Following the broker response for its first six ‘Criteria Clinic’ sessions, Knowledge Bank is to start hosting the educational webinars every fortnight.

Initially introduced to help brokers over lockdown, the sessions have been brought back as a permanent feature at the request of both brokers and lenders.

The events provide advice and even place brokers’ cases live during the sessions. Brokers who attend a full webinar will also get 60 minutes of CPD and a certificate.

The first of this new series will take place on Monday 21 September at 10am. Each webinar will involve a panel from a cross section of lenders to discuss the issues and topics that brokers are most concerned about.

Each session will take an in-depth look at a particular area of lending. Brokers will be able to ask questions of lenders and discuss criteria issues that they have encountered. They will have their voice heard by the lenders on the panel regarding any issues they are finding. It will also give brokers an insight into what different lenders are experiencing.

The next Criteria Clinic on Monday will be on semi-commercial properties.  It will be hosted by CEO, Nicola Firth. Four lenders are joining the session to answer questions and give insight on: semi-commercial loans, how to find the best lender for your client and the things lenders are looking so brokers can position mortgage applications so they are most likely to be accepted.

The lenders on this session are:

• Adrian Moloney, group sales director, OneSavings Bank & Precise Mortgages
• Gavin Seaholme, head of sales, Shawbrook Bank
• Richard Miles, head of savings / area manager (East Wales), Swansea Building Society
• Alex Upton, Commercial Director, Hampshire Trust Bank

Firth (pictured) said: “We received such positive feedback from the first set of six webinar sessions that we felt compelled to continue hosting these and sharing more knowledge with brokers.

“Brokers were immensely positive about the fact that they could actually place cases while on the webinar. This brings something totally different to anything else in the market at the moment and shows the immediate value. Even those who didn’t directly place a customer on the webinar, took away valuable learnings and later fed back that they found placing their own cases much easier and more successful.

“By having lenders involved we create compelling dialogue and add different perspectives from which everyone benefits.”