The lending lowdown: How to make entrepreneurs work for you

Covid might still be with us for now, but as the recovery gets underway there are plenty of green shoots if you know where to look.

We’ve recently published a paper on the evolving situation and hosted a panel of experts to discuss what this means for brokers, here are some highlights.

Research for real-life lending

In March this year we commissioned some in-depth research on the UK’s self-employed community – the flexible, resourceful, entrepreneurial go-getters who are likely to play a big role in building the economy back.

Too many to miss

The self-employed demographic is now a massive factor in the UK economy and housing market, amounting to about 4.5 million Brits.

We asked a thousand of them how their situation had changed in the last twelve months, and particularly about their plans to buy property. On the face of it, it doesn’t look great.

• 44% have seen their income decrease by at least a quarter
• 51% think it’s harder to get a mortgage than it was a year ago
• 47% say their self-employed status is putting them off applying for a mortgage

So how is this good news for brokers?

The Office for National Statistics is now predicting that the recovery will be stronger and faster than expected. The housing market is seeing its strongest spring season in a decade*. And the self-employed are likely to be key to the recovery, just as they were after the financial crisis in 2008. It means a lot of pent-up demand for mortgages. But buyers – particularly the self-employed – need help. Help from brokers with access to the right products.

"It means a lot of pent-up demand for mortgages. But buyers – particularly the self-employed – need help. Help from brokers with access to the right products."

That’s where we come in

We’re on the side of the self-employed – the square pegs, the self-reliant creatives, the entrepreneurs. That’s why we look at their pre-tax profits when we’re deciding on a case, and consider latest figures rather than averaging down. And why we’re prepared to go up to 85% on residential mortgages.

And we’re on the side of the broker, too, doing all we can to make self-employed cases as simple as any other kind of application.

So when self-employed customers come knocking, you can welcome them with open arms. (Although probably no hugging. Not yet, anyway.)