Opinions & blogs

There’s still underlying demand for buy-to-let lending

‘One minute you’re cock of the walk, the next you’re a feather duster.’ It might...

There won’t be a summer lull in mortgage demand

Slowly but surely, we are seeing shifts in the mortgage market back towards what...

Half full or half empty?

The coronavirus epidemic has put a new emphasis on individuals’ attitude to risk. With regard...

Twitter tales as old as time

‘Porn star Nacho Vidal held in Spain after man dies in toad-venom ritual’ That probably...

Surveying a different landscape

Throughout this crisis, and certainly from a housing market perspective, it’s often felt that...

Being ready for the bounce back

Given the easing of the lockdown in England – and the assumption that similar...

Covid-19 has boosted GI and protection sales

From our perspective, one of the key lessons brokers can learn as a result...

What Open Banking could mean for intermediaries

Over the past couple of years ‘Open Banking’ has entered the lexicon of financial...

Que sera sera

I have been looking at the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) scenario forecast on...

The value of advice in a nutshell

At the current time, I suspect many broker firms are concerned about their ability...

This could be a pivotal moment for surveyors

When it comes to the UK’s housing and mortgage markets, there is often no...

We appear to have moved on

We are now well over a month into the country-wide lockdown, and while there...

Time to ask yourself some difficult questions

In the here and now, it can be hard to look at a different...

Documentation: is there an easier way?

My current mortgage deal ends in the summer. My diligent mortgage broker contacted me...

COMMENT

Beyond the Robo-Adviser: why the future of mortgages is ‘Human Plus’

The fintech industry is obsessing over a binary choice: the traditional human broker or the fully automated 'robo-adviser'. But as we navigate the complexities...

Ceasefire boosts sentiment more than mortgage market

What goes up must come down, but for mortgage rates the drop will be notably more gradual than the sharp increase triggered by the...

A surge today, but what comes next for advisers and conveyancing?

March has provided a very clear example of how quickly this market can move when lenders feel the need to take action, with widespread...

Technology adapts so you don’t have to

20 years ago, many brokerages looked and operated in very similar ways. Typically small, local business, many firms focused solely on standard residential mortgage...

Rental barometer shows strength, but March changes the tone

Looking at our recently published Q1 2026 Rental Barometer data in isolation, there is clearly a strong and positive story to tell. Average rental...

Latest news

Skipton to cut residential rates and revive three-year fixes

Skipton Building Society is cutting rates across parts of its residential mortgage range from...

The Leek lowers mortgage rates across residential and specialist products

Leek Building Society is cutting mortgage rates across parts of its residential, shared ownership,...

Fleet Mortgages adds two-year tracker products to buy-to-let range

Fleet Mortgages has launched three new two-year tracker mortgages at 75% loan-to-value across its...

Norton Home Loans provides remortgage on PRC home in Southampton

Norton Home Loans has completed a £218,000 remortgage for joint applicants in Southampton, allowing...

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