Essex based mortgage broker CLS Money has launched a new service called Talk Mortgages.

Customers can arrange a video call and speak to a qualified mortgage expert within minutes, or book an appointment at a more convenient date and time.

The new service has been trialled over the past six months.

Clayton Shipton (pictured), CLS Money’s founder, said: “As consumers, we have numerous ways to access entertainment and information 24/7. As an adviser, I was struck by the fact that although numerous surveys have found that mortgage customers still prefer to have the advice of a human expert, rather than a computer, it is not always convenient to go to an adviser’s office or wait for them to come to you.

“Talk Mortgages marries the convenience of the internet to the undoubted superiority of human advice and contact, fusing technology and human expertise into a true hybrid bringing the best of both worlds together.

“Generationally, we have older customers who have enjoyed the flexibility Talk Mortgages provides, with its late opening hours and ability to secure a mortgage at a time and place that suits them. It has also been equally popular with tech savvy millennials, who want to take out their smartphone or tablet and get the results they want, with the added bonus of that important human contact, which their families have always advised is the best way to procure a mortgage.

“Rather than fear the rise of robo-advice, we have chosen to embrace the available technology to help us offer a more complete service. All the surveys of customer preferences confirm that the majority of people seeking a mortgage prefer to deal directly with a human being. In our view, Talk Mortgages provides everything that robo-advice offers in terms of fast access, but married to the reassurance of dealing with a qualified human adviser. The best of both worlds and provided by mortgage brokers, not algorithms.”