FT Logo

Copy article

FT Editor Banner

Why are mortgage brokers positive about their own firms but negative about the market?

Journalist: Tom Dunstan, FTAdviser

ended 04. March 2026

Recently, the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association released its latest Mortgage Market Tracker report which discovered a disparity in how brokers percieve the market vs their own business.

The report found that overall confidence in the outlook for the mortgage industry edged down during Q4 2025 and remains below the levels typically seen between 2015 and 2019.

Conversely, confidence in the outlook for advisers’ own firms was found to outperform sentiment about the wider mortgage market and improved throughout the quarter. In December, 57% of advisers said they felt ‘very’ confident and 43% ‘fairly confident’ about the outlook for their business, underlining the resilience of broker businesses despite economic uncertainty.

Why is there such a disparity in the figures? Are you more confident about your own business rather than the market as a whole? What does that mean for consumers?

5 responses from the Newspage community

Copy all

Copy

Editor
Michelle LawsonVerified
Director at Lawson Financial
As brokers, we are becoming busy fools. There is a lot of duplication and a lot of technology issues which suckers time which could be used for writing business. That said, there are also people leaving the industry and those that are diversifying. We have had a significant uptick in business for this year but also the market outlook is gloomy- it doesn't mean it isn't busy. People will always want to move for a variety of reasons and the uncertain economic climate of the last few years has meant borrowers taking more shorter term products so this business is coming round again.
Copy

Editor
Nouran MoustafaVerified
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
The disparity isn’t surprising. Advisers can’t control the wider market, but they can control how they run their businesses.
Macro conditions will always fluctuate rates, geopolitics, sentiment. What differentiates firms is adaptability. Forward thinking advisers refine processes, diversify income streams, strengthen client relationships and plan for volatility rather than react to it.
Personally, I’m always more confident in my own business than in the market as a whole. The wider environment is unpredictable. Internal standards, service levels and strategy are not.
For consumers, this is actually reassuring. It means many broker firms are resilient, prepared and structured to operate effectively even when headlines feel uncertain.
Confidence in your own model reflects preparation not denial of market challenges.
In uncertain markets, preparation beats prediction and consumers benefit most from advisers who build for resilience, not headlines.
Copy

Editor
Sarah Fox-ClinchVerified
Director at Fox Davidson
I am not surprised to see advisers more confident about their own firms than the wider market. When we look at the industry as a whole, we’re factoring in interest rate uncertainty, affordability pressures and geopolitical uncertainty resulting in broader economic volatility. All of which creates uncertainty and lack of confidence.

However, confidence in our own businesses comes from what we can directly influence: strong client relationships, improved communication with lenders, and the ability to adapt quickly. Over the past few years, broker firms have become more resilient, investing in technology and specialist expertise, which positions us well in a more complex market.

Challenging conditions often reinforce the value of advice. When sentiment dips, clients need clarity and tailored guidance more than ever. So brokers remain confident in their expertise and ability to help clients, especially in a uncertain market.

Copy

Editor
Ken JamesVerified
Director at Contractor Mortgage Services
Bearish on the market but Bullish on themselves, When the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association released its latest Mortgage Market Tracker, it revealed a clear divide: confidence in the wider mortgage market dipped in Q4 2025, yet advisers remained strongly positive about their own firms. This disparity reflects control. Brokers can’t influence interest rates or headlines, but they can shape service, relationships and strategy. In uncertain markets, adaptability becomes a competitive edge. In my own business, we’ve taken on two self-employed brokers this year and are actively pursuing growth. I don’t see a “bad” market, I see ongoing demand. People will always need mortgage advice and Good brokers outlast slow cycles. The rain falls, the sun shines, and resilient firms learn to operate in both.

For consumers, this confidence means stability: advisers who are planning ahead, investing and ready to support clients whatever the market b
Copy

Scott Taylor-Barr0
Principal Adviser at Barnsdale Financial Management
Is it possible to be glass half empty about the market, but glass half full about your own business within that market? Potentially, depending on how diversified your business is and how reliant it is on any one sector; a solely buy-to-let specialist mortgage broker who does not deal with any ancillary aspects of their clients' needs, may feel very differently about the market than a more generalist adviser who does protection, general insurance and solicitor referrals in addition to their core mortgage work, for example. The other aspect that doesn't help any of this type of research is how dynamic the market and wider political and economic landscape is currently - many can feel very positive and upbeat on Monday following a flurry of new business over the weekend, only to feel deflated on Tuesday at Swap rate predictions and economic data following the latest negative global event such as a new military conflict or tariff announcement.