Commercial Broker Awards 2025 – Winners revealed
Association celebrates outstanding Members at sixth annual awards
Lancashire Cricket Club at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, was alive with energy today as it welcomed the largest-ever NACFB Commercial Broker Awards.
A record-breaking 580 industry guests gathered to celebrate broking excellence, cheering as winners took to the stage to collect their well-deserved accolades across 24 prestigious categories. This year, 357 entries were submitted by the trade body’s broker firms - marking a 22% increase in submissions and a 25% rise in participating NACFB Member firms compared to the previous year.
Today’s ceremony was expertly hosted by comedian Jayde Adams, whose professionalism and sharp, no-nonsense humour kept the room entertained and the day running seamlessly. Kindly sponsored by NatWest (headline sponsor), with support from HSBC (wine and table gift), VAS (charity prize), and Premium Credit (after party), the sixth annual Commercial Broker Awards was a resounding success.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Paul Slapa, founder of the NACFB’s 2025 charity partner, The Unbeatable Eva Foundation, took to the stage to share his moving story. Guests later rallied behind the cause, taking part in a lively game of Heads and Tails to raise vital funds. The winner, Tony Pisani from Millbrook Business Finance, walked away with a brand-new Garmin Multisport Smartwatch. Congratulations Tony!
Reflecting on his first Commercial Broker Awards as CEO, Jim Higginbotham said: “I want to sincerely thank everyone who helped make the sixth NACFB Commercial Broker Awards such a success - from our wonderful host, Jayde Adams, to the judges, winners, highly commended entrants, and all those shortlisted. I’m also grateful to our sponsors, particularly headline sponsor NatWest, along with our valued lender support sponsors.
“These awards not only highlight the very best in broking but also celebrate the firms that are pushing boundaries and helping to shape the future of our industry. I’m immensely proud that the NACFB sits at the heart of such a thriving community.”
All shortlisted firms, highly commended entries and overall winners were decided upon by combining the insights of an expert judging panel and votes from Patron lenders and Partner suppliers. To ensure impartiality, submissions were anonymised where appropriate. Categories involving only organisations were anonymised, while those featuring individuals or a mix of individuals and firms were not. To maintain fairness, each Patron/Partner firm was limited to five votes per category.
Further details of the process can be found here.
The winners and highly commended in each category are:
Asset & Leasing Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by Ultimate Finance
Winner: Claratus Commercial Finance
Highly commended: Synergi Finance
Asset & Leasing Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by Haydock Finance
Winner: Moorgate Finance
Highly commended: Bathgate Business Finance
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by Paragon Bank
Winner: VIBE Finance
Highly commended: Advanced Funding Solutions
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by Keystone Property Finance
Winner: Aria Finance
Highly commended: SPF Private Finance
Cashflow Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by Reward Funding
Winner: Synergi Finance
Highly commended: Claratus Commercial Finance
Cashflow Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by Funding Circle
Winner: Halo Corporate Finance
Highly commended: Leonard Curtis
Commercial Broker Network of the Year – sponsored by YBS Commercial Mortgages
Winner: Synergy Commercial Finance
Highly commended: Fiducia Commercial Network
Commercial Mortgage Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by Cambridge & Counties Bank
Winner: Ross Commercial Finance
Highly commended: Aquilae Capital Advisory
Commercial Mortgage Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by Lloyds Bank
Winner: Watts Commercial Finance
Highly commended: Leonard Curtis
Development Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by LendInvest
Winner: Willow Isle Capital
Highly commended: Positive Commercial Finance
Development Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by LBB
Winner: Real Finance
Highly commended: Arc & Co.
Industry Ambassador of the Year – sponsored by HSBC
Winner: Kim McGinley - VIBE Finance
Highly commended: - James Murray - James Murrary Finance
Industry Specialist of the Year – sponsored by Allica Bank
Winner: Approved Business Finance
Highly commended: Crown Business Finance
Invoice Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by HSBC
Winner: Evolve Business Finance
Highly commended: DMK Finance
Invoice Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by Ultimate Finance
Winner: Leonard Curtis
Highly commended: TSF Finance
Unsung Hero of the Year – sponsored by Close Brothers Broker Solutions
Winner: Mickaella Johnson - Tower Leasing
Highly commended: Barbara Curzon - Watts Commercial Finance
Northern Irish Broker of the Year – sponsored by the NACFB
Winner: RM Commercial Finance
Highly commended: Ross Commercial Finance
Scottish Broker of the Year – sponsored by Hampshire Trust Bank
Winner: Ross Commercial Finance
Highly commended: DMK Finance
Welsh Broker of the Year – sponsored by Roma Finance
Winner: Pure Property Finance
Highly commended: Watts Commercial Finance
Pioneering Broker of the Year – sponsored by NatWest
Winner: Lime Finance Solutions
Highly commended: Clifton Private Finance
Rising Star of the Year – sponsored by Shawbrook
Winner: Kevin Calkiewicz - Charles & Dean Finance
Highly commended: George Sanford - VIBE Finance
Service Excellence – sponsored by Aldermore
Winner: Watts Commercial Finance
Highly commended: Willow Isle Capital
Short-term Finance Broker of the Year (1 to 3 brokers) – sponsored by Recognise Bank
Winner: Advanced Funding Solutions
Highly commended: Plutus Business Finance
Short-term Finance Broker of the Year (4+ brokers) – sponsored by Market Financial Solutions
Winner: Arc & Co.
Highly commended: Propp.