The Intermediary – August 2026 - Flipbook - Page 64
In Profile.
Q&A
The Brightstar Group
Jessica O’ Connor speaks with Andrew Cappaert, group
head of national accounts, and Lee Payne, group national
account manager at The Brightstar Group, about why
brokers should think twice before turning a client away
L
aunched 15 years ago, Brightstar
has evolved alongside a changing
specialist market, broadening both its
proposition and the ways in which it
works with intermediaries.
The Intermediary sat down with Andrew
Cappaert, group head of national accounts, and
Lee Payne, group national account manager, to
discuss where they see opportunities, and why
the relationship between brokers and distributors
remains central to specialist finance.
Growing with the market
For Brightstar Financial, the group’s
specialist distribution arm, evolution has
meant broadening the ways in which it
can support brokers and their clients.
Cappaert explains: “When we first
started, we had three employees and
it was really all about helping to place
difficult and complex cases. Now, we
assist brokers in those hard-to-place cases,
but we also help them to move into other
areas of specialist lending. Whether it be second
charges, commercial, bridging or development;
the areas we open up to brokers not only help
them on a client retention level, but may also
positively impact the bottom line profitability
of their firm.”
As the scope of that support has
widened, both Cappaert and Payne
see strong relationships across the
distribution chain as fundamental to
making the model work.
That means giving intermediaries
somewhere to turn before an unfamiliar
or difficult case results in a client being
turned away altogether.
“Our philosophy is, before you say no to a
client, give us a call,” Cappaert says.
“A brief phone call to our specialist consultants
will help you understand what options are
available. Whether you just can’t place it or it
requires a solution that your lenders simply don’t
cater for, we’re here to help.”
Borrowers who fall outside traditional
underwriting models are increasingly common.
Cappaert says this is particularly apparent when
62
The Intermediary | August 2026
speaking to brokers who still characterise their
business as ‘vanilla’.
He explains: “The brokers that I speak to
quite regularly are those that say: ‘I only deal
with vanilla cases.’ Our immediate response is,
‘your vanilla from three, four or five years ago is
completely different to now’. Every broker is using
more lenders now than they did three years ago.”
Crucially, Payne argues that this does
not necessarily equate to more customers
experiencing adverse circumstances.
He says: “In many cases, it’s less about
adverse credit profiles, more about the
deal structure. It might not fit the
standard underwriting model, and that’s
where specialist lenders continue to
demonstrate their value to the market.”
He continues: “As soon as you can’t
place something through conventional
lenders, it’s considered specialist.
Whether it’s because of the client’s credit
profile, income or deposit sources, all of the
above are becoming increasingly common,
so for brokers who are less experienced in
ANDREW
exploring specialist lenders, we are there to
CAPPAERT
guide them through this process.”
Diversifying the conversation
That wider range of borrower circumstances
has also changed the role specialist
distribution can play.
Payne explains: “[Specialist
distribution] is about helping advisers
and brokers identify opportunities,
improve their conversations and build
their own specialist propositions, and
not turning clients away. Diversification
is no longer nice to have. It’s an essential
tool in delivering the best outcomes for your
clients”.
LEE PAYNE
This is particularly relevant given the current
affordability environment, where a client’s
circumstances may call for a solution beyond a
straightforward remortgage.
Cappaert explains: “If someone’s main mortgage
is on a low fixed rate for another two years at sub2%, it might not be the best advice to recommend
a remortgage if there is an immediate need to raise
