Mortgage intermediary enhances ability to identify and support vulnerable customers
A mortgage intermediary has rolled out a new technology provided by specialists in understanding capacity to improve its ability to identify and better service vulnerable customers. Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) has introduced a Financial Vulnerability Assessment Tool across its broker network, described as ‘key to helping MAB ensure we continue to meet the Consumer Duty […]
Later life lending ‘increasingly mainstream’ with better education needed for consumers
The increasing number of mortgage applications from older borrowers means later life lending should be considered more mainstream, according to James Tucker, CEO of mortgage tech firm Twenty7tec. The claim is supported by the number of mortgage searches conducted through the Twenty7tec platform. In the first five months of 2025 alone, over-55s accounted for: 122,000+ […]
NHBC reports ‘modest growth’ in new home registrations
There were 30,405 new home registrations in Q2 of 2025, the National House Building Council (NHBC) has reported, up 4% on both Q1 and the same period last year. The total includes 20,924 private sector registrations, which were up 6% compared to the same period last year. The remainder of registrations were in the rental […]
Santander gross mortgage lending jumps 43% to £10.6 billion – ‘pipeline is good’
Figures released by Santander reveal a 43% year-on-year jump in gross mortgage lending for the first half of this year, with a total of £10.6 billion in ‘new business’ loans. The average loan size for borrowers was £250,000, up from £246,000 in the second half of 2024. Home movers made up 41% of the total, […]
Offshoring partner formally launches in England & Wales
A specialist conveyancing back-office partner is officially launching in the UK after successfully supporting the outsourcing needs of several UK law firms through its operations in Sri Lanka. Tellida says it helps firms explore strategic outsourcing solutions across a range of conveyancing functions, including title reviews, enquiries handling, post-completion work, and registration processes, while enabling […]
Steep rise in older borrowers taking out 35-year mortgages
Financial Conduct Authority data analysed by wealth management company Quilter has revealed a steep rise in the number of people taking out mortgages with a term of 35 years or more. There was a 251% increase in the number of older borrowers taking out longer loan terms over a five-year period since 2019, according to […]
Railway land to be transformed into neighbourhoods with 40,000 new homes
Brownfield railway land in Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Cambridge is set to be transformed into neighbourhoods, with 40,000 new homes, green spaces, shops and hotels. The surplus rail land has been earmarked for £1 billion of development over the next decade, the government has said, with 15,000 of the homes to be completed in the […]
Majority of renters aged 25-44 had expected to own their own home
More than half of renters aged between 25 and 44 had expected to own their own home by this stage in their lives, with 33% resigning themselves to never getting on the property ladder. Research from the Building Societies Association (BSA) found that 59% of people aged 25-44 and 43% of all adult renters had […]
Property searches cool in July, but mid-priced homes in demand
Data from mortgage tech provider Twenty7tec has found a ‘dramatic summer slowdown’ for property searches between June and July, but searches for homes priced between £250,000 and £300,000 are bucking the trend. Between 21 June and 21 July 2025 total property searches fell 17.89% compared to 20 May and 20 June 2025. In the same […]
Increase in net mortgage borrowing welcomed with cautious optimism by property industry
Bank of England monthly statistics show that net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increase by £3.1 billion to £5.3 billion in June. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 900, to 64,200, and approvals for remortgaging were up by 200, to 41,800 – the highest number of approvals for remortgaging since October 2022. […]
Average house price ‘has increased 5.3 times more than salaries in a year’
Analysis of government data by estate agent eXp UK has found that the average house price in Britain has increased by 5.3 times the rate of earnings in the past year. The current average house price now stands at £271,403, an increase of £10,087 over the last year. The average annual salary has risen by […]
‘High street resurgence’ as retail demand jumps 35%, with office sector up 65%
Quarterly data collected for Rightmove’s Commercial Insights Tracker has revealed a 35% increase in the demand to invest in retail commercial property compared to the same three-month period a year ago – with demand to invest in the office sector up by 65%. Overall demand to invest in commercial property is up by 20% for […]
Leaseholders’ Section 20 consultations ‘routinely ignored’
A new report from the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) reveals that Section 20 consultations, which establish a legal requirement for landlords to consult leaseholders before starting major works, are being ‘routinely ignored’. The report from the government-funded advisory body illustrates leaseholders’ challenges with Section 20 consultations, which account for one in 10 direct enquiries to […]
Equity release up 10% year on year – Equity Release Council
The equity release market grew by 10% in the last 12 months as older homeowners unlocked £636m in property wealth according to the latest Equity Release Council’s (ERC) latest quarterly market report. A total 14,404 new and returning customers took out equity release loans in Q2 2025; a 10% increase in total lending when compared […]
Consumers call for regulation as fifth of buyers say viewings were conditional on using estate agent brokers
Research carried out in the wake of Panorama’s exposé on conditional selling by estate agents has revealed overwhelming public support for stricter regulations in the industry, with a fifth of respondents saying viewings were conditional on using estate agent mortgage brokers. In a survey of 1,000 recent buyers and sellers across England, carried out by […]
Rightmove CEO calls for stamp duty reform
Rightmove has repeated its calls for stamp duty reform, which it says is ‘a barrier to movement’ in the housing market. Chief executive Johan Svanstrom (pictured) has said he wants ‘to see ways that affordability can be improved and more first-time buyers can be supported onto the housing ladder’. The call echoes the CEO’s comments […]
Year-on-year increase in remortgage instructions ‘emphasises market strength’
The latest remortgage snapshot from LMS shows a relatively flat picture for June, but a 20% increase in year-on-year instructions ‘emphasises market strength’, the company says. There was no change in the instruction rate or cancellation rate, and 16% fewer remortgages completed in June than the previous month. The pipeline has increased by 8% for […]
Development land market slows despite increase in supply
Research from Savills has found activity in the UK’s development land market is slower than expected, despite reported enthusiasm for the new planning policy and an increase in the number of available sites. Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introduced in December 2024 have led to an uptick in the number of sites […]
Lawyer’s charity for disadvantaged young people provides uniforms and resources for Year 7 pupils
A charity founded by a lawyer to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is providing ‘welcome packs’ for new Year 7 pupils, including uniform vouchers, stationery, a school bag and other academic resources. The Be the Ladder Foundation was launched last year by Trevor Sterling, a senior partner at south of England law firm Moore […]
Equity Release Council supports later life lenders with best practice report
A report produced by the Equity Release Council sets out examples of good practice, strategic priorities and case studies to help firms support later life lending customers. Produced in collaboration with Inclusive Outcomes, an organisation which helps vulnerable people, Later Life Lending and Customer Vulnerability is a sector-specific review of approaches to vulnerability in later […]