63
Live planning schemes
Essex
Commercial Property Development Finance in Brentwood
Senior debt, stretch senior, mezzanine, JV equity, stabilisation and development exit finance for commercial schemes in Brentwood.
Written by Matt Lenzie Founder & Principal Broker · 25 years arranging development finance
919
Units in the pipeline
£451m
Development pipeline GDV
£500k
Residential median (exit context)
Commercial property development finance in Brentwood funds the land purchase and construction of commercial schemes, from a single conversion to a multi-phase regeneration. We arrange it across Essex for developers, investor-developers and operators, structuring the debt and equity a scheme needs and placing it with the lenders that actually back that asset class.
We underwrite a Brentwood scheme on its commercial fundamentals, with the local residential market as a gauge of exit liquidity for any residential element. That market is steady, around 867 residential sales in the past year at a £500,000 median, which helps test the values for the homes in a mixed-use or conversion scheme.
Development finance structures for Brentwood schemes
We arrange the whole capital structure for Brentwood commercial schemes. Senior development finance funds the bulk of the build, typically to 65 to 70 percent of cost and 60 to 65 percent of gross development value. Stretch senior and mezzanine finance lift leverage when the appraisal supports it, reducing the equity you commit. JV equity fills the remaining gap for developers scaling beyond their own balance sheet. For operational schemes that let up or trade after completion, such as student accommodation, care homes, hotels or self-storage, stabilisation finance carries the asset from practical completion through to stabilised income. Once the scheme is stabilised or sold, development exit finance refinances it onto cheaper money while units sell or let, releasing equity for the next site in Essex.
Commercial development we finance across Brentwood
Each commercial asset class is underwritten on different tests by different lenders, and we arrange finance for all of them in Brentwood and across Essex. That covers student accommodation and offices, warehouses and logistics, care homes and healthcare, retail, hotels and leisure, industrial and mixed-use schemes, and the higher-growth classes of self-storage, data centres and life sciences. Knowing which lender backs which sector here, and at what leverage, is the work we do before a scheme ever reaches a credit committee. Local planning records show 919 units in the Brentwood development pipeline with an estimated value of £450,780,000, a measure of current development appetite in the area.
Finance we arrange for Brentwood schemes
What the Brentwood market means for your appraisal
Brentwood is a mid-market location within Essex, where development margins depend on disciplined costs and a realistic exit. That profile suits senior development finance with a modest stretch or mezzanine top-up, and it is among the more straightforward backdrops for a lender to underwrite.
Residential market depth as exit context
Residential sold-price depth is one input a development lender uses to gauge exit liquidity, particularly for the residential element of mixed-use, build-to-rent and conversion schemes. Brentwood recorded around 867 residential sales over the past year at a median of £500,000, which makes the local market steady. New-build stock carries a premium of 7% over existing stock here. Commercial values turn on covenant, yield and sector demand, which we assess scheme by scheme.
This residential mix is exit context for the homes within a mixed-use or conversion scheme. It is not a guide to commercial values, which are sector and covenant driven.
Residential sold price by type (Brentwood)
| Detached | £820,000 |
| Semi-detached | £535,000 |
| Terraced | £416,000 |
| Flat / apartment | £270,000 |
Source: HM Land Registry residential price-paid data, last 12 months.
Recent price trend
| Quarter | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q2 | £490k | 309 |
| 2024-Q3 | £515k | 367 |
| 2024-Q4 | £475k | 394 |
| 2025-Q1 | £484k | 512 |
| 2025-Q2 | £500k | 245 |
| 2025-Q3 | £490k | 307 |
| 2025-Q4 | £503k | 296 |
| 2026-Q1 | £465k | 133 |
Pipeline
Live development pipeline across Essex
Relevant planning activity recorded by Brentwood Borough Council, a read on competing supply and local development appetite.
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Kelvedon Hatch County Primary School School Road Kelvedon Hatch Essex CM15 0DH
Alterations to existing entrance door to create widening of door, new canopy to side and widening of existing gates and path.
