Darlington BS unveils mortgage advisor commitments

March 6, 2026 by Brendan O'Neill

Lenders

Darlington Building Society has unveiled three new commitments it is making to mortgage advisors, which it says will improve its service to them.

The lender is also stating that they will enhance consistency, accountability and transparency. Commitment number one is that a named underwriter will support every mortgage application. This will be the case from the point when a decision in principle is made to when the lender makes an actual loan offer. These underwriters will be available for advisors to contact and they will restrict questions and document requests to those that are strictly necessary.

Commitment number two is about respect for the businesses of mortgage advisors. Darlington BS says that advisors will be given a minimum of one day’s notice if a product is to be withdrawn. It will also not engage in dual pricing between direct channels and advisors.

The last of the commitments is to making the experience of advisors as positive as possible. That includes making it easier for them to get in touch with business development managers and seeking feedback on criteria and service issues. Darlington BS has stated that it will use technology where it can to make it simpler to submit completed applications too.

Its intermediaries head Chris Blewitt spoke to Mortgage Solutions:

“Brokers are central to our strategy and these service commitments formalise what we stand for. At a time when parts of the market are moving towards more automated, direct models, we are ‘doubling down’ on our broker focus.”

Advisors with CeMAP training need lenders to be responsive, so this is welcome.