The dust has now settled, and the hangovers cured, on this years Bridging and Commercial awards, held as usual, at the Hurlingham Club in south west London.
It was good to see that a few new names in the industry were recognised and not the "usual suspects" who have dominated the short term lending landscape since 2010.
If the industry is to continue to thrive, and attract new talent, its key that such events reflect the growing diversity and equality in the industry, and show accessibility for all.
Now there are many who are cynical about such events - there are too many - but its right that we highlight and reward achievement.
But there is no substitute for experience. Talking of good old'uns, I was delighted to see Danny Power add his undoubted talents and expertise to the team at Black and White. With Martyn Smith and Adam Tyler, it would be difficult to find a team with greater combined years and experience in the industry. An opportunity for the rest of the Black and White team to raise money for charity - a pound of them each time they reminisce about the "good old days"!
I often find it strange that many recruitment agencies in our space appear to have very few vacancies on the collection side of businesses. That's where experience is key. The best structured and underwritten deals can still come unstuck, especially given the rapid rise in funding costs, continued high build costs and the downturn in sales. Solicitors and receivers can assist - but often at quite a high price. But I do think many lenders don't want to recognise their issues. Much easier to leave those difficult files on the edge of your desk for another day!
One of my favourite cliches, and I have a few, is "it is only a good loan when its repaid". And sometimes that takes skills that can't be taught.
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