'TikTok has been a revelation for our firm'

Mortgage Introducer interviewed Siobhan Holbrook (pictured), director of Mortgage Light, who shared her journey from estate agency to mortgage broking, the evolving landscape of client engagement, and the innovative ways her firm is reaching new audiences. With 14 years in the industry and a reputation for championing first-time buyers, Holbrook has seen the sector transform—none more so than in the wake of the pandemic, when digital communication became essential.

Embracing platforms like TikTok, Holbrook and her team have not only adapted to changing client expectations but have also helped demystify the mortgage process for a new generation. Their creative use of social media is empowering clients—young and old alike—to access the mortgage market with greater confidence and understanding.

Full name: Siobhan Holbrook
Job title: Director
Company: Mortgage Light 
Number of years in the industry: 14
Location: Milton Keynes

How and when did you become a mortgage broker?

I decided to train as a mortgage broker after starting out as an estate agent in my early 20s. At 24, I took myself down to London during my holiday, got qualified, and by January 2011, I became a self-employed mortgage adviser within the estate agency I was working at—they didn’t have a mortgage broker at the time.

The main reason I made the switch from estate agent to broker was that, while selling houses, I became really interested in how deals were structured to help clients actually go ahead and buy. I wanted to be the person putting that equation together, helping people understand how accessible the mortgage market really is. I especially enjoyed working with new builds, because I found that using the builders’ incentives made it cheaper for the buyer. It meant people were able to buy homes they never expected to be able to afford.

In your opinion, what has been the most positive development in broking?

What I’ve really enjoyed over the last 20 months, although it’s been complicated, is the variety of criteria changes and the massive collaboration between banks, building societies, and brokers. It’s felt like a real community effort, where we’re all coming together to explore what enhancements can be made to help those who aren’t currently homeowners access the market. It’s shifted us into more of an educational setting—a space where we’re working collectively to boost the economy in the absence of any developer-led schemes. It’s created a really exciting environment for innovation and forward thinking, without relying on external forces to get the market moving again. It’s been brilliant to see the broker and banking community working hand-in-hand.

What challenges do you see currently facing the industry, and what solutions would you propose?

What we’ve done at Mortgage Light, and something I identified quite early on, is spot a shift in how people wanted to communicate after COVID. I noticed that clients were far more interested in speaking to us remotely—they weren’t allocating time for face-to-face appointments like they used to. Mortgage Light had always been strong on a face-to-face approach and we’d have regular in-person meetings downstairs with clients, but I found that people’s motivations had changed, and they just weren’t making time for those meetings anymore.

So the challenge for us as an industry became: how do we reach those clients? How do we make ourselves personable and accessible when they don’t want to come in? That’s when I hired a remarkable young lady named Van. She earned a First at university in social media and had already created a strong TikTok presence, with a great following and an innovative approach to engagement. I wanted to support and grow her skill set so we could connect with first-time buyers, especially on platforms where they’re already looking for information, and give them a way to “see” me without needing to commit to a one-hour, face-to-face meeting. What I didn’t expect, and what’s been truly transformative, is how many people who access our content on TikTok then go on to educate their family members.

We’ve helped so many people get mortgages, especially those who are slightly older or who may have lacked the confidence to speak to a broker. For example, single mums who felt intimidated by the process now feel empowered to reach out, because they’ve seen us explain it in a calm, approachable way online. TikTok has been a revelation for our firm. It’s helped us show people how to access the mortgage market in a completely new way, and to tie that back to the most positive development—there are now more options than ever in the mortgage and buying market. For the first time, it really feels like the industry is starting to accommodate the variety of requirements that today’s consumers have.

Can you share a memorable or challenging experience from your career as a broker and the lessons you gained from it?

Being a business owner means you always have to face the ‘icky’—the difficult conversations and the challenging experiences.

Around two years ago, we had to shift our business in a slightly new direction. Mortgage Light was created to educate people on how to access the mortgage market and to support their needs throughout the process. But I also began thinking: how do we speak to people in the buy-to-let and investment space? That part of the market has gone through a huge transformation over the last five years. So I created a second brand: Holbrook Capital Finance.

Within that, we’ve all had to self-teach and expand our knowledge across key niches, from traditional buy-to-let, to limited company buy-to-let, commercial buy-to-let, and even bridging finance. What we’ve discovered is that, compared to the secured residential side, the HCF lending space operates very differently. While Mortgage Light has platforms and systems in place to help first-time buyers navigate the market, Holbrook Capital Finance is much more like old-school broking—it’s about building strong relationships with lenders.

We work directly with names like Paragon, Precise, CHL, Moda, Fleet… and through those connections, we’ve been able to create opportunities for clients that even we didn’t think were possible. Just the other day, one of my brokers found a lender willing to finance a zoo. That moment really opened my eyes to how vast and flexible this space is—and how much education is still needed for the investor and investment world. So yes, this journey has been incredibly transformative, and it’s only the beginning.

Could you share any valuable advice for individuals aspiring to become brokers or those new to broking?

For those new brokers starting out, my advice would be: take your time. 

Ask the questions you’re worried about; don’t just throw things at the wall and hope they stick. Really take the time to get to know your client. That’s the best way to advocate for them and get a case approved. Understanding your client is paramount, not just for supporting them through today’s transaction, but also for building a long-term relationship.

If you do it well, that client could come back to you for every mortgage in the future. Even better, they might refer you to friends, family, or colleagues. One great client can lead to several recommendations and potentially become a lifelong connection, so don’t feel disheartened if things don’t click straight away. Always think about the bigger picture and the opportunity that one relationship can bring.