The Intermediary – July 2026 - Flipbook - Page 32
I N T E RV I E W
out what real customers are struggling with,
as well as what is and is not working with
existing criteria. This is supplemented by work
to monitor product performance, using CRM
data and tracking enquiries to evolve existing
products based on actual customer need, as
well as exploring areas of unmet demand.
Product development at April Mortgages is
both personal and analytical. Every broker call
is logged and internal data is benchmarked
against industry statistics. Often, it is the cases
that do not get placed that are most valuable
for future development.
Brown explains: “One of the biggest things
that we do is remain open to listen to our
intermediary partners. Myself and my team –
through every single interaction with brokers,
we ask them about our existing policies. Does
it work? How’s it going? What else can we do
to support you? What are your clients missing
out on? How can we ensure that we are always
evolving?
“Then, we work really closely internally with
James’ team and with underwriting, and we’ll
feed that back, while James will also have
insight from other colleagues.”
This means that, under the “great headline”
of a 100% LTV mortgages, there are nuanced
criteria with real-world relevance. This is also
part of the lender’s approach to ensuring that
it is responsible in its lending – a topic of much
debate when it comes to 100% mortgages.
Common sense and service
Flexibility and peace of mind do not end
with the products. Pagan highlights that
April Mortgages is also willing to work
on cases that sit just outside its existing
criteria, aiming to build on its reputation for
common-sense underwriting.
This does not just apply to the moment
the loan is completed, but the full customer
life-cycle. When asked how the lender balances
this flexibility with taking a responsible
approach to managing its book, Pagan
says: “It’s rarely responsible to not support
a borrower.
“Generally, if the outcome is bad for the end
customer, then it’s going to be bad for you
too, and you’re most likely to end up with a
repossession loss. We’ve hardly had any arrears
so far, so it’s a journey that may play out over
time, but I have a lot of experience in managing
customer bases, and our head of servicing has
been an expert for a very long time.
“Our philosophy is very matched to our
parent company’s: we will treat each individual
circumstance sympathetically and personalise
30
The Intermediary | July 2026
a solution to that customer’s needs. We’re
already helping some relatively tricky customer
situations with quite a lot of success.”
Brown adds that the product criteria the
lender has developed also helps provide
certainty from the first day of the loan,
adding: “For us, buying a home is important,
but helping customers stay in their home
is essential.”
Common sense support does not just apply
to the end user, but to intermediaries too. April
Mortgages works to provide fast responses,
early engagement, and importantly, direct
access to underwriters and decision-makers. It
also facilitates the work being done by brokers
with education and workshops.
“At a principal level, we’re a broker-only
lender,” Pagan explains. “We view it as
that we support brokers’ clients. We will not
try and steal the client at the point of the
product expiring, and if a broker sells a longterm fixed rate, there’s actually a second proc
fee after five years, and a third if they sell a
15-year rate.
“We want to reward the broker for managing
that long-term relationship for us. If there are
any ongoing advice needs during the life of the
loan, we don’t try to manage that internally, we
will send them back to their original broker.
“One of our founders was a broker. We were
built by brokers, for brokers.”
April Mortgages soft-launched in the UK
in 2024, and while it has taken a clear place
in the market in a short time, Pagan says its
success has been due to a concerted effort not
to rush in.
“We actually started with only 300 brokers,
and we very much tested and learned as we
went,” Pagan explains. “Then, our voice got
louder as we started rolling out, and we’re
currently up to about 60% of the market in
terms of distribution.
“We probably punch above our weight from a
brand point of view now, but it’s been based on
learning within the market.
“Then, as we’ve innovated more on products
and in terms of sales and marketing, and have
been genuinely honest and authentic about our
beliefs in the market, that has caught people’s
attention. It has been more of an evolution
than a revolution.”
Winds of change
April arrived in the UK mortgage market
during a period of transformation, which it
has both shaped and been shaped by. Overall,
innovation is increasing in response to strong
headwinds and growing complexity, both
