Brokers’ Top Picks: Mainstream, Society, and Alternative Lenders Revealed
Smart Money People has released its latest mortgage lender benchmarking report, highlighting broker opinions for the second half of 2025. This bi-annual independent research study reveals a significant increase in overall satisfaction with mortgage lenders, achieving a record score of 4.25 out of 5, the highest since 2020.
Brokers’ Insights on Mortgage Lenders
The report indicates that the mainstream lender sector leads with a Broker Experience Index of 72.4. This is closely followed by Buy to Let specialist lenders at 72.1 and building societies at 71.2. The overall Broker Experience Index, which assesses various satisfaction and service metrics, has risen by 0.4 points to reach 71.0.
Survey Details
- The report is the 15th edition of the Mortgage Lender Benchmark.
- It reflects feedback from 1,040 brokers across 537 firms.
- The survey covers 120 lenders, representing 98% of UK gross mortgage lending.
- The average Net Promoter Score (NPS) for all lenders increased to +41.3, a rise of 0.4 points from the first half of 2025.
Top Picks for Lenders
According to the brokers, Halifax continues to be the best mainstream lender and also secured the award for the best overall broker experience. Coventry Building Society has been recognized as the best building society lender.
Other noteworthy lenders include:
- Pure Retirement: Best later life lender
- Pepper Money: Top specialist lender
- BM Solutions: Best Buy to Let specialist lender
- Allica Bank: Best bridging/commercial lender
- Atom Bank: Best digital-first lender
Industry Trends
A spokesperson from Smart Money People commented on the findings, stating that the high satisfaction across the industry is encouraging. They highlighted that mainstream lenders like Halifax play a crucial role in the business written by mortgage brokers. The importance of consistently high service levels from lenders like Allica Bank and Pepper Money helps them stand out in a competitive market.
Overall, this report emphasizes the vital relationship between brokers and lenders, showcasing the importance of broker experience in shaping the mortgage industry.
