The Intermediary – August 2026 - Flipbook - Page 19
RESIDENTIAL
Opinion
A chance to prove
the value of advice
I
n recent weeks, lenders
have continued to reprice
upwards across parts of the
mortgage market, with
fixed-rate pricing responding
to movements in swap rates,
inflation expectations, and wider
economic uncertainty.
While the Bank of England base
rate remains an important reference
point, fixed mortgage pricing can
move ahead of any base rate decision
as markets react to changing
expectations about inflation, funding
costs and the path of interest rates.
For customers, that can make the
market feel harder to read, which is
why they need advice that helps them
understand what’s changed and what
they should do next.
A more changeable market doesn’t
mean customers should feel rushed
into decisions or le trying to secondguess where rates may go next. They
need someone who can talk them
through what’s actually changed,
what it means for their own mortgage,
and whether to act now or wait.
The value of advice isn’t just in
sourcing a product, but in helping
customers work through the practical
trade-offs: what they can afford,
how much certainty they want,
and whether waiting could help or
hurt them.
This is also what we’re hearing
from advisers. Clients are asking
very practical questions: should they
secure a rate now in case pricing
moves again, should they hold off to
see whether conditions improve, and
what happens if they choose a product
now, but something cheaper becomes
available before completion?
Those are exactly the conversations
where advisers can add clarity.
Advisers can explain how product
transfers work, whether a rate can
be reviewed before the current deal
ends, how affordability may be
affected by a change in pricing, and
where protection or wider household
budgeting needs another look.
That makes geing in touch early
even more important. Lenders engage
customers up to six months before
ALYSON PERRY
is head of strategic partnerships
at Sesame Bankhall Group
their current deal ends, so advisers
must be part of those conversations
early, too. By geing ahead of renewal
dates, brokers can help clients
understand their choices before
they’re under pressure, while also
making sure the customer hears from
their adviser first.
The most valuable conversations
won’t be limited to the mortgage. A
renewal point is a natural moment
to check what’s changed in the
customer’s life, whether their
protection needs still fit, and whether
their wider financial priorities have
shied. In a complicated market,
advice shouldn’t only appear when a
product is due to renew.
It’s about staying close enough to
help people make beer decisions,
particularly when the market feels
uncertain. When rates move quickly,
customers need someone who can
turn the noise into a clear plan. ●
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March 2026 | The Intermediary
August 2026 | The Intermediary
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