On initial impressions, UCB has a busy, colourful and welcoming home page. UCB deals with direct introduced and intermediary business, and although the homepage is targeted at the direct client, there are clear directions for intermediaries to take them at a single click to the part of the site dedicated to them. From here there is information available on the products and rates available.
The e-tools section of the site is interesting, and provides intermediaries with calculators budget planners and house price information, easily and quickly, helping them to show clients what is available if they are looking at the site while giving advice, or proving an easy reference point, should intermediaries want to suggest where clients can do some of their own digging. This is an excellent and clearly designed feature of the site. The literature zone is also helpful in providing information that can be downloaded through Adobe Acrobat.
For intermediaries wishing to make the most of the efficiencies offered by the internet, the site also has an application in principle section, that takes about 15 minutes to complete according to the lender. The benefits of this are clear if the lender sticks to its agreed promise of having an answer returned within two hours, if submitted during working hours. This service is highly attractive to brokers, and by making it easy and clearly labelled on the site, UCB has given itself a lift on much of its competition.
The site also offers access to mortgage payment protection insurance and home insurance. Although this is not provided by UCB which acts as a broker for these products, it is a useful addition to the site, and may help brokers get what their clients need from under a single roof. Again the information is clearly laid out, and sets out what is on offer and at how much. Overall the site is fast and efficient and well designed, as you would expect from the specialist lender of the country’s largest building society.
Go to: www.ucbhomeloans.co.uk
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