Smart Money People seeks broker views for latest lender benchmark

Smart Money People has opened its H2 2026 Mortgage Lender Benchmark survey, inviting UK mortgage intermediaries to assess lenders’ service and technology.

The results are scheduled for publication in late November 2026 and will measure brokers’ views across areas including lending criteria, speed, communication and relationship management.

Brokers will also be asked about the technology they use, including sourcing and criteria systems, and to identify areas where individual lenders are performing well or could improve.

BUILDING SOCIETIES LED H1 STUDY

The previous benchmark, covering H1 2026, recorded an overall lender satisfaction score of 4.22 out of five, down 0.03 from H2 2025.

Building societies recorded the highest Broker Experience Index at 73.6, moving ahead of mainstream lenders, which scored 70.8 after leading the previous study.

Across the market, the Broker Experience Index slipped from 71.0 in H2 2025 to 70.2. The measure combines a range of service and satisfaction factors, including speed, support and digital tools.

The H1 research drew responses from 980 brokers working at 510 firms, covering 126 lenders representing 98.1% of UK gross mortgage lending. The average Net Promoter Score across lenders was +40.9, 0.4 points lower than in H2 2025.

Smart Money People is offering a £10 Amazon voucher to UK mortgage intermediaries who complete the latest survey.

Jake Sandford, head of data and analytics at Smart Money People, says: “This year has been a challenging one for the sector. Borrowers and brokers are being asked to make decisions in an unusually uncertain market while regulation is simultaneously trying to expand who can borrow and how advice is delivered.

“It will be interesting to see how this will be reflected in H2’s study and how lenders have responded to support brokers and their customers.

“In addition, from a technology perspective, it will be telling to see how the various types of broker technology have aided brokers during this period and whether AI forms a greater part of the technology solution.”