OSB Group
OSB Group PLC is a UK-listed specialist bank originating Buy-to-Let and complex mortgages via intermediaries under brands including Precise Mortgages, Charter Savings Bank, Kent Reliance and Rely, funding a £25.9bn loan book with £24.3bn of retail deposits and holding approximately 24% of the UK specialist BTL market.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1840
- HeadquartersGillingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What OSB Group does
OSB Group PLC is a UK-listed specialist bank (LSE: OSB) that originates Buy-to-Let (BTL) and other specialist mortgage products and funds them primarily through retail deposits. The group operates through multiple brands — including Precise Mortgages, Kent Reliance for Intermediaries, Charter Savings Bank, Kent Reliance, InterBay Commercial, InterBay Asset Finance, Heritable Development Finance, and Rely — and distributes predominantly via UK mortgage intermediaries. As of recent reporting, OSB holds £25.9bn of net loans against £24.3bn of retail deposits, with a £17.7bn BTL book representing 68% of total lending and approximately 24% UK specialist BTL market share.
The group runs a hybrid technology and human-underwriting model. Its newly launched Rely broker platform (November 2025) introduces AI-assisted underwriting, reportedly reducing processing times by around 30% and onboarding over 4,500 brokers and 2,500 applications within weeks of launch. OSB employs 2,489 staff across the UK and India, with 1,008 based at OSB India (OSBI), which provides scaled technology, operations, and analytics capability. Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the loan book, supplemented by origination, servicing, and asset finance fees; H1 2025 net income of £142.1m and 2026 profit guidance of at least £300m frame the earnings profile.
The business model rests on deep broker relationships, multi-brand customer acquisition across both lending and savings, and capital-efficient specialist underwriting. Capital strength is a central strategic asset: CET1 ratio of 15.7-15.8%, Moody's Baa2 with stable outlook, and Bank of England transfer firm status effective 1 January 2026 (enabling exit from MREL requirements). The group has announced a £100m share buyback (March 2026) and £150m AT1 issuance (November 2025), marking a transition to active capital return under incoming CEO Enrique Alvarez Labiano (from Santander UK), who succeeds retiring CEO Andy Golding on 31 August 2026.
OSB Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OSB Group
- Legal name
- OSB GROUP PLC
- Website
- https://osb.co.uk
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1840
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- OSB Group PLC is a UK-listed specialist bank originating Buy-to-Let and complex mortgages via intermediaries under brands including Precise Mortgages, Charter Savings Bank, Kent Reliance and Rely, funding a £25.9bn loan book with £24.3bn of retail deposits and holding approximately 24% of the UK specialist BTL market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OSB Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialist Mortgage Lending
- SIC
- Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS/CMBS) (FSACACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Structured Credit (ABS/MBS/CLO/CDO) (FSAHAGAC)
Keywords
Where OSB Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gillingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
OSB Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Net Interest Income: Interest income from mortgage lending minus interest paid on retail deposits. The company operates as a specialist mortgage lender with net loans to customers of £25.9bn and retail deposits of £24.3bn.
- Mortgage Lending Fees: Fees from mortgage origination and processing across specialist lending products including buy-to-let, residential, commercial, development finance, and bridging.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Mortgage lending products - rates vary by product type |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
OSB Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OSB Group is a UK specialist bank that provides Buy-to-Let, specialist residential, commercial, semi-commercial, bridging, and property development mortgages alongside retail savings products. The Group operates a platform-plus-brands architecture serving underserved mortgage market segments through specialist intermediary brands (Rely, Precise Mortgages, Kent Reliance for Intermediaries, InterBay Commercial, InterBay Asset Finance, Heritable) and retail savings brands (Kent Reliance, Charter Savings Bank).
Product overview
OSB Group is a UK-listed specialist bank operating a platform-plus-brands architecture. The Group provides specialist mortgage lending and retail savings products through a family of distinct specialist brands: Rely (buy-to-let mortgage platform with AI-powered technology), Precise Mortgages (specialist residential and buy-to-let), Kent Reliance for Intermediaries, InterBay Commercial (commercial and semi-commercial lending), InterBay Asset Finance (SME equipment financing), Heritable Development Finance (property development lending), Charter Savings Bank (retail savings), and Kent Reliance (branch-based savings). The Group is primarily funded through retail deposits from Charter Savings Bank and Kent Reliance franchises. Operations are supported by OSB India, the wholly-owned offshore subsidiary. The Group focuses on underserved mortgage market segments including professional Buy-to-Let, bespoke residential, commercial, semi-commercial, development finance, bridging and asset finance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rely Mortgages: Buy-to-let lending platform for property investors and brokers, underpinned by new mortgage technology platform offering speed, clarity and insight
- Precise Mortgages
- Kent Reliance for Intermediaries
- InterBay Commercial
- InterBay Asset Finance
- Heritable Development Finance
- Charter Savings Bank
- Kent Reliance
- OSB India
Products and services
- Rely Mortgages Buy-to-let lending platform for property investors and their brokers, underpinned by a new AI-powered mortgage technology platform offering speed, clarity and insight through a data-led approach to underwriting.
- Precise Mortgages Specialist lender providing buy-to-let, residential mortgages and bridging finance for customers underserved by mainstream lenders, including self-employed borrowers and those with adverse credit.