View on the planning portal → -
12 Hatfield Close Hutton Essex CM13 2TD
Removal of existing rear outbuliding and constructon of single-storey rear extension. The proposed extension would extend 5.70m beyond the rear wall of the orignial dwelling, the maximun height of the proposed extenson would be 3.80m and the proposed eaves hei…
View on the planning portal → -
194 Thorndon Avenue West Horndon Essex CM13 3TP
Construction of a 1 bedroom house to the side of no. 194 with associated parking.
View on the planning portal → -
Land Adjacent To 61 Brook Street Brentwood Essex
Proposed 1x 3 bed house with associated car parking, cycle and refuse store.
View on the planning portal → -
Highway House 171 Kings Road Brentwood Essex CM14 4EJ
Variation of condition 2 (drawings) of orginal application 23/00013/FUL (Demolition of existing buildings. Construction of a part three/part four storey building consisting 7x 3 bed apartments and 2x 2 bed apartments with associated amenity space, landscaping,…
View on the planning portal → -
West Bays Hook End Road Hook End Essex CM15 0NR
Single storey rear extension. The proposed extension would extend 6m beyond the rear wall of the original dwelling, the maximum height of the proposed extension would be 3.27m and the proposed eaves height would be 2.92m
View on the planning portal →
Evidence
Recent residential sales in Brentwood postcodes
A sample of recent residential transactions across CM14, CM13, CM15, exit context for the residential element of a scheme rather than a guide to commercial values.
| Address | Postcode | Type | Price | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLAT 5, COPTFOLD HOUSE, NEW ROAD | CM14 4FW | Flat / apartment | £395,000 | 25 March 2026 |
| 127, WOODMAN ROAD | CM14 5AU | Terraced | £372,000 | 20 March 2026 |
| 42, SURMAN CRESCENT | CM13 2PW | Detached | £915,000 | 19 March 2026 |
| 35, HUNTER AVENUE | CM15 8PE | Flat / apartment | £372,500 | 17 March 2026 |
| 2, SANDERS COURT, JUNCTION ROAD | CM14 5FG | Flat / apartment | £165,000 | 16 March 2026 |
| 56, BRACKENS DRIVE | CM14 5UE | Semi-detached | £467,500 | 16 March 2026 |
| 12, FEARNS MEAD | CM14 5UQ | Detached | £700,000 | 16 March 2026 |
| FLAT 29, RADCLIFFE HOUSE, ROLLASON WAY | CM14 4DY | Flat / apartment | £288,000 | 13 March 2026 |
| 21, CORY DRIVE | CM13 2PT | Detached | £1,600,000 | 13 March 2026 |
| 50, FALCON DRIVE | CM13 3GU | Terraced | £762,500 | 13 March 2026 |
FAQ
Commercial property development finance in Brentwood: common questions
How much commercial property development finance can I raise in Brentwood?
Most senior lenders fund up to 65 to 70 percent of total cost, capped at 60 to 65 percent of gross development value, with stretch senior or mezzanine lifting that toward 85 to 90 percent of cost on a strong scheme. The Brentwood exit market, currently steady, informs the gross development value a lender will accept.
Which lenders provide development finance in Brentwood?
We hold more than one hundred lender relationships across banks, challenger banks, debt funds and private capital. The right lender for a Brentwood scheme depends on the sector, the leverage you need and your track record, and we shortlist the desks most likely to back it across Essex.
How does the Brentwood residential market affect a commercial scheme?
It matters mainly as exit context for the residential element of mixed-use, build-to-rent and conversion schemes. HM Land Registry records a £500,000 residential median in Brentwood over the past year across roughly 867 sales, with flats around £270,000. Commercial values, by contrast, turn on covenant, yield and sector demand, which we assess scheme by scheme.
Do you fund commercial development beyond Brentwood?
Yes. We arrange commercial property development finance across the whole of Essex and the wider UK, with the same approach: model the capital stack, match the scheme to the lenders that back its sector, and negotiate terms on the developer's behalf.
Funding a scheme in Brentwood?
Send us the outline and we will come back with a view on fundability and likely terms within one working day.