Skipton Building Society has launched a pilot offering mortgage advice via video link, including a document and screen-sharing service from four of its branches making the service available in-branch or at home.
After customer feedback, the UK’s fourth biggest mutual plans launches in a further 21 branches beyond the four pilot high street outlets in Newcastle, Skipton, Guildford, and Leeds.
The service, Skipton Link, using Vizolution software, is an ongoing development and the latest update in a raft of UK lender digitisation moves to improve both consumer-facing and broker-servicing arms.
HSBC confirmed it is on the brink of launching its new broker-facing system developed in partnership with Capita, and NatWest launched its paperless mortgage application with video link in September. However, Nationwide, the earliest digital mortgage adopter launched its in-branch video advice service in 2014.
Andrew Bottomley, Skipton’s distribution and services director, said: “Buying a house can be a stressful time for people. And prior to Skipton Link, we couldn’t offer face-to-face mortgage appointments in our branches. This video service means we now can, and it’s a fantastic new way for people to either pop in or have an appointment in the comfort of their own home.”
Bottomley said Skipton is working to meet increased customer demand and the change in appetite toward more digital services.
Victoria Hartley is contributing editor at Mortgage Solutions, Specialist Lending Solutions, Your Money and Your Mortgage at London-based publishing company AE3 Media.
She has an MA in Radio from Goldsmiths after gaining a 2:1 in a Comparative American Studies BA at Warwick University. She also holds a TEFL qualification and taught overseas in Mexico and Japan from 1994 to 1997.
Her role includes editorial oversight of the news, analysis and features, event content management and strategic and editorial consultancy for the AE3 Media group. She is an experienced video, broadcast and live-event host and regularly chairs web and podcast debates and interviews.
Multiple award nominations have resulted in two wins: Santander Media Awards, trade journalist of the year and Headlinemoney Awards, mortgage journalist of the year (B2B). Here is one of the award-winning pieces: https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/news/2011/07/21/exclusive-tale-bailey-fraud-witness/
Previous roles include editorships of Mortgage Solutions, consumer title What Mortgage and trade title Credit Today as well as a stint freelancing for a variety of outlets including The Guardian and Which? Money.
