Low rates and flexible terms to drive significant activity across a €6.6bn switching market and a new purchaser market approaching €200m
Capitalflow, one of Ireland’s leading specialist business lenders, today announced the launch of its new broker-led Buy-to-Let (BTL) mortgage product, designed to support experienced landlords and property investors in the Irish rental market.
The product is broker-led and technology-enabled, reflecting Capitalflow’s strategy to partner exclusively with professional mortgage brokers rather than operate a direct-to-consumer model.
Capitalflow has been active in property finance since 2017 and currently manages a diversified lending portfolio of approximately €1.2 billion, spanning commercial real estate, investment property, and specialist business lending. The new BTL product targets the buy-to-let switcher segment, with an addressable market of approximately €6.6bn [1] representing a market opportunity of approximately €200 million per annum.
The launch follows an extensive pilot programme and detailed market research, confirming strong demand among seasoned borrowers looking to switch existing BTL loans.
Colum Breslin, Chief Commercial Officer at Capitalflow, said:
“With a lending portfolio of approximately €1.2 billion, now is the right time to expand our product range to capture the broker-led Buy-to-Let market and support more investors to switch or grow their portfolios. Our pilot programme confirmed strong demand in the switcher market. Feedback from the pilot and broker engagement highlighted frustration among landlords with slow decision-making, inflexible terms, and a lack of engagement from current lenders. Property investors are acutely aware of their existing terms and more likely than homeowners to switch for a better deal as loans mature or rates reset, or even mid-term”.
“This is a broker-led, technology-enabled proposition built to deliver a more efficient experience for brokers and experienced landlords seeking clarity, speed, and very competitive pricing”.
Capitalflow point to the structural differences in Ireland’s buy-to-Let and owner-occupied lending markets. The specialist lending experts say they expect refinancing and switching to account for a significant portion of activity, particularly as borrowers reassess lenders offerings when fixed rates expire or portfolios mature.
Mr. Breslin explained, “This makes certainty, execution, and flexibility just as important as headline pricing.
Borrowers in this market are attracted by competitive rates, flexible terms and dedicated relationship management.
There is a segment of the market that is currently “trapped” – the BTL investors frustrated by deleveraging among existing providers or disengagement from loan purchasers. These borrowers are actively seeking a new finance partner to switch and grow their portfolios”.
Capitalflow say they have developed this new Buy-to-Let mortgage offering in close collaboration with a select group of leading Buy-to-Let brokers. It is designed to support both experienced individual borrowers and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) companies- limited companies established solely to hold investment property – seeking competitive pricing, speed, and certainty.
Key features include:
- Sample rates range from 2 year fixed at 4.8pc to a variable rate of 4.9pc
- Loan sizes from €100,000 upwards, with terms of up to 30 years
- Up to five year interest only options
- Lending to individuals and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) companies
- A digitally streamlined, broker led application journey
- Support for multi-asset and portfolio switchers
- Valuation and legal processes designed to support fast drawdown
Mr Breslin went on to say, “Capitalflow’s lending process combines technology with personal service to make the broker and client journey faster and simpler. Brokers can submit applications securely through the portal, track progress in real time, handle documents efficiently, and communicate seamlessly with underwriters and operations teams. Technology enhances rather than replaces relationship-led lending.
While timelines will depend on deal complexity and application quality, our aim is to deliver fast credit decisions once a complete application is received. Valuation and legal stages are streamlined to reduce friction and unnecessary delays, offering a quicker, smoother alternative to traditional bank processes”.
The product complements Capitalflow’s existing Commercial Real Estate (CRE) capabilities, where the company finances large scale commercial property transactions, reinforcing its position as a specialist, non‑bank lender with deep experience across the Irish property market.
Capitalflow say that because it is well capitalised and supported by its parent, the digital bank bunq, providing access to scalable funding, it is able to offer consistent lending at scale.
Today’s announcement reinforces Capitalflow’s commitment to the Buy-to-Let market as a long-term growth area, rather than a short-term product play.