Paragon Bank has appointed Martin Crossley (pictured) as a relationship director in its development finance division.
Crossley joins Paragon from Lloyds Bank, where he spent over 12 years, most recently as real estate manager.
Before that, he was a mortgage broker, specialising in residential and buy-to-let. He joins Paragon during a period of growth for the development finance division.
Lending to SME housebuilders and property developers grew by 24% in the company’s last financial year to £623.2m, with the development finance loan book increasing to £719.9m, up from £608.2 million the year before.
Crossley said: “I am excited to join Paragon to help drive new business across the country. Paragon has forged a fantastic reputation in the development finance sector in the past three years and is a well-respected operator.
“Our clients appreciate our sector expertise, consistent approach, and the backing of a well-capitalised bank.
“The company has a high-quality roster of clients, which I am looking to build upon. The UK has a supply-demand imbalance in the housing market and buyers appreciate the type of product our clients offer.”
Neal Moy, Paragon Bank Development Finance managing director, added: “Martin is an excellent addition to our strong relationship director team.
“He has already been out meeting clients and making new connections and I am pleased to welcome him to the team.”