Complex Credit Doesn't Mean Impossible

The mortgage market has been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and specialist lenders have certainly not been an exception. We are starting to see the market return to normal, but it will be a while until we know how the specialist landscape is set to look following the crisis. One fact that’s clear already, though, is that post-crisis, the specialist lending market will be more important than ever.

What can the specialist market do in the short-term?

It will be crucial that the growing pools of consumers who have been impacted by Covid-19 can continue to access specialist support after the crisis – and broker engagement will be vital here. Bluestone Mortgages will be encouraging advisers to tap into this market and the various opportunities available. This will ensure that brokers are geared up for a post-coronavirus future, in which there will be a greater number of customers looking for the support of specialist lenders. Ongoing support for existing brokers will also be essential.

Looking ahead to the longer term

Opportunities also exist for the specialist market in the longer term. First and foremost, there could be an opportunity for specialist lenders to work with technology providers and develop platforms that help improve customer outcomes.

Initiatives such as Open Banking could start to gain more traction in the specialist lending market. It’s likely that the demand for tailored financial solutions will increase post-pandemic, as we see more consumers fall into the “non-vanilla” bracket. Bluestone continues to provide support for customers who have been financially affected by Covid-19.

Helping your customers with adverse

Specialist lending in today's world is responsible, affordable and genuinely helps underserved customers that have been let down by mainstream lenders.

There can be no doubt that we've been operating in a disrupted market environment and we've been working hard to get back to what we do best, which is provide great service, high-quality specialist underwriting decisions, and most importantly strong outcomes for our intermediary partners and their customers.

We are currently the highest rated specialist lender for adverse credit cases and were awarded the "Best Adverse Credit Lender" in the latest mortgage lender benchmark H1 2020. 467 brokers shared their feedback about 90 lenders, helping to highlight and explain how lenders are performing. All broker verbatim focused on BDMs, customer service, product range, criteria, flexibility and underwriting is positive, with “Willing to listen” a common thread in the broker verbatim.

We scored particularly high in relationship management and came second when compared to all banks, building societies and specialist lenders. Communication and ease of determining a product were also rated highly which we take huge pride in.