With more borrowers falling outside traditional lending criteria, brokers need a wider range of lenders than ever before to serve a growing range of clients, especially those with complex credit histories or those who simply only need a small mortgage.
The recent addition of Norton Home Loans to the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) lender panel is a clear example of how networks are expanding their lender relationships to better support advisers in a shifting market.
In the words of Rachel Geddes, strategic lender relationships director at MAB, she said that Norton’s appointment is not just about expanding the panel “it’s about providing advisers with realistic options for complex cases”.
SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED BORROWERS THROUGH RIGHT TO BUY
Right to Buy is a lifeline for many tenants in council or housing association properties, but accessing mortgage finance for these purchases isn’t always straightforward.
Credit history, affordability, and deposit levels can all present barriers, plus some lenders are unwilling to look beyond automated scoring or their tick-box criteria.
This is where specialist lenders like Norton Home Loans come into their own. Their manual underwriting approach and willingness to consider a broad spectrum of cases, including applicants with missed payments, payday loan histories, or fluctuating income, can make all the difference.
According to the latest Government statistics available (April 2024 to March 2025), Local Authorities in England reported 7,494 eligible sales (eligible sales are social houses to Local Authority tenants), an increase of 7% compared to 2023-24.
From these sales, Local Authorities received £798 million with an average sale price per dwelling of £106,500, which was an increase of 8% compared to 2023-24. Of the 7,494 reported eligible sales in 2024-25, 7,278 were Right to Buy.
Looking at the regional breakdown, in 2024-25 the most eligible sales were seen in Yorkshire and the Humber, London, and the Midlands. These regions have also had the most eligible sales since 2012, with sales in London showing a significant spike after 2013-14 following increases to the discounts available in London in April 2013.
The number of eligible sales per 1,000 stock was highest in the North East, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West. It shows that the number of sales in London per 1,000 stock have declined since a peak in 2014-15 to be, on average, among the lowest per 1,000 stock owned in all regions since 2017-18.
Also, there is still potential for future sales, because as of 31 March 2024 there were 1,562,000 Local Authority owned social homes held within a Housing Revenue Account.
Of course, brokers must take time to assess a Right to Buy client’s situation fully, especially where there may be past credit issues. An experienced specialist lender can help move these cases forward, offering solutions that factor in family support, discounts as deposits, and affordability based on real-life expenses.
A WIDENING ADVICE GAP
The challenge brokers face isn’t just about credit history, it’s about lender flexibility, attitude to risk, and understanding real-world borrower circumstances like Right to Buy.
In a market where affordability remains tight, and economic recovery is uneven, brokers need to be equipped with lenders who understand the full context.
Whether it’s helping someone buy their council house through Right to Buy or supporting a homeowner with past financial issues, product flexibility must be matched with underwriting that looks beyond the numbers.
As networks like MAB bring lenders like Norton on board, it sends a clear message that there is no one-size-fits-all borrower, and more options mean better outcomes.