- Kent Reliance for Intermediaries Specialist lending brand offering buy-to-let mortgages for personal ownership and limited companies, residential mortgages for non-standard income, large loan requirements and shared ownership via intermediary brokers.
- InterBay Commercial Expert provider of bespoke commercial, semi-commercial, buy-to-let loans, bridging and developer exit finance solutions for brokers handling challenging cases.
- InterBay Asset Finance Hire purchase, leasing and refinancing for UK SMEs and small corporate entities to fund business-critical assets.
- Heritable Development Finance Bespoke development funding for new build houses and flats, conversions and refurbishments including mixed use opportunities for experienced property developers and small to medium-sized housebuilders.
- Charter Savings Bank Retail savings bank offering UK customers online and postal savings accounts, Cash ISAs and bonds with competitive interest rates; recipient of ISA Provider of the Year and Best Fixed Rate Savings Provider awards.
- Kent Reliance Traditional UK savings bank operating since the 1840s with a network of branches in Kent, offering postal and online accounts supported by a dedicated call centre.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30% faster application-to-offer times via Rely platform
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use OSB Group
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
OSB Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
OSB Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Simplybiz MortgagesminorLaunch of Specialist Property Finance Panel providing members access to range of lenders offering bridging, development finance, specialist buy-to-let, and commercial lending products.
- FIBA (Financial Intermediary & Broker Association)minorJoint launch of Specialist Property Finance Panel expanding broker access to specialist lending products.
- UN Global CompactminorOSB Group became signatory in 2023, demonstrating commitment to sustainability and upholding principles related to human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.
- Net Zero Banking AllianceminorOSB Group was a member since 2023; the initiative ceased operations in October 2025 following exit of large financial institutions.
- Living Wage FoundationminorOSB Group is an accredited Living Wage employer ensuring all UK employees and regularly contracted third party staff earn at least the published Real Living Wage.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
OSB Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Paragon Banking Group: UK-listed specialist Buy-to-Let mortgage lender with very similar specialist franchise structure, including complex BTL, commercial and development finance products. Paragon is the closest direct competitor to OSB in the specialist BTL segment.
- Shawbrook Bank: UK specialist challenger bank focused on Buy-to-Let, commercial and SME lending. Directly comparable to OSB's specialist mortgage and SME asset finance franchise via InterBay and Heritable.
- Aldermore Bank: UK specialist challenger bank offering specialist mortgages, BTL and SME asset finance. Closely comparable to OSB's specialist mortgage and asset finance business model.
- Skipton Building Society: One of the UK's largest building societies with significant Buy-to-Let and specialist mortgage activity. Comparable to OSB as a UK specialist lender-saver with multi-segment mortgage focus.
- Leeds Building Society: UK building society with material specialist Buy-to-Let and complex residential mortgage activity. Directly comparable to OSB's specialist lending model and retail savings franchise.
Broad incumbents
- Coventry Building Society: Large UK building society with established specialist mortgage and savings franchises. Comparable as a UK retail-deposit-funded mortgage lender with specialist product capability.
- Metro Bank: UK challenger bank offering retail savings and mortgage products. Comparable as a deposit-funded UK challenger, though with broader consumer banking rather than specialist mortgage focus.
- Nationwide Building Society: UK's largest building society and dominant retail savings franchise. Comparable as a major UK mortgage and savings provider, though much broader and less specialist than OSB Group.
Regional players
- Principality Building Society: Welsh-focused building society with specialist mortgage and savings products. Comparable in specialist lending approach but primarily serves a different UK regional geography than OSB.
Emerging players
- Atom Bank: UK digital challenger bank with specialist mortgage focus. Comparable as an emerging specialist lender using technology-led underwriting, though smaller and earlier-stage than OSB Group.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OSB Group social profiles
Digital presenceOSB Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
OSB Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OSB Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
OSB Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
OSB Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OSB Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OSB Group
What does OSB Group do?
OSB Group is a UK specialist bank that provides Buy-to-Let, specialist residential, commercial, semi-commercial, bridging, and property development mortgages alongside retail savings products. The Group operates a platform-plus-brands architecture serving underserved mortgage market segments through specialist intermediary brands (Rely, Precise Mortgages, Kent Reliance for Intermediaries, InterBay Commercial, InterBay Asset Finance, Heritable) and retail savings brands (Kent Reliance, Charter Savings Bank).
Is OSB Group a public or private company?
OSB Group is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was OSB Group founded?
OSB Group was founded in 1840. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is OSB Group based?
OSB Group is headquartered in Gillingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does OSB Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Net Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are mortgage Lending Fees.
Who are OSB Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Paragon Banking Group, Shawbrook Bank, Aldermore Bank, Skipton Building Society and Leeds Building Society. Broad incumbents are Coventry Building Society, Metro Bank and Nationwide Building Society. Principality Building Society is listed as a regional player. Atom Bank is listed as an emerging player.
Does OSB Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for OSB Group.
What industry is OSB Group in?
OSB Group's product category is Specialist Mortgage Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACACAB, Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS/CMBS), with a secondary code of FSAHAGAC, Structured Credit (ABS/MBS/CLO/CDO). Its SIC code is 6036.