Griffin joins from Pluto Finance, where he was lending director. He brings more than 20 years’ experience in banking and property finance, including senior lending roles at Hampshire Trust Bank and United Trust Bank, following 11 years with Lloyds Banking Group.

His experience spans build to sell, build to rent, PBSA, co-living, care and industrial development, with recent transactions representing more than £130m of funding. At J3, Griffin will lead the debt advisory business, advising developers and investors on the structuring, sourcing and execution of property finance. He will work closely with Mark Thompson, who leads J3’s Scottish business and its relationships with developers, investors and lenders across the country.

J3 was established in 2021 as a specialist structural warranty and latent defects insurance adviser. It has since broadened its capabilities across construction insurance, transactional risk and debt advisory. The firm has supported more than 1,000 property developments with a combined GDV exceeding £5.9bn.

Mark Thompson, director at J3 Advisory, said: Evan brings considerable lender-side experience to J3 and understands how lenders assess, structure and ultimately approve property transactions. His appointment strengthens the support we can provide to developers and investors in Scotland, particularly at a time when securing the right funding and presenting a well-structured proposition to lenders are increasingly important.”

Griffin added: “I’ve spent much of my career sitting on the lender’s side of the table, so I know what happens to a deal once it lands with a lender and, ultimately, with credit. You learn where the questions are going to come from, what will concern a lender and what can be dealt with before it becomes a problem. That can have a real bearing on the terms a borrower achieves and, just as importantly, the certainty of getting the funding in place.

“For me, good debt advice is about more than knowing which lenders are active. It’s understanding the deal properly, knowing how a lender will look at it and getting the structure right before you take it to market. J3 already has strong relationships with developers and lenders. There’s a real opportunity to bring my experience as a lender into those relationships and build a strong debt advisory business.

“I’m looking forward to working with Mark and the team in Glasgow, meeting more developers and investors across Scotland and helping them structure and secure the right funding for their projects.”