The Intermediary – March 2026 - Flipbook - Page 89
M E E T T H E B RO K E R
of scenarios and client types. So,
while I’m not someone who’s been
in the industry for decades, I do feel
I’ve packed a lot of experience into
that time.
That combination of being open to
new ideas and technology, but also
having already seen a lot of different
cases and market conditions, helps
me navigate things effectively for
my clients.
What is something
outside of work that
people might like to
know about you?
I really enjoy cooking – I get a lot of
satisfaction from it. I enjoy taking
it from the very start – just raw
ingredients on the counter – all
the way through to a finished meal
that everyone can sit down and
enjoy together.
There’s something very therapeutic
about that process. It lets me switch
off from work, focus on something
creative, and still get that sense of
accomplishment when I see people
enjoying what I’ve made.
In a way, it’s similar to broking: you
start with lots of moving parts, you
put them together carefully, and at
the end you’ve created something
that hopefully makes a real
difference to someone’s day.
What would you say sets
FundU Mortgages apart?
One of the main things is the breadth
of lending we can handle. We’re
not limited to just one area of the
market. We work across residential
mortgages, buy-to-let (BTL), bridging
finance, commercial lending,
development finance and later
life lending.
That range means we can support
clients at very different stages of
their journey – from people buying
their first home, to landlords growing
portfolios, to developers and
investors looking at larger or more
complex projects, and all the way to
those who are thinking about later
life planning.
As brokers, we’re
constantly having to
balance what clients
would like to achieve
with what is realistically
possible within those
constraints”
It also means we’re able to help
clients whose needs evolve over
time, rather than handing them off
somewhere else.
Because we’re well versed
in all these different types of
lending, we can look at someone’s
situation in the round and
recommend a solution that fits them,
rather than trying to squeeze them
into a narrow box.
That focus on tailored advice – and
our ability to work confidently across
multiple sectors – is a big part of
how we support our clients and what
differentiates us in the market.
What are the main
opportunities in the
market for brokers?
The biggest opportunity for brokers
right now comes from the way
people’s lives and finances are
changing. The traditional model of
one salary from one employer for
years on end is no longer the only
pattern we see.
Many people earn income from
their phones or computers, through
side businesses, contracting, selfemployment, or gig work. Others
might have a mix of part-time roles,
zero-hour contracts or variable
hours. That creates a more complex
picture when it comes to income and
affordability. In that environment,
the demand for bespoke, tailored
advice is only going to grow.
Automated systems and
rigid checklists can struggle to
understand the full story behind a
client’s finances, whereas a good
broker can sit down, ask the right
questions and build up a complete
picture. We can then navigate the
market and identify lenders that are
willing and able to work with that
kind of profile.
As the landscape becomes more
nuanced, our role shifts from simply
sourcing a cheap rate to providing
real insight and guidance.
That’s a huge opportunity for
brokers to demonstrate their value
and build long-term relationships
based on trust.
What are the main issues
affecting the sectors you
operate in?
One of the biggest issues, particularly
in London, is the gap between wages
and house prices. Even with lenders
bringing in products that aim to
stretch affordability a bit further,
that underlying disparity remains a
major barrier, especially for FTBs.
Clients who don’t have the benefit of
a large deposit from savings or family
support often find the ladder very
hard to reach.
Some lenders do offer higher
income multiples, especially for
certain professions such as those in
the public sector, but wage growth
hasn’t always kept pace with rising
property prices and general living
costs. That means you can have
people doing vital jobs, like nurses
or other key workers, who are
still struggling to buy near where
they work.
As brokers, we’re constantly having
to balance what clients would like
to achieve with what is realistically
possible within those constraints. It
shapes the conversations we have
around areas, budgets, timelines and
the type of product or structure that
might suit them best.
How could lenders better
support brokerages?
One of the most effective ways
lenders could support brokerages
is by deepening the collaboration
between brokers and underwriters.
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