Mortgage brokers across the Midlands are entering 2026 in a notably positive mood, with most expecting higher activity across both lending and protection.

Brokers within the Primis Mortgage Network have reported strong confidence in their prospects for 2026, according to a survey carried out at a recent network kick-off event in Warwickshire.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, described themselves as either optimistic or somewhat optimistic about the year ahead. Looking at business volumes, 81% said they expect to write more business in 2026 than they did last year, while a further 18% anticipate activity will remain broadly unchanged. Just 1% expect volumes to fall.

Sentiment around protection business is similarly upbeat. Some 83% of brokers expect to arrange more protection cover this year, compared with 13% who believe volumes will stay the same and 3% who foresee a decline.

Despite this confidence, brokers remain alert to wider economic risks. Economic uncertainty or unemployment was cited as the biggest challenge for 2026 by 51% of respondents, while 22% pointed to ongoing affordability pressures for customers. Only 2% said lower transaction volumes were their main concern, suggesting continued belief in underlying market activity.

The refinance market stands out as the dominant opportunity for the year ahead. More than half of those surveyed, 56%, identified refinancing as the biggest opportunity for their business in 2026. This compared with 16% who highlighted first-time buyer mortgages and 13% who pointed to income protection.

Smaller numbers identified specialist or complex lending at 5%, life insurance at 4% and home mover mortgages at 3%.

Expectations around interest rates appear to underpin this optimism, with 92% of brokers expecting the Bank of England base rate to have fallen by the end of the year.

Concerns around regulatory change also appear limited. Despite industry debate about the Financial Conduct Authority’s removal of the advice trigger, 65% of respondents said this did not worry them.

Neil Hoare, sales director at LSL Financial Services, said: “There’s a real sense that 2026 could be a breakout year for brokers. Confidence is high and that confidence is backed up by improving market fundaments.

“There are around 1.8 million fixed-rate deals due to expire, which creates a huge opportunity in the refinance market for brokers, especially with rates expected to fall even lower.

“But what’s noticeable is that brokers don’t just view 2026 as an opportunity to write more mortgages, but also protection. With such a large cohort of borrowers set to refinance this year, advisers have a natural trigger point to reassess cover for customers whose circumstances may have changed significantly since they last arranged their mortgage.

“As a network, our focus is on ensuring that our brokers have the right tools at their disposal to take full advantage of those opportunities and to ensure that they end 2026 in a much stronger position than they started it.”