The Intermediary – October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 95
M E E T T H E B RO K E R
highlights the important points for a
broker at a glance.
We built it with the real-world
workflow in mind. When you are
sitting at a lender’s affordability
calculator, you should be able to
have BrokerFlow open on the same
screen with everything prepared.
That means no manual averaging of
overtime, no hunting through PDFs
for the right transaction: once a
client uploads their docs, the AI pulls
the data and prepares it.
It is designed to speed up the
admin while leaving the professional
judgement to the broker – advisers
still need to validate outputs and
make tailored recommendations.
Ultimately, BrokerFlow supports
clients by helping brokers work
faster and more accurately, reducing
the time to prepare cases and
helping deliver better service.
How has tech changed
the way brokers work?
The back office, the admin tasks
that tie brokers down, is where
technology is having the most
immediate impact. Tasks like parsing
bank statements, calculating
income averages, preparing
suitability reports, and running basic
compliance checks are increasingly
automated. Over the next one to two
years, we will see even more of these
processes streamlined, and within
five years many of the repetitive
admin tasks will likely be automated
in ways that materially reduce the
time brokers spend on them.
That said, technology
complements rather than replaces
brokers. Human skills – nuanced
advice, relationship-building,
complex problem-solving, and direct
negotiation with lenders – remain
essential. AI is best viewed as an
assistant that frees brokers to spend
more time on high-value activities:
placing business, advising clients,
and managing relationships.
In practice, that means brokers
can increase capacity, improve
turnaround times, and focus on work
that actually grows their business.
What are the current
opportunities for
brokers?
First-time buyer (FTB) schemes that
have reopened create clear chances
for brokers to help clients access
finance. Brokers who can work
efficiently and respond quickly to
changes in product availability will
be at an advantage.
Moreover, technology offers
opportunity by allowing brokers to
do more with their time. If you can
save 30 to 60 minutes per case on
admin, you can handle more cases
or invest that time in business
development and client care.
That scalability is particularly
valuable for small or independent
brokers who want to compete with
larger firms. Ultimately, brokers who
combine deep product knowledge
with efficient workflows stand to
gain the most.
What are the main issues
affecting your market?
The market is currently a bit patchy
– purchase activity can be busy
one minute and quiet the next,
and remortgage volumes fluctuate
because some customers are
reluctant to commit to new rates.
Down-valuations are a major issue
and can derail or delay transactions.
Lenders have tightened criteria in
certain areas, which creates friction
when trying to get cases approved.
Then, once a case gets approved,
getting it from offer to completion
can be delayed by conveyancing
and other legal steps that are often
outside the broker’s control. These
factors create uncertainty and can
increase the time it takes to get
clients to completion.
How could lenders better
support brokerages?
Improved communication would
make a big difference. When
underwriters or lender teams pick
up the phone and talk directly to
brokers, issues can often be resolved
far more quickly than through
prolonged email exchanges.
A verbal conversation allows the
broker to explain nuances, provide
immediate context, and address
questions in real time – which can
speed decision-making and reduce
back-and-forth.
Emails are necessary, but they
can sit in queues and cause delays;
more direct, verbal contact between
lenders and brokers would help
accelerate approvals and move cases
forward faster, benefiting clients.
Are there developments
in the pipeline?
The upcoming developments for
BrokerFlow will be significant and
will further help brokers and their
clients. Feedback from brokers is
central to our product development:
I encourage users to tell us what’s
working and what isn’t so we can
iterate quickly. As a broker myself,
I am focused on solving real painpoints.
Do you have a final
message for brokers?
My final message to other brokers
is: do not fear AI. Many brokers
assume AI is only for big firms or
that it is irrelevant if you only do a
handful of cases per month, but even
small savings per case add up. For
instance, saving around 45 minutes
per case on admin tasks quickly frees
up meaningful time over a month.
Start small if you need to – try
tools like ChatGPT or Claude to get
comfortable with asking questions
and experimenting. You will not
break anything by trying, and you’ll
likely discover practical ways to save
time and work more effectively.
Above all, remember that while
automation can handle admin tasks,
the broker’s role – advising clients,
applying judgement and securing the
right outcomes – remains crucial.
October 2026
| The Intermediary
93
