Paradigm Mortgage Services has announced the second yearly winners and runners-up from its Lender and Provider Awards.

The awards were voted for by Paradigm’s directly authorised (DA) Partner members each month and the results collated over the course of 2015 to decide the winners.

The overall winners and runners-up for 2015 are as follows:

• Best Overall Lender –Winner: NatWest; Runner-up: Nationwide for Intermediaries.
• Best Residential Lender –Winner: Virgin Money; Runner-up: Santander.
• Best Buy-to-let Lender –Winner: The Mortgage Works (TMW); Runner-up: BM Solutions.
• Best Specialist Lender –Winner: Precise Mortgages; Runner-up: Brightstar.
• Best Equity Release Lender –Winner: Hodge Lifetime; Runner-up: Just Retirement.
• Best Life Protection Provider –Winner: AIG; Runner-up: Zurich.
• Best General Insurance Provider –Winner: The Source; Runner-up: Paymentshield.
• Best Critical/Serious Illness Provider –Winner: Bright Grey; Runner-up: Legal & General.
• Best Income Protection Provider –Winner: Exeter Family Friendly; Runner-up: Friends Life.

Paradigm personnel also voted for their Strategic Partners of the Year awards, a special category for the business which is judged to have excelled in its support of the Paradigm Group. Last year Paradigm presented one Strategic Partner of the Year award however in order to recognise both the mortgage and protection side of the business in 2015, this award has been split into two. The winners are:

• Strategic Lender Partner of the Year –Nationwide for Intermediaries.
• Strategic Provider Partner of the Year –Legal & General.

Each month, Paradigm’s partner members are encouraged to vote for their top three lenders and providers in each category, enabling Paradigm to provide an ongoing snapshot of advisers’ views throughout the course of the year. This annual process ensures those lenders and providers who consistently deliver service excellence are appropriately recognised.

Bob Hunt, chief executive of Paradigm Mortgage Services, said: “Firstly, a huge congratulations from all at Paradigm to our winners and runners-up in this year’s Awards. Our Awards scheme was first introduced in 2014 and has proved to be increasingly popular with both members who vote, and ultimately the winning providers/lenders. Each month we actively encourage our member firms to vote in a variety of categories to acknowledge their ‘Best’ Lenders and Providers throughout the previous month, as a way of recognising those whose service and proposition support they value the most.

“On top of the core annual award categories (awards which are decided by aggregating the monthly votes), two special awards are given to the Strategic Lender and Provider Partners who have excelled in supporting the Paradigm Group.

“We believe these Awards are considerably more rewarding and valuable than many others as they are a true reflection of our members’ preferences throughout the year, and not just at a single snapshot of time. The Awards have been a valuable aid for Paradigm in terms of helping us gauge the feelings and sometimes the concerns of our members. The process encourages firms to contact us directly to flag up instances where they have had a great experience with a lender or provider, or likewise where they have not.

“While those who do not receive positive recognition from the voting know they need to do more to gain the confidence and business support of our members, the winners deserve high praise where our shared goal is the continued improvement of the experience our members receive through Paradigm, via our vital Strategic Partners.”