The Chief Executive of the financial advice firm SimplyBiz is urging mortgage advisors to teach clients how they can go about making their properties sustainable and apply for green mortgages.
According to Mortgage Solutions, Martin Reynolds has stated that even if a client does not have their property in the right environmentally friendly condition to be able to apply for a green mortgage now, advisors can show them how to change that, so that when they renew their loan, they can switch to one. He went on to say that this would involve teaching them exactly what the basic requirements are to be eligible, before going on to add that:
“It is talking about the benefits. Saying ‘what type of property are you going for? Here are some links for things that might help make it a little bit more eco-friendly’ and try and give them a more concierge-style service.”
Reynolds continued by arguing that mortgage lenders that were offering green mortgages needed to look at their application processes to see that these did not undermine the idea behind the loans.
He pointed out that the Gateway Surveyors subsidiary of SimplyBiz had switched to more virtual property viewings for its estate agents and remote home valuations – with the aim of cutting the amount of travel and carbon emissions. He urged other lenders to look at making their application processes better for the environment.
Prospective advisors getting their CeMAP qualification online rather than travelling to a training centre is another way to help the industry become environmentally friendly.
