Mortgage search activity fell sharply in April as the market lost momentum after stronger levels earlier in the year, according to Twenty7tec.
Data from the firm’s April 2026 Mortgage Market Snapshot showed total mortgage searches fell by 20% month-on-month, from 2.15 million in March to 1.71 million in April.
Residential remortgage searches recorded the steepest fall, dropping 32% compared with March, while buy-to-let remortgage searches were down 23%.
Twenty7tec said the data suggested some borrowers may have brought forward decisions earlier in the year amid uncertainty around rates, inflation and wider economic conditions.
Residential purchase searches also weakened, falling 9% month-on-month and 1% year-on-year, underlining continuing affordability pressures for prospective buyers.
However, parts of the buy-to-let market showed more resilience. Buy-to-let searches rose 3% year-on-year, while buy-to-let remortgage searches were 9% higher than in April 2025, suggesting landlords remain active in reviewing and restructuring borrowing arrangements.
Product availability also reduced during April following stronger levels at the start of 2026, with lenders responding to swap rate movements, inflation expectations and shifting market sentiment.
The snapshot also pointed to the continued complexity of borrower circumstances being handled by advisers. The most searched criteria topics in April included adverse credit, visa and residency requirements, self-employed income, missed payments and applications involving foreign nationals.
Nakita Moss, head of lender at Twenty7tec, said: “The April figures reflect a market that remains highly reactive to both economic conditions and borrower sentiment. After the elevated activity levels seen in March, some degree of slowdown was expected, but the scale of the movement across remortgage and purchase searches highlights how closely borrower behaviour continues to track affordability pressures and wider financial uncertainty.
“What’s particularly interesting is that, despite softer overall activity, advisers are still navigating increasingly complex cases.
“The criteria searches this month show continued demand for support around adverse credit, self-employed income and residency questions, reinforcing the important role advisers continue to play in helping borrowers access the market.”
Twenty7tec’s Mortgage Market Snapshot uses live search data from INSIGHT Pro, providing a real-time view of adviser activity and emerging trends across the UK mortgage market.
