Pre-Lending Asset Review
Before valuation, credit and legal momentum builds
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Most lending problems don’t start with finance.
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They start with assumptions about the asset that haven’t been properly tested, then get locked in as time, fees and credibility build around them.
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DCRE is typically brought in before a valuation, credit paper or legal work is instructed, when there is still room to challenge the fundamentals without consequences.
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Clients usually involve us when:
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the structure looks workable, but feels fragile
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the asset is mixed-use, listed, adapted, development-led or otherwise non-standard
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the exit relies on assumptions rather than clear market evidence
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leverage is tight and there is little tolerance for valuation slippage
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time pressure means late surprises would be expensive or reputational
Our role is to carry out an asset-led assessment before costs, momentum and third-party credibility are committed.
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Quick links
What we actually do
How it works in practice
What you get
How this fits with brokers, valuers and solicitors
The aim
What we actually do
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We review the deal through the lens of how a lender and valuer are likely to scrutinise it, but before they are instructed.
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That means pressure-testing the asset, not selling the structure.
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Depending on the stage and complexity, this typically includes:
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assessing whether the asset appears capable of supporting value within realistic ranges, based on evidence and stated assumptions, rather than best-case figures
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stress-testing exit routes, buyer pools and refinance assumptions
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identifying planning, title, use and condition risks early
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highlighting where the asset will struggle under valuation or credit scrutiny
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separating fixable issues from structural ones
Where appropriate, we peer-review specific elements with experienced valuers, QSs, planners or legal specialists. Those inputs inform our view, but the assessment and conclusions remain ours.
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We do not produce valuations, and we do not replace lender due diligence. The purpose is to ensure the case is ready for those processes, not to shortcut them.
How it works in practice
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We work in stages, increasing depth only where the risk justifies it.
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Initial asset triage
A paid desktop review to establish whether the asset is fundamentally viable in a specialist-finance context, or whether there are early red flags that should stop or reshape the deal.
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Pre-lending asset review
A deeper assessment, often supported by site capture and specialist peer input, focused on how the asset is likely to perform under lender and valuer scrutiny. Findings are set out in a clear, written Asset Viability Memo.
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Enhanced market or exit review (where needed)
For higher-risk or more complex cases, we add local market or exit-specific analysis to reduce the risk of valuation or credit surprises.
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Not every case requires every stage. The aim is proportionality, not over-engineering.
In some cases, the conclusion is that proceeding is unwise without a fundamental change in structure or expectations.
What you get
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Clients engage us for confidence, not paperwork.
Confidence here means understanding risk, not removing it.
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By the time a valuation or credit instruction is made, you should understand:
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where the real risks sit
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which assumptions are robust and which are fragile
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what needs fixing before third-party costs are committed
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whether the deal is worth pursuing at all
If a deal is weak, we will say so early.
If it is workable, we help ensure it goes forward on a sound footing.
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How this fits with brokers, valuers and solicitors
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We don’t replace brokers, valuers or solicitors.
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We work alongside them, upstream, so that the case they are asked to progress has already survived a harder, more realistic test.
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That typically leads to:
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fewer aborted valuations
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stronger credit submissions
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fewer late legal or structural surprises
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better use of professional time and fees
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The aim
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The aim is not to kill deals.
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It’s to stop bad surprises arriving late, when they are most expensive.​