OPDA urges property agents to help shape smart data framework

Property agents are being encouraged to take part in a government-backed project aimed at improving how property data is shared and used across the housing market. The call comes as work begins on the Smart Property Data Trust Framework...

Latest news

Mortgage market outlook uncertain as demand weakens

The UK housing and mortgage market continues to face uncertain conditions as geopolitical tensions and economic pressures weigh on buyer confidence, according to the...

Mortgage rates climb back above 5% as lenders pull hundreds of deals

Average mortgage rates have moved back above 5% after lenders withdrew hundreds of products from the market in response to rising swap rates. The average...

Industry discussion urges mortgage sector to keep focus on mental health

Mortgage professionals are being urged to maintain momentum on mental health awareness following an industry discussion hosted by the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter. The...

AML compliance gaps remain despite supervisory progress, says OPBAS report

Supervision of anti-money laundering standards in the legal and accountancy sectors has improved since 2018, but enforcement and compliance still fall short in key...

Cambridge BS reopens Rent to Home scheme with three properties available

The Cambridge Building Society has reopened applications for its Rent to Home initiative, offering tenants the chance to reclaim up to 70% of their rent to use as a deposit on a first home. The mutual has made three...

West Brom secures B Corp certification in milestone for social and environmental standards

West Brom Building Society has been recognised as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp), joining a global group of businesses that meet verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. The accreditation recognises organisations that demonstrate high...

Mortgage submissions jump 60% as borrowers rush to secure sub-4% rates

Mortgage submissions through Acre’s platform have surged this week as brokers move quickly to secure deals for clients amid market volatility and expectations of rising rates. Acre said its platform recorded a 60% increase in mortgage submissions to lenders...

Sale-and-rent-back operator jailed after exploiting struggling homeowners

A man who ran an unauthorised sale-and-rent-back scheme targeting homeowners in financial difficulty has been jailed after admitting dozens of offences linked to illegal mortgage and credit agreements. Rajinder Gill has been sentenced to two and a half years...

PROFILE

Terry Blackburn on building a community for mortgage brokers

At 19, Terry Blackburn was knocking on doors trying to sell life insurance to strangers. He’d previously worked as a builder and candidly admits...

INDUSTRY COMMENT

The protection gap that runs all the way up the ladder

The property ladder is usually talked about in terms of deposits, equity, and affordability but recent research reveals a less visible truth; moving up...

Why landlords will continue to play a central role in meeting housing demand

This month’s Spring Statement may not have delivered dramatic housing announcements, but the data released alongside it paints a clear picture about the continued...

Debt awareness is as important for advisers as for clients

Debt Awareness Week, beginning on 16th March, provides a timely opportunity for reflection. The early months of the year have long been associated with...

Market may be overreacting to conflict-driven rate fears

Financial markets could be overreacting in the early days of the conflict as they take a second rate cut off the table this year. The...

The UK’s conveyancing conundrum explained

Why is conveyancing so slow in the UK? The average property transaction now takes between 14 and 20 weeks… and that is not taking...

‘Unresolved tension rarely solves itself’ – how to manage change under pressure

Change is part of building any business, but managing how people experience that change is often the real test of leadership. In fast growing...

Q&As

BUY-TO-LET

Regional rental trends diverge as affordability pressures persist

Rental price movements across the UK showed a mixed pattern in February, with regional...

Chetwood Bank appoints Darren Hodgson as BDM for the South

Chetwood Bank has appointed Darren Hodgson as business development manager covering the South of...

Fleet Mortgages loosens buy-to-let criteria

Fleet Mortgages has introduced a series of criteria changes across its buy-to-let range aimed...

West One launches broker criteria search tool

Specialist lender West One has introduced a new criteria search tool on its website...

The Buckinghamshire raises expat BTL LTV limit and launches new fixes

Buckinghamshire Building Society has increased the maximum loan-to-value on its expat buy-to-let mortgages to...

Family BS unveils two-year limited company BTL fix at 4.69%

The Family Building Society has introduced a new two-year fixed rate for limited company...

Limited company landlords pull away from individual investors, research finds

The private rented sector is becoming increasingly divided along structural lines, with landlords operating...

Limited company buy-to-let purchases hit record 43%

Limited company landlords accounted for a record 43% of mortgaged buy-to-let house purchases in...

MORTGAGE MINGLE PODCAST

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

FIRST-TIME BUYERS

Average deposit now exceeds annual salary in most British housing markets

Homebuyers in more than six in 10 housing markets across Great Britain now need to save a deposit larger than the average annual salary, according to new analysis from estate agency network eXp UK. The research shows that in 62% of Britain’s housing markets, the...

Prenups move into the mainstream as younger couples seek financial clarity

Prenuptial agreements — long associated with celebrities and high net worth families — are...

Santander’s higher LTV cuts see 98% first-time buyer deal below 5%

Santander UK will lower the rate on its recently launched My First Mortgage to...

Mortgage lending jumps 16% in 2025

Mortgage lending climbed 16% in 2025 to its highest level since the pandemic as...

UK house prices steady as first-time buyers return

UK house prices edged higher in February as improving affordability and a rebound in...

OPINION

The silent majority: what most financial services customers never tell you

If you work in financial services, you probably have a good handle on formal complaints. You know how many you get, how quickly they’re...

Building momentum is back, but flexible funding will be key to delivery

There are growing signs that development activity across England is beginning to gather momentum...

ANALYSIS: Swaps surge and the market braces for impact

It’s been an interesting week so far. Sadly, we’ve had to cancel our BDM...

The growth is there. Now we must close the gap

The latest UK Finance Later Life Lending Update for Q4 2025 should give every specialist adviser renewed confidence in the scale and resilience of this sector, and the opportunities it is going to continue to provide. In the final quarter of 2025 alone, 41,100 new...

Spring Statement 2026: Standing still on debt as risks mount

Yesterday, the Chancellor delivered her Spring Statement. Given the backdrop of war in the Middle East, clearly the government and the public currently have...

DISTRIBUTION

Pivotal Growth founding director David Copland to retire

David Copland, business development director and a founding member of Pivotal Growth, is to...

Brightstar looks to Armed Forces leavers in drive to widen mortgage talent pool

Brightstar Group is piloting a new initiative aimed at bringing Service Leavers and Veterans...

Hope Capital renews Brickflow tie-up as digital distribution gains ground

Hope Capital Property Finance has extended its partnership with broker platform Brickflow as part...

Gen H extends New Build Boost scheme with Lovell Homes partnership

Gen H has widened its New Build Boost mortgage scheme through a new partnership...

Jupp: Brightstar will keep pushing specialist lending boundaries

Brightstar Group chief executive Rob Jupp has pledged to keep “pushing” the specialist lending market in 2026 as the distributor marks 15 years in business. Writing in the first issue of Brightstar Insights for 2026, Jupp said the firm’s focus remains firmly on growth, innovation...