Before the crash, there were fewer advisory firms because there was only a limited pool of lenders. Property investors and developers would typically bank with a few ‘relationship lenders’ and had little need or incentive to look any further.

Today, the market is very different. The retreat of banks and the rise of non-bank lenders have made the market far more complex for borrowers to navigate. Debt advisory specialists, which are able to keep on top of the terms offered by the plethora of active lenders, have sprung up to help borrowers find the best deals.

Ranging from small boutique firms to big agencies, they specialise in different areas, from broking loans for SMEs to providing strategic advice to big corporates.

We take a look at a cross section of some of the key players and what sets them all apart.