Forging a kinder world in the broker community
As The Cumberland continues to develop and grow its intermediary relationships we are determined to stay true to our ‘Kinder Banking’ ethos.
Established in 1850, with our head office in Carlisle, The Cumberland has always been steeped in community values, with the pillars of People and Community central to our purpose.
Since we began our drive to broaden intermediary reach in 2021, we have been determined to embed our Kinder Banking ethos into our intermediary proposition, delivering exceptional service via real people to our panel of brokers. This approach has been fundamental in building relationships within the broker network.
We keep our lines of communication open and decision-making quick because we know that getting a fast, fully informed view on a case is critical. Time is everything for advisers trying to get a deal over the line. These are the foundations on which we have built our 22-strong intermediary team as we’ve opened up distribution channels. It has also helped us grow our client base in our heartlands, reaching those customers we missed as a previously direct-to-consumer lender.
Our intermediary team specialises in residential mortgages, including large loans up to £5m, and we can offer up to six times income. With our residential lending proposition, we are currently limited to our operating areas of Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, and Southwest Scotland, while also servicing a small panel of London-based broker firms with whom we have built strong relationships over the years.
However, our holiday let product allows us to lend nationally, giving brokers greater flexibility. While holiday let lending is a competitive market, we have both a high level of specialist in-house underwriting and significant business development experience gained over more than 20 years. We continue to support brokers placing business for all types of property in Scotland, England, and Wales.
Putting People First
I have always believed that taking a relationship-first approach to business works best in the intermediary market. Our move towards an account-based management structure gives every broker multiple points of contact, allowing relationships to deepen over time. Many of The Cumberland’s customer-facing employees have been with us for years, which means they know the products and criteria inside out. They are contactable by phone because I know how important that accessibility is.
In a market as fast-changing and volatile as ours, listening to brokers is critical. It’s important for the team to be outward-facing and available for meetings to gather feedback, which we can then incorporate into the business where possible.
The Digital Journey
While relationships remain the foundation, digitalisation has already sharpened our competitive edge in the broker market and will continue to evolve. We previously operated a fully manual process, but we have since evolved to list our products on sourcing systems, Mortgage Brain and Twenty7Tec, giving brokers greater visibility.
In September, we launched our affordability calculator for intermediaries on our website for standard residential cases, enabling us to process more applications. This addition has cut processing times by up to two days and allows intermediaries to check if a case qualifies against affordability at any time, reducing the wait for a Decision in Principle.
Intermediaries helped shape the design process, and we’ve received excellent reviews on its functionality and ease of use. I’m grateful for the positive feedback, with plenty of four and five-star reviews on the website already.
Then in October, we launched our new broker portal in partnership with Mast. It provides mortgage advisers with an efficient, user-friendly tool for managing client applications, supporting the entire mortgage journey from initial enquiry through to application submission and completion. Reducing the time spent on administration is crucial for brokers navigating today’s market.
There will be more innovation to come, but one of the developments we’re most excited about is extending our award-winning Platinum Trusted Service standards—an award we’re proud to have won three years in a row—further into the broker market.
Widening Distribution
Maintaining our high standard of service is core to our Kinder Banking ethos. From working with just a few premium London brokers a few years ago, our expansion has been carefully managed.
Our mix of Directly Authorised and Appointed Representative relationships—including partnerships with networks such as Sesame and Mortgage Advice Bureau—works well, with further expansion always under consideration. However, preserving our service levels without dilution is extremely important to me.
As we move into a new year, we continue to demonstrate our principles of inclusion, protecting the vulnerable, and offering practical solutions to both intermediaries and end-customers.
Our Kinder Banking ethos underpins our approach to building relationships in the broker network, and we’re looking forward to more partnerships with those keen to do business this way in 2025.