appetite. GB Bank’s flexibility as a relatively new entrant has been instrumental, and these completions reflect our ability to deliver solutions for clients that high street lenders and traditional private banks cannot serve.”
The three deals bring Arc & Co.’s total loan volume with GB Bank to £19.5 million, reinforcing the firm’s capability in structuring residential finance solutions that fall outside conventional lending parameters.
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