Advice firm numbers have risen sharply during past decade

March 12, 2026 by Brendan O'Neill

Mortgage Advisors

The number of companies that offer mortgage advice has risen sharply during the past decade, mostly due to an increase in multi-adviser firms.

There were a total of 1,851 advice companies in 2024, which represents an increase of close to 40% in comparison with 2016. At the same time, the amount of companies with just a single advisor has fallen during that same period. Back in 2016, companies of that size accounted for 55% of the mortgage advice sector, but they now make up roughly 47%. Most of that drop has been taking place during the past four years.

Meanwhile, there has been growth in the number of companies that employ between 2 and 5 mortgage advisors. There are now 712 of those, which is a rise of 60% compared with 2016. They account for 38% of the market, when it was 33% a decade ago.

The percentage of advice firms with between 6 and 50 advisors and ones with more than 50 remain roughly the same. The former makes up around 13% of the market, and the latter 2%. This data was published by the Financial Conduct Authority and analysed by Mortgage Solutions.

Speaking to that site, the chief executive for the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, Stephanie Charman, said the figures were no great surprise:

“Higher interest rates and ongoing rate uncertainty reshaped market dynamics, with activity shifting away from remortgaging towards product transfers, increasing workloads and administrative demands for many firms.”

The figures show there are abundant career opportunities available for those who complete CeMAP training courses.