In this episode of NRG Insights, Marcus is joined by Chris Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Atelier, to unpack what it really takes for a lending business to stay ahead.

Chris has built one of the UK’s most innovative specialist lenders, and in this conversation, he breaks down the patterns he’s seen across multiple financial cycles, the opportunities most lenders overlook, and what developers and brokers should understand about today’s environment.

Whether you’re in lending, broking, development, or leading a business through uncertainty, this episode gives you practical insight from someone who’s built, scaled, and rebuilt multiple times over.

• How Chris went from car finance innovator to mortgage broker to specialist lender

• Why the best lenders focus on behaviour, not just assets

• What’s changed in development & bridging finance — and what hasn’t

• Why COVID accelerated Atelier’s growth

• How to survive inflation, rising build costs & shifting economic cycles

• The real role of government policy in the housing market

• What developers should understand before taking on their next deal

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