Our latest Mortgage Lender Benchmark (H1 2026) shows a market that remains positive, but slightly less forgiving.
Broker feedback continues to fall into three main areas: people, product and lending, and process. And in H1 2026, the gap between these areas is more noticeable than the headline ratings suggest.
People-related feedback remains the strongest area overall, with sentiment rising to 74.8. Building societies score 84.6 on people themes, while bridging and commercial lenders score 92.3, showing how much brokers value knowledgeable, practical support on more complex cases.
Product and lending sentiment is more mixed at 71.1. Building societies lead again, supported by strong views on criteria and product fit, while buy-to-let specialists are notably lower at 63.8, suggesting that pricing, criteria and flexibility can quickly become pain points for brokers in that market.
Process remains the weakest and most decisive part of the experience, with sentiment at 66.1. The gap is clearest in specialist and buy-to-let lending, where process sentiment falls to around 59.0, and in bridging and commercial, where it drops to 52.6 despite very strong people scores.
The overall message is simple. Good broker support services can help rescue a difficult case, but they can’t fully make up for a slow or unclear process. The lenders that combine strong support with consistent delivery are the ones most likely to stand out.
What matters most to intermediaries?
The market’s focus has shifted back towards service delivery. People scores have improved, but process remains the area most likely to weaken the broker experience.
Across 4,573 pieces of feedback and 5,333 coded theme mentions, brokers continue to focus on the practical side of the case journey – speed, ease of application, underwriting, online systems and communication.
That matters because these are not minor service issues. They are the points where brokers either feel in control of a case or exposed in front of their clients. Ease remains one of the most positive process themes, showing that brokers value lenders that make the path to offer simple and predictable. Speed and underwriting face greater scrutiny, as small delays or last-minute requests can quickly affect the overall experience of a case.
People themes are mentioned less often but carry significant weight when they appear. BDMs, customer service, and skills and knowledge all form part of the support brokers rely on when a case is not straightforward.
Product themes sit between the two. Criteria, product range and flexibility matter, but they become real differentiators only when backed by clear guidance and reliable execution.
The key takeaway is that brokers are not judging lenders on product alone. They are judging whether the lender gives them confidence from the initial affordability check all the way through to offer.
What’s behind the decision not to recommend a lender?
Communication, online systems and customer service form the next tier of risk. Each can turn manageable complexity into broker frustration if updates are hard to get, systems are difficult to navigate, or support feels disconnected from the case.
The practical lesson is that brokers don’t expect every case to be simple, but they do expect clarity, progress and accountability. Reducing uncertainty is the most direct route to reducing detractor behaviour.
Which themes when talked about negatively are having the greatest influence on a lender’s NPS?
Negative recommendations are driven by the same parts of the journey that create advocacy when they work well. In H1, speed and underwriting stand out as the key risk areas, attracting the highest levels of negative feedback and strongly negative NPS impact. Slow processing is particularly damaging because it creates uncertainty for both brokers and their clients.
Missed expectations, unclear SLAs and a lack of visible progress can quickly turn a workable case into a frustrating experience.
Underwriting frustration is just as significant. Brokers are most critical when decisions feel inconsistent, requests come in late, or the reasoning behind them is not clearly explained. That is often where trust in the lender begins to fall.
What’s behind the decision to recommend a lender?
Positive recommendations are most closely tied to lenders that make the case journey feel simple, quick and well controlled. Ease of application and speed sit in the high-impact area, with a strong link to both positive feedback and higher NPS.
Underwriting also plays a big role. When brokers speak positively about it, it’s usually because decisions feel pragmatic, consistent and commercially sensible. Strong underwriting is visible – it’s often a key reason brokers recommend a lender.
Digital experience remains part of the story. Online systems come up often in positive feedback, but they work best when they genuinely reduce friction, not just digitise existing steps.
Human support adds a layer of confidence. BDMs, customer service and communication all sit in the positive NPS space, showing that brokers still value access to people who can explain decisions, unblock cases and provide reassurance when needed.
Product strengths such as criteria, range and flexibility also help drive recommendations, but they matter most when the operational experience supports them. A strong proposition gets a lender considered; reliable execution is what gets them recommended.
Final thoughts
The H1 2026 pattern is clear. Broker advocacy is earned when lenders combine simplicity, pace and sound judgement. The strongest experiences are not just about the product - they’re about cases that feel under control from start to finish.
