The AI questions the mortgage industry needs to ask – and address

Everyone in the industry is talking about artificial intelligence, but mortgage tech boss Zahid Bilgrami is more interested in what nobody is discussing, writes Kevin Rose. As chief executive of Mortgage Brain, Bilgrami is enthusiastic about AI's potential, but...

Latest news

Second charge mortgage lending volumes dip for first time in more than a year

New business volumes in the second charge mortgage market fell by 1% in May, although lending remained well ahead of last year's levels overall. Figures...

Building Societies Association signs Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter

The Building Societies Association has become the latest organisation to sign the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter, joining an initiative aimed at improving mental...

Sprive urges first-time buyers to plan ahead as Leeds launches 2% deposit mortgage

Sprive has welcomed Leeds Building Society's new 98% loan-to-value mortgage but says borrowers should have a long-term strategy to reduce their mortgage debt through...

Leeds launches 98% LTV mortgage aimed at widening access for first-time buyers

Leeds Building Society has introduced a new 98% loan-to-value mortgage designed to help more first-time buyers overcome affordability barriers and secure a place on...

Uinsure secures exclusive Lloyds Bank General Insurance panel deal for advisers

Uinsure has added Lloyds Bank General Insurance to its home insurance panel in an exclusive agreement for the mortgage intermediary market, expanding insurer choice and underwriting capacity for advisers across the UK. The agreement means advisers using the Uinsure...

Clydesdale cuts selected residential product transfer rates

Clydesdale Bank is reducing a range of residential product transfer fixed mortgage rates from 17 July, including the launch of new lower loan-to-value deals. The lender is introducing new two-year and five-year fixed rate product transfer mortgages at 65%...

Foundation shows how revised Property Plus criteria unlock Scottish buy-to-let purchase

Foundation has highlighted how enhancements to its Property Plus proposition helped a broker secure funding for a landlord purchasing a high-yield flat above commercial premises in Glasgow. The lender said the case demonstrates how changes to its specialist lending...

HLPartnership sets out leadership transition as Chris Tanner steps back

HLPartnership has announced plans for a leadership transition that will see BetterHome Group chief executive Rudi Botha take over the day-to-day leadership of the mortgage and protection network, subject to FCA approval. The proposed change follows a period of...

PROFILE

Claire Cherrington on the opportunities ahead for mortgage clubs

The mortgage club and compliance landscape is changing faster than at any point in recent memory. Consolidation is gathering pace, technology and artificial intelligence...

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Will we look back at Q2 as the most stable quarter of 2026?

The first half of 2026 has reminded us how quickly sentiment can change within the mortgage and housing markets. After a fairly stable and promising...

A steadier second half of 2026 in sight?

The first half of 2026 has been a reminder that the mortgage market does not operate in isolation. While domestic economic conditions have remained...

How brokers can secure better client outcomes in a volatile market

Experience has always counted in the mortgage market. Brokers who worked through the financial crisis, the Covid pandemic, the Liz Truss mini-Budget and cost-of-living...

Uncertainty means greater need for client conversations

Last week showed just how quickly events on the other side of the world can find their way into our industry, with swap rates...

Housing reform needs a thriving private rental sector, not just a thriving sales and purchase market

One of the most encouraging developments over recent weeks has been the renewed focus on improving the homebuying and selling process. The Government's plans to...

The economics of developing the next generation of advisers

Over the past couple of decades, I have worked alongside literally thousands of AR and DA firms, from businesses employing one or two advisers...

Q&As

BUY-TO-LET

Together launches lower-rate portfolio lending proposition for larger buy-to-let landlords

Together has introduced a new lower-rate lending proposition for portfolio landlords seeking more than...

InterBay broadens buy-to-let range with new LTV option and lower rates

InterBay has expanded its buy-to-let offering with a new lower loan-to-value option, a dedicated...

Foundation adds new 80% LTV specialist buy-to-let products

Foundation has expanded its specialist buy-to-let range with the launch of new 80% loan-to-value...

Redwood Bank strengthens underwriting team with senior appointment

Redwood Bank has appointed Omkar Hushing as senior underwriting manager as it continues to...

Landlords take more targeted approach to HMO investment

Landlords are increasingly adapting houses in multiple occupation to appeal to specific tenant groups,...

Afin Bank promotes Anum Mahmood to national sales director

Afin Bank has promoted Anum Mahmood to national sales director as the specialist lender...

GB Bank joins Mortgage Brain sourcing and criteria platforms

GB Bank has added its buy-to-let and bridging products to Mortgage Brain's Sourcing Brain...

Dudley BS cuts rates by up to 100bps across key lending ranges

Dudley Building Society has reduced rates across its residential, buy-to-let, holiday let and expat...

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

FIRST-TIME BUYERS

Bank of Ireland expands JBSP mortgage criteria

Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries has widened its Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) mortgage proposition, extending eligibility to remortgage customers and increasing the maximum loan size to £1.5 million. The changes are designed to broaden access to the lender's JBSP offering and support borrowers with...

Mortgage demand slows in second quarter as higher rates hit affordability

Higher borrowing costs weighed on mortgage demand during the second quarter, although Stonebridge says...

Mortgage rates fall at fastest pace in almost two years

Fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions for almost two years, as...

Solo first-time buyers face almost a decade of saving before they can buy

Solo first-time buyers face saving for almost a decade before they can afford to...

Confidence in homeownership falters despite renewed ambition

More than half of aspiring homeowners do not believe they will ever be able...

OPINION

Is Andy Burnham the New Messiah or just Starmer with better eyebrows?

What a damning indictment of Labour that Andy Burnham appears to be strolling towards the leadership in what looks less like a contest and...

Approvals hit a 2.5-year low: When broker value gets proven – or missed

Net mortgage approvals dropped to 56,200 in May – the lowest since December 2023...

Removing friction from the homebuying journey

One thing I keep hearing from our advisers is how much more work each...

Build, baby, build? Well we will need to fund more than the usual suspects

There was a noticeable sense of optimism at UKREiiF this year. That may sound surprising given the economic headwinds of recent years, but the conversations taking place across Leeds suggested a market that increasingly believes the conditions exist to move from talking about growth...

Innovation in the lifetime mortgage market riding high

Innovation in the lifetime mortgage market has created real value for customers – there’s no excuse to ignore it. When a UK borrower reaches 55,...

DISTRIBUTION

Omni Protect becomes first service provider to adopt Beagle Street intermediary proposition

Omni Protect has become the first service provider for directly authorised firms to offer...

Brilliant Solutions partners with Box Socials

Brilliant Solutions has partnered with Box Socials to give its members discounted access to...

TMG boss promises Bank Holiday Monday if England reach World Cup final

TMG mortgage network founder and CEO Scott Thorpe has pledged to give every member...

Knowledge Bank teams up with Brilliant Solutions for specialist lending cases

Knowledge Bank has formed a partnership with specialist mortgage packager Brilliant Solutions as demand...

Stonebridge releases 2026 Regional Roadshow dates

Stonebridge has released its 2026 Regional Roadshow dates and revealed where it will be taking its mini-conference tour of Britain this year. The mortgage and protection network stages the Stonebridge National Conference each Spring but takes to the road in the Autumn for six roadshows...