In the modern world, consumers expect quick decisions, clear interaction and a digital process that reflects how they manage their daily lives. Digital standards across everyday services continue to raise the bar, and more and more people are comparing their mortgage experience with the speed and clarity they receive elsewhere.
Meeting these needs relies on effective use of technology to manage information, maintain clear communication and ease the obstacles facing today’s borrowers. This is no small task in an increasingly complex market where affordability pressures remain high, political and economic uncertainty persists, and homeownership aspiration are weakening.
New data from the Building Societies Association (BSA) outlines that confidence levels are at a low point, with almost a third of would-be buyers believing that they will never own a home. Unsurprisingly, deposits, borrowing limits and monthly costs remain the main barriers, although stamp duty has also moved up the agenda, with 26% now listing it as a key obstacle.
This financial squeeze comes at a time when high rents and limited housing supply already weigh heavily on many households across the UK. 14% of buyers now see the homebuying process itself as a barrier, the highest level recorded by the BSA. This is a trend which needs to be closely monitored and highlights the need for clearer steps and more structured engagement from the earliest educational stages of the advice process right through to completion.
Thankfully, technology is on hand to help, and modern CRM systems are now playing a more prominent role across the board. From an interaction point of view, automated emails or SMS updates keep clients informed without repeated calls. This ensures that each step of the advice and homebuying journey is logged and visible, giving a clear and reassuring view of progress.
It also brings these communications, alongside case management and key information into one place. This means that data once sat across several systems can be viewed together, allowing firms to work with more accuracy and far less manual effort. For example, document pre-population, ESIS production, evidence of research and compliance checks can all be handled within the system, reducing the risk of delay or error.
Tools such as encrypted uploads, audit trails, instant credit checks and valuation data also provide reliable insight when it is needed. In addition, sourcing capabilities cut out rekeying and deliver real-time access to products and criteria, giving clients clearer options and supporting quicker decisions. Integrating conveyancing and payment tools within the same CRM also removes the need for separate systems.
While such systems handle much of the routine work and admin burdens, personal guidance remains essential. Research from L&G Mortgage Club reinforces this, with only 7% of consumers saying they would be comfortable using automated tools to arrange their mortgage and just 5% willing to rely on AI chatbots.
More than half (58%) said they would prefer to receive mortgage advice from a person. Of those, 45% favour a face-to-face meeting and 12% prefer a video or phone call. Notably, almost half of Gen Z respondents (47%) said they would choose a face-to-face session, showing the emotional and financial complexity of the mortgage process and the ongoing need for expert, personal support.
Undoubtedly, consumer behaviour will continue to shift, placing greater demands on any customer-facing business. To keep pace, intermediary firms need to invest time and energy into providing a well-organised digital journey to help create time and space to focus on the areas where support is most needed and to deal with more complex client requirements.
The key point is that technology is not replacing the adviser (despite what one of our competitors recently stated!), it’s here to strengthen the structure behind each case and support a more controlled, efficient way of working.
