Mortgages for Business believes there has been a marked upturn in the number of property investors returning to the market with the amount of new mortgage cases increasing by +41% since January.

Commercial mortgage transactions show the healthiest signs of improvement with the number of new cases more than doubling over the first six months of the year, according to Mortgages for Business.

David Whittaker, MD of Mortgages for Business, said: “ The fact that we’ve witnessed such a rise in mortgage cases over this six-month period shows that confidence is growing in the market. The buy-to-let sector is particularly competitive and landlords don’t want to let any opportunities pass them by as house prices slowly bottom out.

“ With the number of mortgage cases gaining momentum it is clear that banks are open for business and willing to lend, as long as the numbers stack up. However, we want to reach the stage where lenders feel secure enough to improve their lending criteria. At that point, overall new mortgage numbers will rise even further and the property market will be heading firmly down the road to recovery.”