In this new series, Warren O’Connell, Head of Business Development for Sourcing at Iress, sits down with some of the UK mortgage market’s movers and shakers to explore their perspectives, predictions, and personal passions driving the industry forward.
This time, Warren chats with Ash Borland, the sales and marketing coach and former mortgage broker who has built a reputation as one of the UK's top mortgage marketing experts.
So, Ash, are you ready for some Home Truths?
Tell us, what’s exciting you most about the UK mortgage market right now?
Honestly, brokers finally realising they are the brand. For years, we hid behind firms and introducers. Now, more advisers are showing their face, building an audience and owning their expertise. And it works. People don’t buy mortgages. They buy trust. The advisers who understand that are pulling ahead. The ones still hiding behind a logo are going to feel that gap widen.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for brokers and intermediaries in the next 12 months?
Branding. Again. If that sounds repetitive, good, because most people still aren’t taking it seriously. The opportunity isn’t a new lender or a clever sourcing trick. It’s positioning yourself so clients choose you before they even enquire. If you’re competing on speed or price, you’re competing on things that technology will eventually do better and cheaper. If you’re competing on trust and depth, you’re playing a different game.
What’s one industry challenge that you think doesn’t get talked about enough?
Family Income Benefit. I still meet advisers who don’t lead with it, and I genuinely can’t understand why. If income stops, everything stops. That’s the foundation of financial security. Yet it’s barely discussed compared to other products. It’s not because advisers don’t care. It’s because the structure isn’t there. When the process is weak, the important conversations get skipped.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the mortgage process, what would it be?
I would stop separating mortgages and protection. They should be one conversation, not two. Right now, protection is technically discussed, but isn’t embedded. So it drifts. It becomes optional. It gets pushed to later. That isn’t a client issue. It’s a process issue. When protection is positioned properly, at submission and as part of completing the mortgage, outcomes improve for everyone.
What drives you personally in this industry? What keeps you motivated?
I like backing the small guy. There are plenty of voices talking about scale, exits and big teams. That isn’t my world. I’m interested in the independent adviser who wants to earn very well, serve properly and still have a life. I’ve seen single brokers outperform firms with multiple advisers, not because they hustle harder but because they operate better. That’s what keeps me motivated.
How do you see collaboration shaping the future of the mortgage space?
It’s going to stop being optional. Automation will take some of the mechanical work, that’s inevitable. So the human side becomes more important, not less. Brokers will need stronger relationships with each other, with professionals outside the industry and even with creators and influencers. Right now, collaboration is often about splits and transactions. In five years, it will be about staying relevant together.
Technology has made an enormous difference to the intermediary journey - where do you see the biggest gains still to be made?
Admin. This job has always been too admin-heavy. If technology genuinely reduces backend friction, advisers get their time back. That time should be spent having better conversations, not chasing paperwork. We’re not fully there yet. A lot of systems promise more than they deliver under pressure. But that’s where the real upside sits.
How does Iress fit into your strategy, and how do our tools and partnership help you deliver better for your customers?
From a broker perspective, tools like Xplan Mortgage help bring structure to what can otherwise feel messy. The advisers I work with who use it well see better efficiency and more control in their process. For me personally, Iress has also given me a platform. They’ve supported my voice and allowed me to represent independent advisers in bigger conversations. I respect that.
What does success look like for you - and for the industry - over the next five years?
For me, it isn’t scale. It’s adoption. More brokers building real brands. More embedding protection properly. More running structured businesses instead of chaotic ones. The industry doesn’t need to get bigger. It needs to get better.
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to intermediaries navigating today’s market, what would it be?
Stop trying to win on things that can be automated. If your entire value proposition is speed or cost, you’re vulnerable. Slow down. Create depth. Make clients feel understood. Become the adviser they wouldn’t replace. The brokers who build something human will thrive. The ones who stay transactional will get squeezed.
Thank you Ash, for sharing your Home Truths.
At Iress, we have conversations like this every day and through industry meet-ups like our Mortgage Forum. By talking openly in this way, we can develop the right tools and technology to keep brokers and lenders ahead of the opportunities that exist in the mortgage market.
Look out for more Home Truths from our other friends and partners soon.
Would you like to be interviewed by Warren? Email him at warren.o’connell@iress.com
