There’s been no shortage of challenges for the specialist lending market to contend with so far this year. Even so, RAW has delivered a strong set of results in Q1 – and those results have not happened by chance.
Over the past four months, we’ve made a series of practical improvements to our proposition, all aimed at making things easier for brokers and more useful for their landlord clients.
That approach has helped us build real momentum, and it’s been a useful reminder that when product development is shaped around how brokers and borrowers actually operate, it can translate into stronger outcomes for everyone involved.
In this blog, we’ll look at the enhancements we’ve made, how they have helped drive a positive first quarter of 2026, and how we’ll approach our offering in the coming months.
Our product enhancements
One of the biggest steps we’ve taken has been the launch of the RAW UK Mortgage Company. By making our unregulated lending proposition available to UK residents, including companies and professional landlords, we’ve opened the door to a much broader range of borrowers and created more opportunities for brokers placing specialist cases.
We’ve also introduced a fee-free annual overpayment allowance of up to 10% of the outstanding loan balance. That gives landlords more flexibility to reduce borrowing costs, manage leverage more actively and pay down their balance faster if they want to, without being tied into a more rigid structure.
Another important change has been the introduction of pre-AIP valuations on eligible cases. In simple terms, that means brokers can get a clearer picture of a property’s value earlier in the process, helping them assess whether a case is likely to proceed before getting too far down the line.
We also made it possible for foreign national borrowers to service mortgage interest directly from a UK bank account. It may sound like a small thing, but changes like this can make a big difference in practice by removing unnecessary complications and making things easier for borrowers with UK income and banking arrangements.
How it’s led to a successful Q1
The impact of these changes was reflected clearly in our Q1 performance.
The launch of our UK mortgage proposition made a strong contribution to new business volumes, while the wider set of enhancements helped make the range more attractive and more practical for both brokers and borrowers.
As a result, a third of all new business written in Q1 was to the RAW UK Mortgage Company, and we originated as many loans to UK-resident borrowers in the first three months of 2026 as we had during the whole of 2025.
We also saw a noticeable increase in the number of borrowers servicing their loans from UK bank accounts, showing that some of the practical changes we’ve made are already having an effect.
Taken together, it has been an encouraging start to the year and a strong sign that targeted, practical enhancements can deliver meaningful results.
Continuing to listen to brokers
While a strong Q1 is encouraging, our focus, however, is always on what comes next.
The enhancements we’ve introduced have not been made in isolation. They reflect the conversations we continue to have with intermediaries about where greater flexibility is needed, where friction can be reduced and where there are opportunities to make the lending process work better.
That approach will remain a key focus for us as the year progresses. The specialist market continues to evolve, and so do the needs of brokers and their landlord clients. Q1 has showed that, by remaining abreast of those changing requirements, we can keep refining our proposition in ways that are practical, relevant and genuinely useful.
For example, a few weeks ago, we changed our criteria to remove the premium deduction applied when valuing new-build homes. The change was made too late to effect Q1’s figures, but the interest we’ve experienced is another reminder that there are always further improvements to be made.
With that in mind, we’re always keen to hear from brokers about what they’re seeing on the ground and where there may be opportunities to make lending easier. If there’s something your clients need, or an area where we could add more value, please get in touch.
Contact our team: https://rawcapitalpartners.com/mortgages-70