New research from L&G’s Mortgage Club reveals that consumers continue to favour personal interaction when arranging a mortgage, despite the rising popularity of digital tools for day-to-day financial management.
L&G’s data, released as part of Mortgage Club’s 30th anniversary report ‘Home 2055’, shows that just 7% of consumers would be comfortable using automated tools to arrange their mortgage, and only 5% would opt for an AI chatbot.
The research, carried out in May 2025 by market research consultancy Censuswide, showed more than half (58%) of consumers said they would prefer to receive mortgage advice from a person, with over 45% stating a preference for a face-to-face meeting and 12% favouring a video or phone call.
Even among the younger generations, consumers are cautious of automated mortgage advice. Notably, despite their ‘digital native’ label, 47% of Gen Z respondents said they would choose to arrange a mortgage through a face-to-face session with an adviser.
The data showed that 54% of 16-24 year olds said they preferred to receive all their financial advice – whether related to a mortgage, a pension or protection – from one single adviser. And 44% of the same group said they were not comfortable with receiving mortgage recommendations with no human interaction.
From the advisers’ point of view, most agreed that face-to-face interaction will continue to be an essential part of the mortgage process over the next 30 years, with two-thirds (66%) saying it will become even more important in future.
Just under a third of mortgage advisers (30%) pointed to the emotional and complex nature of mortgage decisions as a key reason for the enduring value of human guidance.
However, the rise of technology has introduced new anxieties to the sector. When asked about their biggest concern for the future of mortgage advice, 40% of advisers cited disruption from digital and AI-powered platforms. At the same time, 41% identified fluency in AI tools and technology as the most critical skill for advisers over the next 30 years.
Clare Beardmore, director, L&G Mortgage Club said:
“As technology evolves, we must remember the importance of quality advice for customers, with reassurance, trust, and human connection at its core.
“Our research shows that, despite the rapid rise of automation and AI, borrowers still place enormous value on expert advice from a person. The mortgage process is not just a transaction, it’s one of the most complex and emotionally significant financial decisions a person will make.”
She added that there is no doubt that digital tools such as AI will continue to become more embedded in the mortgage advice process, but this should be about complementing advisers, not replacing them.
“The future of advice lies in a hybrid model,” she said, “where technology enhances the customer experience and advisers continue to guide borrowers through the mortgage journey with empathy, insight, and personal support.”
L&G’s Mortgage Club is the UK’s largest and longest-running scheme and is involved in nearly one in four of all mortgages in the UK and almost one in three of all intermediated mortgages.
