In specialist lending, the right fit for a client has never been as simple as picking the top rate from a list.
In sectors like Holiday Let, that knowledge often came from personal networks, lender roadshows, or trial and error on complex cases. However, over the past 18 months, a clear shift has emerged. Sourcing systems, once mainly associated with mainstream residential products, are now becoming a key gateway to niche offerings, and the data shows why.
For instance, in July 2025, Twenty7tec recorded its busiest July on record, with total mortgage searches up 5% year on year. Within that, remortgage searches rose almost 19%, while short-term fixed-rate products of two years or under accounted for more than half of all fixed-rate searches.
In contrast, searches for 10-year fixes fell by over 43% since May. Taken together, these figures point to a clear trend: borrowers want flexibility, and brokers are actively seeking it in record numbers.
When it comes to specialist markets, that appetite for flexibility often leads brokers beyond their usual lender panel. Holiday Let clients may choose to refinance soon after purchase to release capital for renovations or to expand their portfolio.
In this space, sourcing systems are not just surfacing mainstream deals; they are also introducing brokers to lenders they may not have considered before, expanding both choice and opportunity.
MORE THAN VISIBILITY
From a broker’s perspective, that wider choice can be invaluable. It reduces the risk of hitting dead ends and makes it easier to place complex cases. Yet, being found is only part of the equation. Once a broker makes contact, the next question is how the lender performs, whether their stated criteria hold true, how quickly they respond, and whether they can manage the speed and complexity these cases demand.
This is why, at The Cumberland, after lending in the Holiday Let space for more than 25 years, we have spent the past four years building an intermediary proposition designed to deliver once that first click happens.
We created a new dedicated intermediary lending team in 2021 and joined sourcing platforms including Twenty7tec, Mortgage Brain, and Iress Trigold in early 2024.
As a result, when broker search behaviour began to shift in 2025, we were already visible and prepared. Our reach has since grown through Directly Authorised and Appointed Representative routes, alongside partnerships with networks such as Sesame, Mortgage Advice Bureau, and Quilter Financial Planning.
In August 2025, our Holiday Let range also became available to Paradigm Mortgage Services members, adding another distribution route for brokers.
The outcome has been a marked rise in first-time broker connections, many within the Holiday Let space, and a consistent flow of quality applications.
More importantly, it underlines a wider industry truth: sourcing system visibility, combined with operational readiness, is now a major driver of growth in specialist lending.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BROKERS
For brokers, I believe the takeaway is clear. Sourcing platforms should be seen as more than just a rate comparison tool for the mainstream. In specialist sectors, they are increasingly the first, and sometimes only, route to finding a lender whose criteria fit.
At the same time, brokers need to look beyond the initial match, considering how responsive the lender is, whether their criteria stand up in practice, and whether they can actually manage the demands of complex cases.
In a market where Holiday Let demand is forecast to push the sector past £3 billion in 2025, the advantage will lie with brokers who use sourcing systems to build new lender relationships, and with lenders who are ready to deliver once found.
