This month, we are sitting down with Louise Thorpe, chief customer officer at Darlington Building.
How did you get into the mortgage industry?
I first entered the financial services world almost by accident, joining Darlington Building Society’s Guisborough branch in 2004 on a fixed-term contract as a counter clerk. At the time, I knew very little about mortgages or finance in general but quickly became fascinated by the role. Speaking with members day in and day out, I soon realised there was a limit to how far I could help them without specialist mortgage knowledge.
Wanting to offer a complete service and support customers through their full homebuying journey, I decided to upskill and train as a mortgage adviser. With the society’s support, I studied for and achieved my CeMAP qualification. However, by the time I was fully qualified, the financial crash had hit, and the society wasn’t in a position to expand its team of mortgage advisers. It was a challenging period, and I found myself in something of a professional limbo.
Despite this, I stayed committed to keeping my knowledge up to date, continuing to build my skills and understanding of the market. That early experience starting from scratch, learning the ropes and navigating the crash gave me a deep appreciation for the industry and the importance of resilience.
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What has been your biggest learning over your career?
Professionally, my biggest learning has been the importance of building strong, long-term relationships within the intermediary channel. Early in my career, interactions could sometimes feel purely transactional, but over time, I’ve seen the real value in trust, responsiveness, and mutual respect between lenders and brokers. Those qualities not only strengthen partnerships but also deliver better outcomes for the end borrower. I’ve also come to recognise that brokers effectively become your brand ambassadors. They help shape your reputation in the market, so investing in those relationships is essential.
On a personal level, I’ve learned the value of adaptability and patience. The industry can be unpredictable, and navigating challenges, whether market-driven or organisational, requires resilience and an open mind. Staying grounded, listening, and being willing to evolve have been just as important as any technical skill in shaping a fulfilling and successful career.
Darlington Building Society split its direct and intermediary lending teams in 2017. What impact has that had and how has your intermediary lending arm evolved?
Splitting our direct and intermediary lending teams in 2017 was a pivotal moment for Darlington. Before then, branch managers often juggled multiple roles, effectively acting as BDMs, taking calls in-branch, and processing applications. This meant broker relationships didn’t always get the dedicated attention they deserved.
The strategic decision to centralise a specialist intermediary team was about focus. By dedicating a team solely to broker partnerships, we could be more responsive, grow our expertise in the intermediary market, and ensure our lending proposition remained fit for purpose and aligned with our business model.
The impact has been significant. A centralised structure allowed us to strengthen our national presence, deepen relationships with key networks and clubs, and position ourselves as a committed partner to brokers. That shift in approach has driven a substantial change in our business mix. We’ve moved from around 75% broker and 25% direct in 2016 to approximately 93% intermediary today.
Ultimately, the separation has allowed us to provide a higher level of service, deliver more tailored solutions, and build stronger, trust-based partnerships, all of which contribute to better outcomes for both brokers and their clients.
As a mutual lender, Darlington Building Society has some lending specialisms like foreign nationals and the self-employed that brokers may not know about. How do you choose the niche and specialist product areas you offer?
We actively monitor the market for under-served customer groups – foreign nationals and self-build being good examples – to identify where our lending can make a real difference. Alongside that, we analyse market data to spot opportunities where our proposition can stand out. However, it’s not just about demand. We also assess whether our capital position supports these niches, ensure we meet all regulatory obligations, and run the numbers through our credit risk models.
A key part of the decision-making process is asking whether our flexible, manual underwriting approach can genuinely add value in these areas. As a mutual, we’re not looking to be all things to all people. We focus on lending niches that align with our values, where our expertise and flexibility can provide solutions that mainstream lenders might overlook.
What are the distinct characteristics of the consumer and intermediary channels as you see it?
For me, the intermediary channel is built on trust, responsiveness, and long-term relationships. Brokers act as our brand ambassadors in the market, shaping perceptions of Darlington through the service they receive and the outcomes we deliver together. It’s a partnership approach, where mutual respect is crucial. The consumer channel, by contrast, has a more direct, one-to-one relationship with the borrower. That’s often about guiding customers through their mortgage journey personally, whereas in the intermediary channel, the broker is the customer in the transaction and their confidence in us directly impacts the experience of the end borrower. Both channels are vital, but they have different dynamics and expectations, which is why having dedicated teams for each is so important.
What is the current headcount of Darlington Building Society’s intermediary team and do you have plans for further recruitment?
We currently have 10 people in the intermediary team. They’re a mix of field-based and centralised colleagues, covering everything from business development to case management. The team was deliberately built to provide both reach and depth, ensuring brokers across the country have easy access to decision-makers while also having dedicated support for applications. We’re always reviewing our capacity in line with business volumes and market conditions. If demand grows and we see opportunities to further strengthen service levels or reach, then yes, additional recruitment is something we’d consider.
What are the strategic priorities for Darlington Building Society this year?
Our focus this year is on building sustainable growth while staying true to our mutual values. That means continuing to develop our intermediary proposition, both in terms of product innovation and service and expanding our reach in key niche markets. We’ll also be investing in technology to improve efficiency without losing the personal, relationship-led approach that sets us apart. Another priority is deepening our broker partnerships by being visible, responsive, and collaborative, and ensuring we are easy to do business with. At the same time, we’ll be working to strengthen our financial resilience, so we can continue to support members and brokers through all market conditions.
What would you want brokers, or the mortgage industry more widely, to know about Darlington Building Society?
I’d want them to know that we are a flexible, relationship-driven lender that genuinely listens. We don’t operate a one-size-fits-all model. We take the time to understand cases, even when they don’t fit a standard tick-box approach. Our manual underwriting and specialist niches mean we can often find solutions where others might not. But more importantly, we see brokers as long-term partners, not just transactional contacts. We value their feedback, and it directly shapes our proposition and service. We’re committed to being accessible, transparent, and consistent because we know that trust is built over time, one case at a time.
