HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a mortgage broker in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Mortgage advice must come from an FCA-authorised firm. Here is how to check it, how brokers are paid, and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a mortgage broker in five steps

  1. Check the firm on the FCA registerAnd that it has permission for mortgage advice and arranging.
  2. Use the register's contact detailsClone firms copy real names; ring the number on the register.
  3. Ask how the broker is paidA fee, lender commission or both, and when the fee is due.
  4. Ask whole of market or panelHow many lenders the mortgage broker can search.
  5. Get the recommendation in writingWhy this mortgage suits you, with all the costs.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

FCA Financial Services Register

Regulated mortgage advice and arranging need FCA authorisation. The register shows the firm's status, its permissions and its history; if a firm is not authorised, the FCA says you are unlikely to have the Financial Ombudsman Service or the FSCS.

Search the firm on the FCA Firm Checker and confirm it has mortgage permissions. register.fca.org.uk →

Clone-firm check

Fraudsters use real FCA-authorised firms' names and numbers with their own phone numbers and websites.

Compare the mortgage broker's contact details with the register; if they differ, call the FCA on 0800 111 6768. fca.org.uk →

Appointed representatives

Many mortgage brokers are appointed representatives trading under a principal firm's FCA authorisation, only for activities the principal allows.

Read the principal firm on the register entry. fca.org.uk →

Lending outside FCA regulation

Some lending is outside FCA regulation, including most buy-to-let and commercial mortgages (consumer buy-to-let is supervised), so the ombudsman and FSCS may not cover the advice.

For a buy-to-let or commercial loan, ask in writing whether the advice is regulated. fca.org.uk →

VAT

A mortgage broker acting as an intermediary to arrange your mortgage is exempt from VAT, so a broker fee for that arranging carries none. A separate fee for advice only, where the broker arranges no mortgage, is standard-rated. Exempt fees do not count towards the £90,000 registration threshold, so a mortgage broker may have no VAT number at all; one that is registered shows VAT on an advice-only fee as a separate line.

Ask the mortgage broker whether any of its fee is advice only and so taxable, and for its VAT number if it is. gov.uk →

“What is your firm's FCA number, and are you an appointed representative?”

A good answer: A number that matches the register, with the principal firm named if there is one.

“Do you search the whole market or a panel of lenders?”

A good answer: A clear answer; panels can leave out good deals.

“How is the mortgage broker paid?”

A good answer: A fee, lender commission or both, shown in pounds.

“When is your fee due, and is it refundable?”

A good answer: On application or completion, and what happens if the mortgage does not go ahead.

“Is this mortgage regulated advice?”

A good answer: Yes for residential; a careful answer for buy-to-let or commercial.

“Why is this mortgage right for me?”

A good answer: A written recommendation covering rate, term, fees and early repayment charges.

“Will you advise on protection insurance too?”

A good answer: If so, separately, with its own costs.

Getting the quote right

  • Broker fee, and when it is paid
  • Who actually attends the meetings and handles the application: the mortgage broker named, an employed case handler, or an appointed representative
  • Lender commission disclosed
  • Lender fees, valuation and early repayment charges listed
  • Whole of market or panel stated
  • Regulated or unregulated advice stated
  • Insurance advice priced separately
  • The VAT number, if the mortgage broker has one; the arranging fee exempt, and any advice-only fee with VAT on its own line

Walk away if

  • Not on the FCA register, or contact details that do not match
  • On the FCA Warning List
  • Asks you to misstate income
  • Fee demanded upfront in cash
  • Pressure to decide today
  • Will not explain how they are paid
LOW
£0
TYPICAL
£500
HIGH
£1,000

What a mortgage broker costs: £0–£1,000 per application

Mortgage brokers are paid a fee per application, lender commission, or both; the fee may be due on application or completion. Mortgage Broker price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Mortgage brokers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Fact-findIncome, outgoings, credit and plans reviewed.
  2. SearchLenders and deals compared.
  3. RecommendationThe suitable mortgage explained in writing.
  4. ApplicationPrepared and submitted, lender queries handled.
  5. OfferMortgage offer issued and passed to your conveyancer.

Whole of market
A broker able to search across lenders rather than a panel.
Procuration fee
Commission a lender pays the broker.
Early repayment charge
A fee for leaving a deal early.
Agreement in principle
A lender's indication of how much it may lend.
Appointed representative
A broker working under another firm's FCA authorisation.
FSCS
The scheme that may pay out if an authorised firm fails.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the recommendation and offerThe suitability letter and the mortgage offer, together.
Check the offer detailsRate, term, fees and conditions match what was recommended.
Diary the end of the dealSo you can review before moving onto the lender's standard rate.
Rate the workYour review of the mortgage broker can only follow a booking on Locufy. Below four stars, you can send the problem to them first and we follow it up before the review appears.

STEP 1Raise it with the mortgage brokerSay what was agreed, what went wrong and the fix you want. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats a trader's service as including reasonable care and skill; where the mortgage broker fell short of that, you can ask for the work to be redone free or for money off.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightWhen you rate the mortgage broker under four stars, you decide whether the problem goes to them first. We follow it through, then the review is posted.
STEP 3The Financial Ombudsman ServiceFor regulated mortgage advice from an authorised firm, the Financial Ombudsman Service handles complaints the firm has not resolved; the FSCS may pay if the firm has failed. Report clone or unauthorised firms to the FCA.
STEP 4Small claims courtUnresolved money disputes with the mortgage broker fit the small claims routes: £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a mortgage broker: questions people ask

For regulated mortgage advice, yes: the firm must be FCA-authorised or the broker an appointed representative of an authorised firm.

Search the FCA register and use the contact details shown there; ring the FCA if they differ from those you were given.

Most are not, though consumer buy-to-let is supervised; ask whether your advice is regulated.

£0–£1,000 per application, typically around £500. Fee-free brokers rely on lender commission; complex cases, buy-to-let and adverse credit carry higher fees. The mortgage broker price guide has the full breakdown; enter your town above to compare mortgage brokers near you.

About regulated advice from an authorised firm, yes, once the firm has had a chance to respond.

From a first meeting to an offer usually takes two to six weeks.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: Financial AdvisorHow to hire: Insurance BrokerHow to hire: Conveyancing SolicitorHow to hire: Building SurveyorHow to hire: AccountantHow to hire: SolicitorHow to hire: Self-Assessment HelpHow to hire: Tax AdvisorAll 701 hiring guides →

Mortgage brokers near you

Mortgage brokers in LondonMortgage brokers in ManchesterMortgage brokers in BirminghamMortgage brokers in GlasgowMortgage brokers in BelfastAll mortgage brokers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. FCA — how to check a firm or individual is authorised
  2. FCA — using the Financial Services Register
  3. FCA — fake FCA communications and clone firms
  4. FCA — contact us
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT Notice 701/49: finance — 9.1 What is an exempt supply of intermediary services
  9. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register