A growing number of borrowers no longer fit into neat boxes. Self-employed clients with fluctuating income, borrowers with income from abroad, borrowers with second jobs, or older applicants looking for mortgages beyond retirement are now common, not rare.
The statistics back up the growth of borrower complexity:
● As of March 2025, there were around 4.4 million self-employed workers in the United Kingdom.
● Following decreases in early 2023, the number of people with second jobs increased in Q1 2025 and over the year to 1.317 million (3.9% of people in employment).
● According to SunLife, around 5% of all pensioners in the UK are making monthly mortgage payments, equal to 494,541 people. It added that retired mortgage holders owe around £63,643, which comes to an estimated monthly mortgage cost of £767.75.
That’s where brokers and building societies increasingly work together. Brokers bring us the detail, and we bring the flexibility to understand the story behind the numbers.
The role of brokers is more important than ever
This shift has made the role of a broker even more crucial. Customers and lenders rely on brokers to explain not just what is needed, but why it's a sensible, workable case.
Brokers know how to set out the big picture. You’re often dealing with clients who have a long-term plan. Buying a home with future rental potential, buying a home for the first time, or borrowing later in life. You help them structure that plan, and you help us bring life to it.
What building societies bring to the table
Most building societies take a different approach. Unlike some lenders, we don’t rely solely on credit scores. We look at each application on its own merits. We take time to understand the client’s background, their goals, and how the case fits.
Whether it's residential or buy-to-let, we know that manual underwriting makes all the difference.
In our view, it’s about giving well-structured cases a fair hearing. Many of the cases you bring us are strong, they simply don’t fit mainstream criteria. That doesn’t make them a problem. Often saying yes is just common sense, once you fully appreciate the details of each individual case
Working together in a complex market
As complexity becomes the norm, our relationships with brokers matter more than ever. We need your insight and attention to detail to help us understand the ongoing needs of your clients. And you need lenders who listen and are willing to work through even the most complex of cases to create responsible and accessible solutions.
At Dudley, we know that no two cases are the same. We know how important it is to move quickly, but without cutting corners. And we know that clients need solutions, not refusals based on tick-box gaps.
If you're dealing with a case that’s a bit out of the ordinary, or even completely out of scope for the mainstream, we’re ready to talk. Because for us, complex is normal. And we know it's normal for you too.
