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Mortgage broker or mortgage adviser?

ended 19. July 2024

BREAKING. Newspage asked people who do mortgage stuff whether they refer to themselves as ‘brokers’, ‘advisers’ or ‘advisors’. What can we say, it's been a quiet news day. Btw,  we're in the UK, not Arkansas, so it's ‘adviser’.

14 responses from the Newspage community

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Andrew Montlake
Managing Director at Coreco
We have debated this question for years! We refer to ourselves as advisers as that is what we do: advise, guide and educate. However, SEO terms seem to dictate mortgage broker is a more common search term. And is it adviser or advisor?
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Mark Eaton
COO at April Mortgages
Great question. We often think about that ourselves, so we're all ears and can't wait to hear what brokers have to say.
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Stephen Perkins
Managing Director at Yellow Brick Mortgages
We refer to the firm as a brokerage, but the consultants as advisers as the role is more than just brokering the cheapest rate, it's about advising the client on all elements of the journey from end to end, so we feel that title better reflects the level of service delivered.
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Craig Fish
Director at Lodestone Mortgages
Mortgage broker most definitely. Advisers work in banks for lenders and can only advise on one lenders' products. The fact that brokers deal with numerous lenders means that we can broker the best deal for the client and their circumstances.
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Simon Bridgland
Director at Charwin Private Clients
Generally I consider myself a broker and usually refer to my role that way. This is because the way many mortgages are arranged nowadays is pretty transactional. Of course, most people I help come back time and time again for future mortgages and advice and so I would in that sense say I have trusted adviser status with them. The distinction between the two identities has become very blurred over time and I don’t think many people split them into two camps anymore.
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Justin Moy
Managing Director at EHF Mortgages
A great question. This is driven more by tradition and how borrowers perceive our role, more than what we would prefer to have on our business cards. Our role should be centred around advice, based on a full review of our clients' needs, but often you find clients have actually ended up choosing from a few deals suggested instead, which isn't really advice in its purest form. Understanding the life events on the horizon, how borrowers feels about future mortgage rates, and overall risk, is so much more about giving quality advice.
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Dariusz Karpowicz
Director at Albion Financial Advice
I never liked the term "mortgage broker". Yes, we broker deals, but the heart of our work is in the advice we give. I prefer "mortgage adviser" because our role goes beyond finding the right mortgage. We offer guidance on everything from the most suitable mortgage product to love problems, marriage breakups, and even interior design. So, think of us as your all-around life advisers with a knack for mortgages.
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Ben Perks
Managing Director at Orchard Financial Advisers
Honestly, I'll flitter between the two regularly. I think that these days people are less interested in titles because their are some weird and wonderful job titles out there. Within 5 minutes of the first conversation they will decide if they like you or not irrespective of what's under your name on an email footer.
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Rohit Kohli
Director at The Mortgage Stop
Mortgage Adviser, as we provide advice. This is my preference but I've settled for mortgage broker as that's how most people refer to us.
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Denni Tyson
Mortgage and Protection Advisor at Henchurch Lane Financial Services
Advisor, I think the role now encompasses a much more leading role for transactions and clients. With the greatest respect, other parties of estate agents and solicitors are not as engaging as they should be and I will advise clients the key milestones of a transaction. "Broker" to me is just a bit old fashioned as the role has grown to more than simply find a mortgage.
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Hannah Bashford
Director at Model Financial Solutions
Adviser 100%. I didn’t sit numerous exams and spend hours doing CPD to broker a deal. I advise clients on the best solution for their circumstances and therefore am a mortgage adviser.
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Natalie Anderson
Mortgage & Protection Adviser at Connect Mortgages
Definitely Adviser (or Advisor according to some)! I think it more accurately reflects what we actually do and the professionalism involved.
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Richard Thompson
Director at Abbeydale Mortgages
I prefer to refer to myself as a mortgage broker because it reflects the access I have to both exclusive and semi-exclusive deals. I've found that clients appreciate this, as it often reassures them of my ability to provide a wide range of mortgage options. In fact, I've had several instances where new clients specifically reached out to confirm if I am a mortgage broker.
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Scott Taylor-Barr
Principal Adviser at Barnsdale Financial Management
As a marketeer once told me: "it doesn't matter what you think, it's about what the customer thinks". For a whole host of reasons, I prefer the term Mortgage Adviser, as it is actually a better description of what we do and the value we add to the process in helping clients to understand what their mortgage will do for them and how it may or may not impact their future plans, but I refer to myself as a Mortgage Broker, because that is the term that the public use and that's the term they search for online. Life's complicated enough, without trying to paddle against the current on this topic, there are much bigger issues to expend our collective energy on.