Tighter deadlines, tougher cases: New survey gives brokers a voice in 2026 market

Loan.co.uk has launched a national 'Voice of the Broker' survey to understand how UK mortgage advisers are navigating specialist cases in 2026 and what support they need from referral partners to deliver strong client outcomes.

The survey explores the adviser experience across secured loans, bridging finance, specialist residential and complex buy-to-let. It aims to identify what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change for advisers to feel confident when referring clients for specialist solutions.

With 1.8 million fixed rate mortgages maturing in 2026 and more clients falling outside mainstream criteria, advisers are managing tighter deadlines, increasing complexity and greater scrutiny on client outcomes. This makes partner choice more important than ever.

Advisers are being asked about referral processes, update expectations, client fee fairness, case packaging standards, technology gaps, switching triggers and the factors that influence their partner selection.

With specialist cases becoming a larger part of the advice landscape, the business wants to understand exactly what ‘exceptional’ looks like from an adviser point of view and where the wider market may not be meeting expectations.

The survey takes around ten minutes to complete. To encourage participation, Loan.co.uk is offering a £5 Costa Coffee e-voucher to the first 100 advisers who complete the survey in full. All responses will be used in aggregate.

Findings will be shared with Financial Reporter later this spring. Loan.co.uk will use the insights to refine its specialist lending proposition and strengthen adviser support throughout 2026.

Have your say and take part in the survey here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/m0w19E0dVn.

Paul McGerrigan, CEO of Loan.co.uk, commented: “Positive client outcomes sit at the heart of good advice. When an advisor refers a client, their reputation is tied to the partner they choose. The Voice of the Broker survey is designed to understand what advisers need from a partner to feel confident that their client will be supported with clarity, speed and care.”