The Intermediary – August 2025 - Flipbook - Page 48
In Profile.
Breeze Capital
The Intermediary speaks with Mark Harrison, managing
director at Breeze Capital, about the importance of culture
in the lender’s success
I
n 2022, Mark Harrison, managing director,
founded Breeze Capital with the goal
of establishing a lender that, through
its products, culture and relationships,
represented the new face of the shortterm finance market. The Intermediary sat down
with Harrison to discuss the practical realities of
managing a modern lender, his future plans, and
the critical role that culture plays in shaping a
business that is fit for purpose.
Funding for the future
Breeze Capital’s funding comes from both an ultrahigh-net-worth (UHNW) family, and a partnership
with Shawbrook. While UHNW funding is often
seen as the ultimate solution, Harrison emphasises
the importance of this dual model for greater
flexibility.
When it comes to the proposition itself,
Harrison’s background with the Financial Conduct
Authority (FCA) helped shape the approach –
running an unregulated business with the same
principles and rigour as if it were regulated. This is
not just a matter of good practice, but preparation,
as he posits that regulation could be introduced
for currently unregulated parts of the short-term
market within the next five years.
He explains: “We are transparent in everything
we do. Some lenders offer attractive terms up
front, only to change them later. We’ve never
done that. What we offer on day one is what we
deliver, unless something unforeseen arises during
valuation.”
When a deal cannot proceed, Breeze Capital
makes a point of explaining the reasons clearly.
Brokers are given direct access to underwriters to
understand the details of each case.
A competitive balance
The short-term finance market has seen a surge
in new entrants over the past year. To stay
competitive, Harrison suggests that many lenders
feel the pressure to either lower their rates or
increase their risk appetite in order to “grab a slice
of the market.”
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The Intermediary | August 2025
He is clear, however, that Breeze Capital will not
compromise its risk standards:
He explains: “I wouldn’t want to increase our risk
level. While we do aim to offer competitive pricing,
it’s not a race to the bottom.”
This is a difficult puzzle to solve. Where
Breeze Capital finds a solution, Harrison says,
is in the strength of its service, and its focus
on relationships and flexibility, as well as its
willingness to find the solutions where possible.
He explains: “We win by being the lender
that takes time to assess complex deals others
won’t touch.
“If it was just about rates and fees, [artificial
intelligence (AI)] could do it all without brokers.
Relationships still matter, and I don’t see
that changing.”
Driving change
Breeze Capital, despite being launched in a new
era for short-term finance, was created with the
history of this market in mind.
Harrison says: “Bridging and development
finance used to be the black sheep of the lending
world. 20 years ago, it was seen as a last resort
and residential lenders often looked down on it.
“I used to be one of those lenders, partly
because I didn’t understand the intricacies of
short-term lending and the role it could play in the
property sector.
“Now, you have high street banks wanting a slice
of the action, which shows how far the industry
has come and how the product has evolved.”
This was not helped by the fact that the lure
of fast, high returns attracted some aggressive
and short-sighted players to the market. Having
witnessed many lending relationships during his
career, Harrison launched Breeze with the mission
to do things better.
“I had a clear idea of the culture I wanted and
how I wanted borrowers to feel,” he explains.
“We treat people with respect, and we expect
the same in return. If someone treats us poorly,
we simply won’t work with them. This applies to
brokers and borrowers alike. It’s about mutual
