First and second charge mortgages can help brokers beat comparison sites

by: Steve Walker, managing director of Promise Specialist Lending
  • 11/05/2017
  • 0
First and second charge mortgages can help brokers beat comparison sites
After adapting to multiple new regulation regimes and dealing with politicians seemingly addicted to chaos and confusion we’re all feeling a bit tired. But, there’s a bigger challenge to tackle.

A challenge that, if won, would have wide ranging benefits for all of us, and consumers. It’s the battle between man and machine or, in other words, taking on the comparison sites.

This is not a new fight. Comparison sites have now been around for some time and, while we are all well aware of the benefits brokers have over them, we know that for some products consumers are just going to find the ease and speed of an aggregator more attractive.

Core business threat

However, what if you’re not just at risk of losing ancillary business to such sites but also your core business?

Now most people wouldn’t look on a price comparison website for a mortgage but – and this is the key point – they will do so for a loan, especially if their mortgage broker is not willing or able to help them.

If a consumer goes on a comparison site to compare secured (or unsecured) loans then they are going to be presented with a range of options. Just what they asked for, you may think.

But what if a remortgage could have been better? What if a blended solution was the most suitable route?

What if a loan was only the second or third best option for that client?

The price comparison site is certainly not going to tell them that and the loans company that receives the lead is going to go ahead and give that customer what they asked for.

 

Losing out

Brokers could be losing out on big business because they are not seen as having a comprehensive offering – even if what the client actually needs is that broker’s core product – a remortgage.

As an industry we need to rise up to the challenge of comparison sites and work together – brokers, lenders, master brokers and packagers – to highlight the benefits of the intermediary sector.

In doing so we all benefit, rather than the comparison site bagging a commission for a loan that may not have even been the best option for the client.

And the consumer, of course, gets the peace of mind of knowing they’ve received a bespoke, tailored solution for their needs.

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