Find a broker you can question and compare
Start with a short list, then ask each broker the same questions about their lender range, fees, advice, communication and experience with your circumstances. Check the firm and the service it is authorised to provide. Choose the person who explains the recommendation and its limits clearly, not simply the one who promises the lowest rate.
How do you find a mortgage broker?
Ask people you trust about their experience, look at independent reviews in context, and check the firm on the FCA Firm Checker or Financial Services Register. Speak to more than one broker before committing. Ask what lenders and products they can consider, how they are paid, what they will do for you and who will handle the case. Request written fee and service information before any chargeable work.
This guide is about choosing a broker. If you are still deciding whether to use advice at all, read do I need a mortgage adviser? If you want to understand Count Ready’s service, see the mortgage brokers page.
Build a small, relevant shortlist
Ask for useful recommendations
Someone who recently bought or remortgaged may tell you whether a broker explained costs, returned calls and helped when the lender asked for more evidence. A recommendation is a starting point; their mortgage and yours may differ.
Read the full review pattern
Look for specific comments about communication, clarity and support. Check the date, number and mix of reviews, and read the original platform rather than selected quotes on a website. Reviews describe past experiences, not your chances of approval.
Check the firm and permissions
Use the FCA’s checking guidance to find the firm, its permissions and, where relevant, its appointed-representative relationship. Match the details to the firm you are speaking with. If anything is unclear, ask the firm to explain before sharing documents.
Match the service to your case
A standard employed-income purchase, a remortgage, self-employed income and past credit problems raise different questions. Ask whether the broker has dealt with your type of case and what evidence they would need to assess it. Experience is useful; it is not a promise that a lender will accept you.
Compare what each broker will actually do
Use the same checks for each firm so a pleasant first call does not hide a difference in service or cost.
1. Lender range
Ask whether the broker advises on one lender, a panel or a wider stated range. Which lenders, products or direct-only deals are outside that search? “Whole of market” is a claim to clarify, not a reason to stop asking.
2. Fees and payment
Ask for your fee, when it becomes payable, whether it can be refunded, and whether the firm may also receive a lender payment. Compare the total mortgage cost as well as the advice fee. See the separate broker-fees guide for the questions behind each charge.
3. Recommendation
Ask how the broker will use your budget, deposit, income, credit history and plans. Will they explain why the suggested loan fits and what its main risks or trade-offs are? You should be able to question the recommendation.
4. Work after advice
Find out who prepares the application, asks you for evidence, deals with lender queries and gives updates. Clarify what the lender, surveyor and conveyancer do separately. A broker cannot approve the loan or control the legal timetable.
A low initial quote does not settle the comparison. Consider the monthly payment, arrangement and valuation fees, early repayment charges, rate changes and the period you expect to keep the deal. Ask for the mortgage illustration before deciding.
Hear how clients describe the advice
Review comments can show how an adviser communicates and supports people through a mortgage decision. Read a range of Count Ready feedback on the live Google profile before making an enquiry.
A review cannot tell you whether a particular lender will offer you a mortgage. Check the service, fees and current permissions as well.
Nine questions for the first conversation
- Who would give me advice? Ask for the adviser’s name, role and the firm they represent.
- Can you advise on my type of mortgage? Explain whether you are buying, moving, remortgaging or considering a buy-to-let loan, and ask about any limits to the service.
- Which lenders or products can you consider? Ask what is excluded and whether the broker will check the suitability of your current lender’s offer if you are remortgaging.
- What will I pay? Request written fees, payment timing and cancellation terms; ask about lender remuneration too.
- What information do you need before suggesting a route? A responsible first assessment should establish enough about your circumstances without promising a result from a few headline facts.
- When might a credit search happen? Ask what stage requires your permission and whether a proposed search is soft or hard.
- How will you compare total cost and flexibility? Ask about the term, fees, early repayment charges and what happens when the initial rate ends.
- Who will update me, and how often? Agree a contact route and find out what happens if your named adviser is unavailable.
- What happens if a lender says no? Ask how the broker would review the reason before another application. A new application is not automatically the right next step.
If a broker avoids clear answers about fees or lender range, or asks you to omit relevant information, pause before proceeding. The “best broker” guide explains why no single label can replace these checks.
Prepare enough for a useful first call
Give the broker your aim and approximate figures: purchase price or property value, deposit or equity, likely borrowing, income type, major commitments and any deadline. Mention a credit issue or earlier declined application plainly. This lets the adviser say what they would need to check and whether the case fits their service. It does not determine eligibility.
If you are a first-time buyer
Ask how deposit evidence, monthly budget and an agreement in principle fit your next steps. The first-time buyer broker service covers that journey.
If you are remortgaging
Have the current balance, rate end date and any early repayment charge to hand. Ask how a product transfer compares with a new lender. See remortgage advice.
If you are self-employed
Explain your business and income pattern. Ask what accounts, tax records or other evidence may be needed under current lender criteria. See self-employed mortgages.
If your credit history is complicated
Describe the issue and its approximate date before a full application. Ask what the broker will review and whether waiting or correcting your file might be more sensible. See bad credit mortgage guidance.
Use the firm’s agreed secure channel for bank statements, ID and credit reports. Do not attach sensitive documents to a general contact form unless the firm has specifically provided a secure route.
Questions about finding a broker
How many mortgage brokers should I speak to?
There is no fixed number. Two or three initial conversations can be enough to compare service, lender range, fees and communication. Check whether any conversation starts chargeable work or triggers a credit search before agreeing to it.
Is a local broker better than an online broker?
Neither format is automatically better. Decide whether you need a meeting in person, then compare the adviser’s permissions, lender range, fees and support. Ask where any meeting will take place and how your documents will be handled.
Can a broker guarantee the cheapest rate?
No. Rates and lender criteria change, and a headline rate is only one part of the total cost. Ask what products the broker can consider and why their recommendation fits your circumstances. The lender makes the final offer decision.
How do I check a broker is authorised?
Use the FCA Firm Checker or Financial Services Register, following the FCA’s consumer guidance. Check the firm’s identity, permissions and any appointed-representative relationship against the service being offered. Contact the firm using verified details if something does not match.
What should I bring to a first call?
Start with the purpose of the mortgage and approximate borrowing, deposit, income and commitments. Tell the broker about relevant credit issues and deadlines. The adviser can then explain which documents are needed and how to send them securely.
When should I choose a broker?
Speak to one before making a full application if you want advice on lender fit, evidence or total cost. If you already have an offer or a deal ending soon, say so at the outset. A broker may help you assess the options, but cannot guarantee a faster decision or a mortgage.
Ask us how we would approach your case
Tell us whether you are buying or remortgaging and give approximate figures and any issue you want to discuss. Ask who will advise you, the lender range we can consider, our fee and what happens after the first call. We can explain our service and the information needed for an assessment; a conversation does not guarantee an offer.
Count Ready is a credit broker, not a lender. Read our adviser information and terms of business; ask us to explain anything unclear before chargeable work begins.
How this guide was checked
- MoneyHelper: choosing mortgage advice — adviser range, fees, recommendations and mortgage illustrations.
- FCA: check a firm or individual — how to check a firm, permissions and appointed representatives.
Sources reviewed 1 October 2026. This is general UK information, not a personal mortgage recommendation. Firm permissions, lender criteria, fees and products can change; verify the current position for your own case.