Too often, underwriters are kept at arm’s length, treated as a function that sits behind the process. In specialist lending, the reality is very different. Underwriters are central to whether a deal moves forward or stalls. They do not just process applications, they turn complex client circumstances into workable solutions.
At their best, underwriters are true allies for brokers. They look for ways to get to ‘yes’ rather than hunting for reasons to say ‘no’. That distinction matters. With refinancing pressures growing, regulation shifting and landlords rethinking strategies, the role of the underwriter has never been more important.
That is why the best lenders have built strong underwriting teams. Experience, judgement and pragmatism are what give brokers the confidence to place business and move deals forward. At HTB, we have already strengthened our specialist mortgages and bridging teams with new hires and internal promotions. The move builds on our commitment to back people who can handle today’s more complex cases.
Why access matters as much as expertise
Expertise only matters if brokers can actually speak to underwriters. The best underwriters in the world are of little use if they are out of reach, hidden behind portals or locked into pre-booked slots.
Specialist cases rarely fit neat boxes. Today they often involve HMOs and MUFBs coming under tighter energy standards, semi-commercial properties in weaker high streets, or portfolio landlords facing stricter affordability tests. They are dynamic, assumptions need testing, issues emerge and solutions must be explored. For brokers, being able to pick up the phone to an underwriter can mean clarity in minutes instead of days lost waiting for a call back.
Access also works best when it is part of a joined-up approach. At HTB, lending managers sit alongside underwriters, keeping communication clear and cases moving. For brokers, that reduces friction compared with lenders who leave them chasing updates. It means discussions are practical and informed rather than delayed or lost in translation.
That access is not just about speed; it is about trust. Brokers are far more willing to place business with lenders whose underwriters engage openly, explain their thinking and collaborate on solutions. Access only makes a difference if underwriters are empowered to make decisions. Authority should sit with the people brokers actually speak to, which means conversations lead to outcomes, not just notes passed up the chain. Brokers want to know they will get a consistent approach across cases, which builds confidence and long-term trust. Open access is not a nice-to-have, it is central to specialist lending.
Investing in talent
The market is testing for all parts of the property sector. Investors are adapting to the incoming Renters’ Rights Bill, which will reshape the private rented sector and place new obligations on landlords. Developers face planning delays and cost pressures. Against that backdrop, some lenders are tightening criteria or stepping back from certain cases, especially where funding lines are less secure. That distinction between lenders reliant on wholesale lines and banks with stable deposit bases is becoming more important to brokers who need certainty.
It is exactly in these conditions that good underwriters matter most. Pragmatism, judgement and the ability to work through nuance are what give brokers and clients confidence. That might mean taking a view on a rental uplift where planning has been secured but works are still underway or understanding the trajectory of a portfolio that is being rebalanced through disposals.
Recruiting and promoting skilled underwriters shows brokers that a lender is committed to supporting them through the cycle, not retreating at the first sign of difficulty. And brokers notice. They have long memories. They remember which lenders stayed accessible, staffed their teams properly and delivered solutions when the market was toughest, and they remember those who stepped back. In a relationship-driven market, those reputations last.
The bigger picture
Underwriting is not hidden away. It sits at the heart of the broker and lender relationship and is fundamental to the health of the specialist market. When underwriters are experienced, empowered and accessible, deals get done, brokers build trust and clients secure the tailored funding they need.
As a sector, we must continue to value underwriting talent and ensure it is accessible. That is how we support brokers through complexity, help investors adapt to new realities and maintain confidence across the market.
Good underwriters do not just sign off loans. They are the difference between uncertainty and certainty, between frustration and progress. At a time when the demand for skilled underwriting is rising faster than supply, that difference has never mattered more.
