Sara Grech, an established and leading real estate company, has teamed up with HSBC to implement an initiative designed to simplify the process of buying a property. Customers searching for properties on Sara Grech's website www.saragrech.com can now immediately establish the maximum amount of money they can borrow from HSBC to purchase their home.

The loan amount, interest rate, timeframes and monthly repayments are provided to the customer instantaneously, while the HSBC website is only a click away for anyone requiring more information.

Godfrey Swain, head of Personal Financial Services at HSBC, said: "HSBC's loan calculator provides an instant and accurate information service to prospective clients who are increasingly using the Internet for both personal and commercial purposes. We are delighted to be able to work with established real estate companies such as Sara Grech, to assist our mutual clients."

Asked how Ms Grech came up with the idea, she was prompt to reply that the reasons were twofold. Most people find it difficult to find the time to personally go and discuss their requirements with the bank, and once the website is made up of so many potential and interesting properties for sale, the concept of being able to know instantly what you can borrow for each property seemed exciting.

Another reason was to help customers avoid unnecessary delays and disappointment. The importance of wanting to provide the customer with first-hand and quick information made this concept all the more viable. "What more would anyone want from a property site?" Ms Grech asked.

For more information visit www.hsbc.com.mt