The privately owned principal lender saw a boost following a surge in demand for short-term property finance in the run up to the stamp duty changes, while it also enjoyed an even more productive May as the property market shrugged off any potential uncertainty.

Tony Gilbertson, interim CEO of Signature, said that although the results made for good reading, he was more pleased by the early signs coming for the second half of the year, for which he expects to see continued growth.

“Brokers and clients like what we do and the way we do it. It really is as simple as that.

“There are no special tricks to hit targets in this market; we are dealing with intelligent, demanding, busy people who want us to deliver on our promises and offer a range of products tailored to their needs.

“From launch in 2013 we have concentrated on developing strong relationships with brokers, investors and property developers, built on our deep and genuine understanding of every aspect of property development, not just the figures in a balance sheet.”

Simon Harrison of Flexible Commercial Funding said he had the utmost respect for Signature and felt the growth was no real surprise.

“When I have the right deal, I speak to Tony and his team.

“There is nothing complicated about Signature, they just work hard to deliver the right products, with a fast, efficient service based on what brokers, developers and investors need.”

Tony concluded by reassuring partners that Signature would be able to capitalise on the fallout from Brexit.

“There is little doubt the London scene may suffer in the short term at least, but the regions in which we are traditionally strong, the Midlands and Wales, I expect to show few signs of distress.

“The property market is not the main focus for most of the high street lenders and if they tighten their lending criteria, I see a real opportunity for short-term property finance specialists [such as] Signature to fill the vacuum and increase our lending in the face of perceived adversity.”