J3 Advisory has appointed Evan Griffin as managing director of debt advisory, a hire announced on September 21 as the firm expands the services it offers to property developers. Griffin brings more than 20 years in banking and property finance, and joins from Pluto Finance, where he was lending director. His arrival marks a further step in J3’s move beyond its original specialism into a broader advisory business.
Founded in 2021, J3 started out advising on structural warranty and latent-defects insurance for construction projects. It has since broadened into construction insurance, transactional risk and debt advisory, growing quickly as it added services aimed at the property and construction sectors. The firm says it has supported more than 1,000 property developments worth a combined 5.9 billion pounds, and the new appointment is intended to strengthen its ability to arrange finance for those schemes. The firm works with developers and lenders across the United Kingdom from its base.
Griffin’s career has included senior lending roles at Hampshire Trust Bank and United Trust Bank, along with 11 years at Lloyds Banking Group. His recent work totalled more than 130 million pounds across build-to-sell, build-to-rent, purpose-built student accommodation, co-living, care and industrial projects, giving him a view of how lenders assess and price a range of property deals from the other side of the table.
“Evan brings considerable lender-side experience to J3 and understands how lenders assess, structure and ultimately approve property transactions,” said Mark Thompson, a director at the firm. Griffin said good debt advice was about more than knowing which lenders are active, describing it as understanding a deal properly and knowing how a lender will look at it.
Debt advisory has grown busier as higher interest rates and tighter lending conditions have made financing harder to secure for developers. Firms that can match projects with the right lenders have found demand for their services, particularly where the market for property loans has become more fragmented. J3’s expansion reflects that shift and its ambition to compete more broadly across the property finance market. The firm said it planned to keep adding specialists as it widened its range of services.
