Brokers urged to “take note” as more homeowners choose to refinance
Homeowners across the UK are showing a preference for remortgaging rather than moving, according to new figures released by mortgage technology provider Twenty7tec.
The company’s July data indicates that remortgage searches by advisers reached 885,774, closely trailing the 938,060 searches for home purchases. This equates to remortgage activity reaching 94% of purchase search volumes, a significant rise from 75.4% in the same period last year.
In 2021, remortgaging made up just 56% of purchase volumes, a figure likely influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. By mid-2025, remortgage cases have already totalled 5.96 million, suggesting that advisers could see one of the busiest years for refinancing in recent memory.
“Rising costs, rate uncertainty and stretched affordability are all reshaping homeowner behaviour – and the data shows it,” said Nathan Reilly (pictured right), director at Twenty7tec. “Homeowners are increasingly choosing to stay put and refinance rather than take on the financial and logistical challenges of moving. Many are opting to reinvest in their current property instead.
“Higher mortgage rates have also made upsizing harder, particularly for those who locked in ultra-low deals just a few years ago. On top of that, with many buyers getting onto the property ladder later in life, their focus is often on securing rate certainty, reducing monthly payments, or releasing equity – not moving up the ladder at speed.”
The figures also highlight that July 2025 saw the narrowest gap on record between purchase and remortgage searches, with only 52,000 cases separating the two. The remortgage-to-purchase ratio has now increased for three consecutive years. Additionally, remortgage searches are up by 290,000 compared to 2021, with five months of 2025 still remaining.
For mortgage brokers, the trend signals a need to focus more on existing clients by offering refinancing advice and early engagement. “The remortgage market is on the up, and advisers need to take note,” Reilly said. “They need to be maximising opportunities by speaking to their clients much earlier in the mortgage cycle, utilising their CRM systems to their full potential, not just building on client relationships but supercharging them.
“For lenders, making product switching quick and frictionless is vital – and that means working closely with advisers to ensure the right data flows seamlessly.
“In a market where more people are staying put, the winners will be those who use data intelligently to keep the customers they’ve already won.”
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