December has long been a quiet month for mortgage advisers. By mid-November, many client conversations slow or pause entirely, often with the familiar refrain: “Call me back in the new year.”

For advisers, it is a time for a well-earned rest. But it can also feel like a challenge. How do you remain relevant when client activity slows?

We see December differently. It’s a prime opportunity to stay visible, celebrate with clients, and remind them of the value of financial planning and mortgage advice without pushing sales.

A QUIET PERIOD, A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY

Year-end often brings reflection. Clients think about family, homes, and financial security.

And these are precisely the moments when mortgage and protection advice resonates. Advisers who stay visible at this time strengthen trust and increase engagement when the new year begins.

A creative solution is the “12 Days of Christmas” campaign: a festive social media series designed to highlight the key benefits of mortgage advice, protection and financial planning.

Using the familiar carol as a framework, each day features a single, light-touch message to keep clients engaged and reinforce the importance of planning and security.

12 Days, 12 Benefits of Advice

Here’s how the campaign works:

• A plan in a pear tree – The foundation of a secure homeownership journey.
• Two secure incomes – Ensuring household earnings are protected to keep mortgage commitments on track.
• Three golden goals – Saving for a deposit, paying down debt, or planning for future moves.
• Four calling claims – Protection that covers mortgage, critical illness, or income disruption when life changes.
• Five rings of security – Life cover, income protection, critical illness cover, mortgage cover, and family protection.
• Six savers planning – Encouraging disciplined saving for deposits, repayments, or home improvements.
• Seven loans-a-lending – Mortgage advice to secure the best deal and avoid costly mistakes.
• Eight budgets balancing – Managing festive spending while keeping mortgage payments in check.
• Nine value-added services – Family support, legal advice, property protection, and wellbeing services.
• Ten futures growing – Planning for equity growth and long-term financial security.
• Eleven clients reviewing trustees – Are your property or mortgage arrangements still aligned with your family’s needs?
• Twelve months of confidence – Year-round reassurance that your mortgage and protection plans are right for you.

Each day’s message can become a social media post, video, or infographic.

The tone should balance festive warmth with professional reassurance, emphasising mortgages and protection as acts of care rather than just financial obligations.

WHY IT WORKS

Mortgage and protection conversations can feel stressful for clients. December offers a natural, positive context to engage, as families focus on security, homes, and planning for the year ahead.

This approach allows advisers to remain top-of-mind without overt selling. It positions mortgage advice and protection as approachable, valuable, and human. Strengthening client relationships and building trust for January conversations.

Three Tips to Implement the 12 Days Campaign

1. Plan ahead – Schedule all posts in advance using a social media tool. Consistency is key, even when the office is quiet.
2. Use engaging visuals – Festive imagery, home-focused graphics, or short videos increase engagement. Visual cues help client’s associate warmth, family, and security with your brand.
3. Focus on family, home, and security – Make protection and mortgage advice personal. Position each post around the peace of mind clients gain for their loved ones and property, not just policies or technical details.

BEYOND CHRISTMAS

The festive season is about family, homes, and reflection. The same values that underpin effective mortgage and protection advice.

By creatively engaging clients in December, advisers can strengthen relationships and build momentum for the new year.

Even when client conversations are quiet, advisers can remind them that financial planning and protection are not seasonal. The gift of peace of mind, for homes, families, and finances lasts all year.

Chris Miles (main picture) is managing director at SM Advice