Brokers say tools are improving visibility on rate changes – but processes remain fragmented and labour-intensive
Mortgage brokers are increasingly relying on sourcing systems and specialist software to monitor live lender pricing, but many say the technology still falls short of providing seamless, real-time relocking for clients.
In a market where product changes can come at short notice and borrowers expect advisers to secure the cheapest possible rate, brokers are attempting to balance proactive monitoring with the practical constraints of lender processes, manual workarounds and limited remuneration.
Alan Kent (pictured top left), founding director of Viable Mortgages, said technology had changed how he structures advice, but that a fully live, constantly updated approach is neither practical nor always desirable for clients. Rather than bombard borrowers with frequent pricing updates, he prefers scheduled checkpoints once an application is submitted.
“Technology is a powerful tool, but in volatile markets, it can feel overwhelming for clients,” Kent said. “To keep things simple and proactive, I like to organise and set a review date in advance. This approach allows for a quick check-in where I revisit the submitted mortgage using Twenty7Tec and confirm whether any changes are needed.”
For new business, some brokers are combining traditional sourcing tools with lender communications and social media to keep pace with product withdrawals and repricing. Justin Moy (pictured top right), managing director at EHF Mortgages, said no single system yet delivers a comprehensive, real-time view.
“For new mortgage cases, I use a combination of normal sourcing (Twenty7Tec), emails from lenders with advance notice of product changes, and social media as some lenders have started to favour this channel for major changes,” Moy said. “There is no one system that seems to do it all in the mainstream, although I am sure someone will develop such a tool in 2026. It takes time and multiple systems to keep on top of the many rate and criteria changes, and clients demand the cheapest rates!”
Both brokers reported that rate relocking – changing a client’s mortgage product to a newer, cheaper rate with the same lender after an illustration or application has already been produced, but before completion – can deliver material savings when it does occur, particularly on larger loans or longer fixed terms.
“Relocking happens occasionally, but when it does, the impact can be substantial,” said Kent, who cited a recent case where a relatively modest rate cut produced a significant change in the borrower’s monthly cost.
“Last month, I secured a 0.24% rate reduction on an application where the client was also increasing their borrowing,” he related. “This adjustment made a meaningful difference to their monthly payments and overall cost of borrowing.”
Moy shared he uses Mortgage Metrics specifically to monitor product transfer opportunities, flagging when lenders have improved existing customer rates. By batching these checks on a set day each week, he aims to capture savings without constantly reworking cases one by one.
“One of my last product transfer cases saw a saving of around £4,000 over a five-year deal based on monthly payments, obviously the greatest saving is made over the longer term deals,” he said.
For both brokers, however, lender systems and sourcing platforms are not yet aligned to support frictionless relocking. Kent described the current ecosystem as fragmented, with limited integration between sourcing, CRM and lender portals. This often forces advisers back into manual processes.
“The systems I’ve used are still in their infancy when it comes to securing lower rates for clients,” he said. “While a few lenders offer online platforms that are straightforward to navigate, the process often lacks full integration with sourcing and CRM tools. This means I still rely on manual workarounds, such as rekeying data or double-checking rate changes. This sadly adds time and complexity.”
Moy added that some major lenders do not display their product transfer ranges on sourcing systems, undermining one of the key benefits of those tools – the ability to demonstrate that remaining with the existing lender is in the client’s best interests.
“Some lenders, such as Halifax and BM Solutions, don't list their PT deals on sourcing, so it makes sourcing reasonably redundant for this specific situation, unless there is a clear need to remortgage to a new lender,” he said. “Sourcing is used more to prove the product transfer is the right advice, but if lenders are missing from it, then it doesn’t allow for consistency or clear comparisons.”
On lender pushback, the picture is mixed. Kent said he had seen a tightening of flexibility around product transfers, with less time allowed to amend deals after selection. That, he argued, risks limiting brokers’ ability to act in clients’ interests and could inadvertently push more borrowers to deal directly with lenders.
“I believe brokers should maintain the flexibility to act in the client’s best interests on any type of mortgage application,” he said. “Restricting this could unintentionally drive more traffic toward direct lender channels and create unnecessary duplication of work, which ultimately doesn’t benefit anyoine involved in the transaction.”
Moy, by contrast, said high street lenders generally remain accommodating on repeated price checks for product transfers, but noted that smaller building societies and specialist lenders can impose stricter limits or fees for multiple attempts.
Underpinning these operational questions is a wider commercial issue: how far brokers can be expected to pursue every marginal rate improvement when they face rising workloads, increasing direct competition from lenders, and in some cases reduced procuration fees.
Moy said the current model places pressure on firms to do more work for little or no extra income. “It’s really tough as brokers, you wan’t to do what’s best for clients, but with lenders also targeting clients with the same options direct, there is pressure to take every opportunity, without extra income, and with reduced procuration fees.
“I try to limit the requests, especially if the rate change is say less than 0.1% - what is interesting is that if solicitors are involved with a case where there is a new mortgage offer, many will charge a fee to check that revised offer - perhaps as brokers we should charge a small admin fee for each change? Difficult balance when you try to protect your clients and your own business.”
Kent also cautioned against an expectation that brokers should operate on a permanently live, continuously updating basis. He said that while many clients like the idea of capturing every rate reduction, in practice, most prefer certainty once a deal is agreed.
“Pre-organised review points are the most practical approach I’ve found,” he said. “Mortgage advice is ultimately transactional, and our procuration and broker fees are structured accordingly. Moving to a model of live, perpetually changing recommendations would require an industry wide assessment of feasibility and client impact.
“Most clients appreciate the idea of chasing every rate drop, but once their mortgage is secured, they often prefer the peace of mind that it’s one less thing to worry about. We also need to weigh the additional resources and potential costs this would introduce.”
For now, brokers appear to be working within a hybrid model: using technology to flag meaningful savings and organise review points, while relying on judgement about when further repricing is truly in the client’s interests – and when the operational and commercial costs outweigh the benefit of a small rate cut. “In the future, technology could play a vital role in making this process more efficient and client-friendly,” Kent said.
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