Advisers aligned to Primis Mortgage Network in Northern Ireland are entering 2026 with expansion plans, placing protection advice at the centre of their strategy while remaining mindful of affordability pressures.
A survey of brokers at a regional kick-off event found that 82% expect to write more mortgage business this year than in 2025, signalling a broadly confident outlook across the network.
Protection business is set to play an even more prominent role. Nine in 10 respondents said they anticipate arranging more protection in 2026, underlining a shift towards embedding resilience and longer-term financial planning into core client conversations.
Overall sentiment remains positive. Some 68% of those surveyed described themselves as either optimistic or somewhat optimistic about the year ahead.
That confidence, however, is tempered by clear challenges. Customer affordability pressures were cited as the single biggest hurdle by 43% of respondents.
Economic uncertainty or unemployment was identified by 23%, while 16% pointed to regulation and compliance burdens as their primary concern.
A further 13% highlighted lower transaction volumes as their main worry, and 5% said the risk of interest rates remaining higher for longer posed the greatest threat to activity.
SALES OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS MORTGAGES AND PROTECTION
When asked where they see the strongest sales potential in 2026, advisers pointed to a balanced mix of mortgage and protection business.
Remortgage activity was most frequently cited, selected by 29% of brokers, followed by first-time-buyer mortgages at 24%. Income protection was identified by 19% of respondents, with critical illness cover named by 12%. Life insurance and general insurance were each highlighted by 5%.
Expectations around the interest rate environment also underpin the more positive outlook. The majority of brokers, 86%, expect the Bank of England base rate to be lower by the end of 2026. Of those, 73% anticipate a reduction of between 25 and 50 basis points.
Despite ongoing industry discussion about a potential increase in execution-only activity, most Northern Ireland advisers appear relatively relaxed. Nearly three-quarters, 74%, said they are not worried at all about non-advised business, while 21% reported being somewhat concerned.
Neil Hoare (pictured), sales director at LSL Financial Services, said: “What stands out among Primis brokers in Northern Ireland is just how central protection is to growth plans this year.
“With nine in 10 expecting to write more protection this year, customer resilience and long-term financial security will be a major focus.
“Affordability pressures are the biggest concern for customers in Northern Ireland. Nonetheless, opportunities present themselves to brokers in the region with remortgaging, first-time-buyers and, most notably, protection all identified by respondents as areas of growth.
“It is our job at Primis to help convert opportunity into sustainable growth by providing the tools and practical regulatory support they need to navigate affordability challenges.
“In doing so, brokers are best placed to deliver strong customer outcomes and make the most of the prospects 2026 presents.”
