Mortgage Broker Role Holds Firm, Points Toward More Digital and Younger Reach
Santander’s latest Broker Perception Barometer shows 63% of borrowers say they could not have completed the homebuying process without a mortgage broker. That finding, together with high reuse intent and distinct younger-borrower behaviour, signals brokers remain central while facing pressure to adopt faster, more digital communication styles.
Santander: 63% Say Mortgage Broker Was Essential
Santander surveyed 500 mortgage holders and found a sustained reliance on intermediaries, with 63% saying broker support was essential and marking a second consecutive quarter in which nearly two-thirds held that view. Homeowners also indicated strong loyalty: 83% said they would use a broker again when purchasing a new property or switching mortgage provider. Respondents broadly endorsed the role brokers play in confidence and clarity—85% said brokers help them progress through the homebuying journey with greater assurance, and 95% said their broker helped them fully understand how affordability affects purchase options.
Santander: Younger Borrowers, WhatsApp and Social Media Signals
Younger borrowers show different priorities that are visible in Santander’s numbers. Just 75% of those aged 18 to 34 describe their broker as “responsive, ” compared with 90% of people aged 35 and over. The 18–34 group also leans more to digital discovery and messaging: 13% of borrowers aged 18 to 34 found their broker through social media, and 42% communicate with their broker on WhatsApp at least once a week. By contrast, half of borrowers aged 35 and above say they have never used WhatsApp to contact a broker. First-time buyers lean heavily on professional guidance, with 24% turning to their mortgage broker most often for support versus 22% who relied primarily on friends, and empathy registers at 11% overall but rises to 14% among first-time buyers.
Santander Scenario: If Trends Continue or Should Digital Preferences Shift by 2026
If brokers continue to be seen as indispensable at current levels, the context points toward sustained centrality in the homebuying journey. The combination of 63% saying they could not have completed the purchase without a broker and 83% willing to use a broker again creates a baseline where brokers remain core advisers. In that conditional path, brokers are likely to retain influence over affordability understanding—95% of homeowners crediting brokers for clarity—and maintain strong roles for first-time buyers, 83% of whom who bought a first home within the past year say working with a broker made them feel more secure about the process.
Should brokers not adapt to younger borrowers’ expectations for speed and digital communication, the context suggests a second conditional path. The responsiveness gap (75% for ages 18–34 versus 90% for 35+) and the different patterns of WhatsApp use (42% of 18–34 using it weekly; half of 35+ never using it) indicate a potential mismatch between service style and younger customers’ preferences. If that mismatch persists, the survey signals a need for brokers to close the responsiveness gap and meet digital discovery habits—13% of the 18–34 group found brokers social media—to preserve the confidence and reuse intent currently visible in the data.
Based on context data, the next confirmed signal will come from homeowners’ answers when asked to imagine buying again in 2026: respondents identified three main pressures, with budgeting for upfront costs highlighted by 26%. What the context does not resolve is how, or how quickly, broker practices will change to close the responsiveness and digital-communication gap among 18 to 34-year-olds. The next Santander barometer release will show whether responsiveness scores for younger borrowers move toward the 35-plus level and whether the 26% emphasis on upfront budgeting persists into 2026 responses.
