It has been signing up an average of 70 per month since last summer, bringing the grand total to more than 8000.
Conti says that despite the situation in the UK, brokers might be pleasantly surprised by the healthy appetite of overseas institutions to lend to foreign investors.
In addition, historically low interest rates and bargain property prices are making it much more affordable to buy a property abroad.
Clare Nessling, director at Conti, says:
“If brokers haven’t yet considered the overseas mortgage market as a source of additional income, it’s a great time to do so.
"There are plenty of British buyers taking advantage of the property bargains available abroad, and they’re more willing to explore overseas opportunities in their search for better potential returns on investment than they’re achieving in the UK.“
Europe may be facing its own challenges, but the situation doesn’t seem to have stopped the British from buying property there.
The most recent PrimeLocation.com International Search Index, published quarterly, revealed that the number of people house hunting on its site increased overall by 14 per cent during the third quarter of 2011 and by 17 per cent for the top ten most popular destinations, with France and Spain coming top.
These are also the two countries which Conti receives most enquiries about.
Clare Nessling adds:
“It’s clear that investors are favouring the tried and trusted locations when it comes to overseas property.
"But they also want easy access, good rental opportunities and security with price appreciation over the long term. Conversely, the flurry of interest we saw in the far-flung emerging markets a few years ago seems to have totally disintegrated.”
Making it even easier for intermediaries to get involved, Mortgage Brain’s overseas sourcing module, launched in partnership with Conti, allows, brokers to process enquiries and applications for overseas mortgages as simply as if they’re dealing with a UK mortgage.
