The Intermediary – June 2025 - Flipbook - Page 3
From the editor. . .
aving toyed with us for a few
weeks, the sun has finally
decided to make a proper show
of it, and the past week or so has
felt decidedly more optimistic
as a result – both in general and
in mortgage market terms. There’s nothing quite
like the first burst of British summer sun to make
everything seem a lile less bleak.
Perhaps this is why the market seems like it
has hit into its stride. Mortgage pricing remains
higher than many might find ideal, but lenders
have been making rate cuts in anticipation of
future base rate reductions.
Meanwhile, higher loan-to-values (LTVs) are
improving the options for first-time buyers, and
some lenders are making changes to enhance
buy-to-let (BTL) affordability.
On the specialist side of the market, second
charge and bridging loans continue to see
growth, while product innovation continues
apace across the board.
As is always the case in the UK, though,
there’s the threat of rain behind every sunny
day. Affordability remains tight as raised living
costs remain, swap rates are volatile, and BTL
landlords are facing tough decisions – as ever
– when it comes to remaining viable in an
increasingly restrictive environment, which
is only going to become more difficult with
upcoming reforms.
The substantial rate drops hoped for by many
prospective buyers are continuing to prove a
fantasy. And of course, no one will be unaware
H
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of the mounting international instability that, at
the very least, will affect investment prospects in
this market.
Just like any forecast, it’s hard to get a good
picture of whether the outlook is bright or grey,
and it’s worth planning for both.
Nowhere else is this more evident than in the
maer of the Financial Conduct Authority’s
(FCA) current regulatory consultation.
Some are looking ahead with optimism to
the rationalisation and streamlining of certain
regulatory requirements, which they believe
will open up creativity and innovation across
the market. Others, meanwhile, are concerned
by the potential opening for execution-only
transactions, and what this might mean for the
broker, the prevalence of advice, and indeed for
customer outcomes as a result.
That’s the subject of our feature this month,
where Marvin Onumonu talks to the experts
about what to expect for this market’s regulatory
future, how its past has shaped mortgage advice
over the years, and how businesses of all types
can prepare for what’s to come. It’s a topic that
echoes throughout this month’s issue, as the
experts clamour to have their say.
You can also read about everything from tech
advancement to remortgage market paerns,
succession planning to conveyancing costs, and
more, in order to bring you what you need to be
prepared, whatever the weather. ●
Jessica Bird
@jess_jbird
@IntermediaryUK
Contributors
The Team
www.facebook.com/IntermediaryUK
OPINION Expert insight
across residential, buy-to-let,
specialist finance, and more
INTERVIEW Paragon’s
James Smart on the human
touch in bold transformation
MEET THE BROKER Meta
Mortgages on the realities of
running a modern brokerage
The
Intermediary.
www.theintermediary.co.uk | Issue 29 | June 2025 | £6
Jessica Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor
Jessica O’Connor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deputy Editor
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