"The firms that succeed won't necessarily be the ones using the most AI. They'll be the ones using it in the right place."
FR: Nivo has just launched Nivo Collect. Can you tell us more about it?
The biggest challenge isn't that brokers don't understand AI – it's that they don't have time to become AI developers or the appetite to enter a lengthy implementation programme.
Every conversation we have starts the same way. Firms know AI has huge potential, but they assume adopting it means building workflows, learning prompt engineering or replacing systems they've already invested in.
We wanted to remove that barrier completely.
Nivo Collect is an off-the-shelf AI assistant that simply gets on with one of the biggest jobs in mortgage broking: gathering documents, checking them, chasing what's missing and packaging everything ready for submission.
The broker emails in a case and the assistant takes it from there. It works over email, under the brokerage's own brand, so firms can start benefiting from AI in hours rather than months.
FR: Everyone seems to be talking about AI. Is the mortgage industry in danger of getting caught up in the hype?
There's definitely a lot of noise and most conversations focus on what AI could do, rather than what firms actually need it to do.
For me, the question that brokers should be asking isn't "Where can we use AI?" It's "Where are our people spending time that they shouldn't?"
If AI simply makes bad processes happen faster, you've not solved anything.
The real opportunity is removing work altogether. Much of the administration in mortgage broking only exists because documents don't arrive complete first time, information has to be checked repeatedly and people spend weeks chasing clients.
If you eliminate that rework, you're creating capacity rather than just improving efficiency, and that's a much bigger prize.
FR: From your research, where is the biggest operational bottleneck for brokers today?
Almost every time it's document collection. Once a lender receives a complete, well-packaged application, underwriting generally works well. The problem is everything that happens before that.
One missing payslip or incomplete bank statement can trigger another round of emails, another delay and another check. Before long you've got 15 or 20 rounds of communication around what should have been a straightforward case.
That's why we focused Nivo Collect on the front end of the mortgage journey. Move the checking and evidence gathering to the start of the process and everything downstream becomes much smoother.
FR: What makes Nivo Collect different from the growing number of AI tools entering the market?
Most AI products still expect the customer to build something. You buy the technology and then spend weeks working out how to use it.
We've gone the opposite way. We've already built the operational process and brokers can start realising the benefits of AI automated processes within a couple of hours.
Nivo Collect arrives as a ready-made member of the operations team. It's trained to request documents, identify what's missing, follow up with applicants and hand back a checked case.
That means brokers don't have to change how they work. They simply gain another pair of hands.
FR: Some brokers worry AI will replace people. What would you say to them?
I don't think that's where the industry is heading at all.
The value a broker brings isn't collecting bank statements. It's understanding a client's circumstances, structuring the right solution, explaining options and managing lender relationships.
AI shouldn't be making lending decisions or replacing professional judgement. It should be doing the repetitive administrative work that prevents experienced people spending more time with clients.
That's why we always describe it as an operations teammate rather than a replacement for advisers. Humans stay firmly in control of every important decision.
FR: What impact are you seeing for firms already using AI in this way?
The biggest benefit is capacity. In our early deployments we're seeing firms recover six to eight hours of administration on a typical case, while also improving right-first-time submissions and reducing unnecessary back-and-forth.
When you remove that friction, advisers can spend more time writing business and supporting clients instead of chasing paperwork.
Ultimately that's what every brokerage wants — growth without continually adding headcount.
FR: Finally, what's your advice for brokers who want to start using AI but don't know where to begin?
Keep it simple. Don't start by looking at hundreds of AI products. Start by looking at your own business.
Ask yourself where your team spends the most time repeating the same task every day.
For most brokerages that's gathering, checking and chasing documents.
Pick one process, measure the results and let the numbers tell you whether AI is delivering value.
The firms that succeed won't necessarily be the ones using the most AI. They'll be the ones using it in the right place.
