During Aldermore’s Mortgage Market Insight, in collaboration with Mortgage Solutions, Jon Cooper, director of property distribution at Aldermore, said that over the years lenders had brought out high-loan-to-value (LTV) options, appetite had increased and there were more opportunities for borrowers with complex circumstances.
Watch the full video:
He said some borrowers might feel they do not “qualify for that kind of lend” but Aldermore’s figures showed that just three out of 10 applicants were declined.
EPC planning: act now or risk the rush later
Sponsored by BM Solutions
“We continue to look to work and understand what other solutions we can put in front of brokers for customers… it’s definitely getting better,” Cooper said.
David Hollingworth, associate director of communications at L&C Mortgages, said the specialist lending sector was “really vibrant” when catering to complex circumstances, while smaller building societies were also more open to these borrowers.
“A lot of lenders are trying to open themselves up to those conversations with brokers. Actually, one of the things we’ve got to do is try to make customers more aware of that,” Hollingworth said, adding that many thought they had no options.
He said lending changes around affordability had been “promising” and was the right targeted approach for the broader market, “but we’ve got to be careful that we don’t just throw away the rules that would take us back to 2007, but I think there’s a lot of good work going on there and affordability is a key, crucial one”.
Cooper said it was about “challenging” specialist lenders as this part of the market should be their bread and butter, so he encouraged brokers to do this to stop people from talking themselves out of borrowing.
“I would challenge the specialist lenders within that vicinity, because if we can’t help, then we’ll recommend another specialist lender or building society that we know could help and support.
Cooper said it would be the “worst crime” if people believed certain life events blocked them from getting a mortgage, “get to a broker, get the advice, then challenge the specialist lenders”.
This video was filmed in May 2026 and is the second of a series of four videos. Watch the first part here: Sector’s lurch from one uncertainty to the next underscores broker value – Aldermore video
