The Intermediary –- June 2026 - Flipbook - Page 96
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
Supporting the
the next phase
t’s hard to believe that this
month marks the 10th
anniversary of our selfemployed division at Just
Mortgages. Looking back, it
was a natural progression for
us as a national brokerage to launch
a self-employed arm and came at a
time when an increasing number of
ambitious advisers were looking to
launch and scale their own businesses.
Even as the market and wider
economy has continued to twist and
turn, that impetus to go self-employed
has still remained strong. From
starting out with three advisers, the
next milestone for us as a division
is 500 advisers, which goes to show
the growth of self-employed and the
continued demand.
There’s no doubt that a driver
behind this shi has been the income
potential – it’s no secret that advisers
are likely to earn more by working for
themselves.
Just as important is the flexibility
it offers – the ability to march to the
beat of your own drum and be your
own boss. A consistent trend we
have seen is advisers coming from
more corporate and high-pressure
backgrounds and structures, and the
sense of relief they have as they take
control of their own destiny.
I
Maintaining relationships
A big part of the allure though is the
ability to support clients in a much
deeper way and really own and
tionships.
nurture those long-term relationships.
We’ve certainly seen that expand
beyond mortgages and protection
visers securing
with self-employed advisers
additional qualifications for equity
release, business protection and
commercial advice.
That’s in addition too really utilising
referral pathways to help clients
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The Intermediary | June 2026
access advice on pensions, savings and
investment – while still remaining
part of that relationship and
revenue share.
Of course, when the market is firing
on all cylinders and the economy is
working in our favour, that decision
to go self-employed is much more
straightforward. In periods of
uncertainty and volatility – like we’ve
seen in recent years – it is much more
of a leap of faith.
The same can be true for networks
and brokerages – especially wit
with
new advisers who lack a proven lead
A big part of the [selfemployed] allure is the
ability to support clients
in a much deeper way”
source. It certainly adds an extra layer
of scrutiny to business plans.
Against the current backdrop, it
speaks of the need to find the right
partner to go self-employed with – one
who will provide all the necessary
training, mentoring and support to
help advisers make that transition
sustainably and achieve their full
potential.
While it may not be for everyone,
there’s no question that self-employed
remains a fantastic proposition for
JOHN PHILLIPS
is CEO at Just Mortgages
and Spicerhaart
highly-ambitious, well-disciplined
and entrepreneurial advisers. While
it is hard to predict what the next
decade will bring, I firmly believe
that the future for this career path is
incredibly bright.
That is particularly true as we
continue to see advisers really excel
in an employed environment and
explore the possibility of taking
that leap into running their own
business. ●
