Greater criteria flexibility and faster speed to offer have been picked out by commercial brokers as their top hopes for 2026, the latest SME Pulse survey from Atom bank has revealed.
Atom bank carries out a quarterly poll of commercial brokers, taking their temperature over what’s happening in the sector and their expectations for the future.
Flexible criteria a key priority
The latest edition, covering Q4 of 2025, polled brokers on the developments they would most like to see from commercial lenders this year. Almost 80% of those polled said criteria flexibility was at the top of their 2026 wishlist. Second was improvements in speed to offer (67%), followed by better interest rates or incentives (63%) and improved communication (31%). Interestingly, when brokers were polled on their wishlist for 2025 12 months ago, better interest rates was by far the most popular option, suggesting pricing has become more competitive this year.
When it comes to selecting a lender for an SME client, flexibility of criteria has now become the most important factor, according to brokers. 40% of brokers said flexibility is the priority, ahead of 36% who pointed to rate, while speed to offer and the relationship with the lender garnered 11% of votes each.
This is the first time since the SME Pulse was launched that rate did not top the list for most important factor when picking a lender. Taken together with the broker wishlist for 2026, it is clear that criteria flexibility is of paramount importance currently for brokers and their clients.
Brokers feeling optimistic
The Pulse revealed positivity among commercial brokers about their prospects for the year ahead, with more than half (58%) at least somewhat optimistic, and 11% ‘very optimistic’.
Almost half (46%) said their main focus for the year would be growing the amount of business they transact in a specific sector, with property and real estate the most common sector identified. Around a quarter (23%) said their priority for 2026 would be client retention, while one in 10 (11%) said they would be focusing on lead generation.
Growing confidence among business borrowers
The Pulse survey revealed brokers are seeing improving levels of confidence among their SME clients. 61% of respondents said they had seen a rise in appetite for external funding among their clients, the highest proportion since Q2 2024, and a sharp increase from the 41% in the last quarter. Not a single broker reported a decline in appetite from clients, the first time this has happened since the launch of the Pulse in Q3 2023. Improving interest rates were highlighted by the vast majority of respondents (70%) as the driver for increased appetite among their clients.
With pricing becoming a keener concern for business borrowers, Atom bank has made a host of improvements to its proposition recently, including reducing rates by up to 0.62% and introducing a rate discount for high quality cases with a debt service coverage or interest coverage ratio of at least 200%.
Another significant driver of appetite for funding is business confidence, which has risen sharply to 47% of respondents, up from 27% of respondents in the prior SME Pulse.
Access to funding has also improved, according to the survey. Just 11% of brokers said they were finding it difficult to access funding on behalf of their clients currently, the lowest figure recorded in the history of the SME Pulse survey.
Tom Renwick, Head of Business Lending at Atom bank, commented:
“The Q4 SME Pulse reinforces what we’re seeing across our own pipeline - SMEs recognising opportunity and leaning into it, with brokers seeing a sustained appetite for external funding, despite complex economic conditions. Whether businesses paused decisions ahead of the Budget or are now responding to improving rate conditions, the underlying message is one of intent: SMEs want to invest, refinance and grow.
“What’s particularly encouraging is that this confidence is mirrored by brokers themselves. When intermediaries feel optimistic about their prospects, it’s usually because they can see real demand and real deals progressing.
“However, the survey also serves as a clear reminder that lenders have to earn that business. Price remains critical, but it’s not sufficient on its own. Brokers value lenders who provide certainty, clarity and a willingness to look at the fundamentals of a case rather than relying on rigid parameters. Lenders must deliver the combination of competitive pricing, greater speeds, and flexible criteria which ensures quality prospects do not fall between the cracks.”
