Reflecting on the past two years, Esther notes that although the market has steadied, complexity hasn’t disappeared – it has simply evolved.

“The broker’s role goes far beyond finding a mortgage. In uncertain times, customers need clarity, confidence and guidance, and that’s where experience matters most,” she says.

Purchases remain heavily advice‑led, and BTL is even more dependent on expert guidance as landlords navigate legal structures, reforms, energy standards and taxation.

Esther emphasises that these insights directly shape where Lloyds invests in technology and support: “Technology will increasingly take on administrative work, which elevates the importance of relationships, guidance and empathy. Brokers’ experience, their ability to give customers confidence, remains central.”

For Amanda Bryden, supporting aspiring homeowners who lack family help is one of the most critical challenges facing the market today. These are the customers who rely most on brokers to guide them, often with limited savings, limited support, and limited confidence that homeownership is even possible.

She says: “The people I am thoughtful of are those who do everything right yet still struggle to build a deposit. We need to find better ways to support them, as well as lower-income buyers and those purchasing independently.

“Younger customers are also beginning their home buying journey much earlier. Many seek information long before they are ready to purchase, and how the industry chooses to nurture and support them can determine how much sooner they take that first step.”

Amanda sees brokers as essential to this, helping customers understand their options and access opportunities they may not have known existed.

This need is only increasing as customer circumstances evolve and product structures grow more complex. Schemes such as shared ownership and shared equity require deeper conversations. To recognise the additional time and expertise this advice requires, Halifax continues to support brokers through enhanced procuration fees across these more complex cases.

While headline averages often make homeownership appear out of reach, first-time buyers are not the average. They tend to purchase lower-value homes, often in more affordable areas. Lloyds’ recent first-time buyer Hotspot data brings this to life. In Manchester, for example, more than 70% of purchases are made by first-time buyers, highlighting that opportunities still exist despite wider affordability pressures.

Under Amanda’s leadership, Halifax has remained a consistent champion of first-time buyers, especially at a time when the market is increasingly divided into two groups: those with family support and those without. For the latter, particularly those under 35, the challenge has become acute. The 20-something first-time buyer is far less common than a decade ago, and while there is no single solution, Halifax continues to push forward with new ways to support aspiring buyers and the brokers who serve them.

“Our ambition is to support people who might otherwise be left behind. By working together, we can give more customers the confidence, the knowledge, and the pathways they need to achieve homeownership,” she adds.

Halifax topped the UK’s first‑time buyer market in 2025, helping more than 70,000 people buy their first home with £17bn of lending.

She says: “Seeing so many first-time buyers succeed against the odds is incredible. The challenges are real, but so is the progress, and I’m proud Halifax is helping thousands unlock their first home.”

The new-build market is entering a period of significant change, supported by government ambition to increase housing delivery. If the sector shifts from around 200,000 homes per year towards the 300,000-plus needed, brokers will be operating in a market with growing momentum and increasing complexity.

Lloyds Banking Group is shaping its response across this evolving landscape. New build draws together affordability, supply, sustainability, regulation and policy direction, creating a level of complexity that requires genuine specialism to navigate. As Andy Dean notes: “New build sits at the intersection of affordability, supply and sustainability. You can’t treat any of these in isolation – they’re deeply connected. Our leadership team helps brokers navigate those connections with clarity and confidence.”

From the Future Homes Standard to evolving EPC expectations, the team ensures brands such as Halifax and BM Solutions remain ahead of regulatory developments and that brokers receive these insights in ways that are accessible and actionable.

It reflects a practical, joined-up approach across Esther’s team, with specialists from policy, sustainability and lending working together to support brokers in a complex part of the market.

As the BTL sector continues to evolve, Leigh Church, head of BM Solutions, brings deep experience shaped by years of navigating tax changes, regulatory tightening, and shifting landlord behaviour.

Leigh is clear that despite frequent predictions of decline, BTL remains resilient – but undeniably more professional, more structured and more strategic than ever.

“Landlords today are more selective, more regulatory aware and more long term in their decision-making. That demands high-quality advice, and it demands lenders who invest in supporting that advice,” he says.

A major part of this evolution has been the rapid rise of limited company structures as landlords adapt to a new tax and regulatory environment.

Where limited companies were once used by a smaller subset of portfolio investors, they are now a mainstream vehicle for both new and experienced landlords responding to Section 24, complex affordability rules, and a longer-term shift towards treating property ownership as a business rather than a sideline.

Leigh has witnessed this transition first hand. He understands how landlords’ motivations have moved from simple yield seeking to structured portfolio planning, incorporation strategies, and long-term sustainability. With this shift, BM Solutions has continued to evolve its proposition – from criteria and product design to service models that support more complex ownership structures.

His understanding of landlord behaviour – from incorporation trends to the growing focus on energy-efficient new-build properties – ensures BM Solutions remains fully aligned with broker needs as the sector matures.

And with 97% of BTL lending still broker-led, Leigh’s leadership reinforces why the advice community remains central. By working closely with Esther and the wider leadership team, he ensures BM Solutions’ strategy remains unwaveringly focused on the intermediary market and the vital role brokers play in guiding today’s more sophisticated landlords.

Under Esther Dijkstra’s leadership, Lloyds Banking Group has built a team whose combined expertise, market depth and commitment to the intermediary community has never been stronger.

The market remains complex – and that only amplifies the value of experienced advice.

Lloyds leadership team is united behind one message:

• Advice still matters
• Experience still matters
• Brokers continue to play the defining role in guiding customers through their home owning journey