«Honestly, I'm surprised by the consistent stance of the banks. They have become very restrictive in granting mortgage loans,» says Romain Dequesne. The CEO of Resolve is directly benefiting from this development.

«In the first months of this year, revenue and EBITDA significantly exceeded our budget forecasts,» he says in an interview with finews.com.

New Regulatory Requirements

The banks' caution is partly due to the implementation of the «Basel III Endgame»: Swiss banks must meet much more detailed requirements for risk management and determination of required equity. The interest rate turnaround also contributed to cooling growth in the Swiss mortgage market.

Although the mortgage market grew last year, the increase was only 2,4 procent, the lowest in the past ten years and significantly below the long-term average growth (CAGR) of 3,1 procent.

The Role of Private Individuals Has Become More Important

The largest players in the mortgage market, following the withdrawal of many pension funds and insurers, are mainly banks. About 50 procent of the market capacity has thus disappeared.

According to the Resolve CEO, private individuals are playing an increasingly important role in real estate projects, particularly in the hotel, commercial, and development sectors. «Despite the available volume, banks show little interest in these projects because they are often too complex or risky compared to traditional businesses,» he says.

The Resolve-Agency in Nyon (Image: zVg)

This opens up new opportunities for Resolve. For more complex loans, private individuals, family offices, or other providers are primarily replacing banks with a rapidly growing private debt alternative for shorter loan terms.

Rapid Growth

The Geneva-based fintech company, which operates nationwide, has grown significantly in recent years. In the 2023 fiscal year, it reached a mortgage volume of nearly 900 million francs, despite a challenging market environment characterized by high interest rates and a decline in transactions.

Since its founding in 2018, Resolve (formerly e-Potek) has offered mortgage loans and advice, including on pension and tax issues.

Increased Expansion in German-speaking Switzerland

Resolve operates in all cantons of the French-speaking part of Switzerland (Romandy), as well as in Ticino, and increasingly in German-speaking Switzerland. «We want to offer our mortgage advice with a local presence throughout Switzerland, as we see that there is demand and homeowners seek this advice, especially in times of fluctuating interest rates,» says Dequesne.

Resolve handles the entire offer and advisory process: «We prepare the financing dossier, submit requests to our partners, negotiate the best offers, and present them to our private or corporate clients,» the CEO continues. The company's success supports its strategy to expand and maintain its leading position.

Building a Training Academy

«We need at least 30 additional experts,» says Dequesne. He sees great potential in the regions of Lucerne, Solothurn, Bern, Basel, Schwyz, and Zug.

«We are building a unique training academy to recruit highly motivated financing advisors and turn them into Resolve experts. There is no reason for us to slow down. There are still many growth opportunities.»