Secure Trust Bank (STB) has reported record levels of new lending across its real estate and commercial finance divisions, with over £700m of new business written throughout 2025.
The bank's annual accounts have revealed that Business Finance net lending grew significantly, with Real Estate Finance balances rising by 9.4% and Commercial Finance by 3.2%.
New business in commercial finance more than doubled year-on-year, from £105.8m in 2024 to £287.5m in 2025, helping drive 23% growth in STB's Business Finance lending book over the past three years.
This comes after businesses remained resilient throughout 2025 despite economic uncertainty. In real estate, rising construction and operational costs weighed heavily on the sector. Commercial businesses, meanwhile, were sensitive to inflationary pressures and shifting fiscal policies.
Luke Jooste, managing director of business finance at STB, said: "2025 was a landmark year for our business finance divisions. Despite real headwinds, rising costs, inflationary pressure and shifting fiscal policy, demand for our products grew strongly, and we more than doubled new business in commercial finance alone. That doesn't happen by accident. It reflects the work we've done to broaden our offering and build relationships with clients who need a lender that can move with them through uncertain conditions. We're entering 2026 with real momentum."
STB's aim to deliver sustained value for customers and shareholders in 2026 will be supported by the real estate finance arm's expansion into bridging finance, which enables full lifecycle funding for developers and investors, and commercial finance will soon broaden its reach further with the introduction of selective speciality finance, lending to non-bank lenders.
Its product portfolio now includes land bank and development exit loans for residential and mixed-use properties. The former also extends to purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) schemes. Loan sizes range between £2m and £20m and have a term of three to 24 months.
The combined strength of both divisions is evident in STB's financial results for the year. The accounts highlight a combined operating income of £56.7m and £26.5m of adjusted profit before tax across both divisions. This equates to risk-adjusted margins of 1.8% for real estate finance and 5.2% for commercial finance.
Secure Trust Bank's Annual Report and Accounts for 2025 is available here.