Increasing numbers of mortgage brokers want technology to play a bigger role in streamlining the mortgage application process but there is caution about artificial intelligence (AI).
The latest broker survey from Nottingham Building Society showed 89 per cent want more technology in the application process, up from 74 per cent just six months ago.
The research found that while 90 per cent of brokers say lenders are already using technology effectively to support brokers and improve the end-to-end mortgage journey, a third believe improvements can be made in better handling of complex or non-standard cases,
Similar proportions pointed to clearer tracking of case progress (33 per cent), better integration between broker systems and lenders (32 per cent), and faster decision-in-principle outcomes (32 per cent).
Almost a third (32 per cent) said reducing manual document submission would improve their ability to place cases and 31 per cent said more consistent underwriting decisions would make a positive difference.
Nottingham Building Society’s research also uncovered a cautious view from brokers on the role of AI.
The survey suggests broker sentiment towards AI has shifted.
In 2025, 28 per cent of brokers fully supported AI playing a key role in the mortgage application process, while 30 per cent said AI should have a role but be properly regulated.
By 2026, 33 per cent now say they are comfortable with greater use of AI or automation in parts of the mortgage journey, showing a modest increase in acceptance of practical AI use cases.
But scepticism remains. In 2026, 20 per cent of brokers said AI will not have a meaningful positive impact on the mortgage process.
This compares to sentiment in 2025, where 18 per cent said they had concerns about the use of AI in the mortgage process but were open to exploring it, 12 per cent said they wanted to see AI used only once they were sure it was safe and properly regulated, and 8 per cent said they did not believe AI should be involved in the mortgage process at all.
The latest poll shows around a third now say they would be comfortable seeing greater use of AI or automation in document verification and administration, initial affordability assessments, broker-lender communications, case prioritisation and triage, customer journey updates and tracking and income and expenditure analysis.
More than a fifth (22 per cent) said AI could have its biggest positive impact in supporting regulatory and compliance checks, while around a fifth point to supporting borrowers with multiple income streams and better interpretation of income and expenditure.
Aaron Shinwell, chief lending officer at Nottingham Building Society, said: “Technology is already making parts of the mortgage process work better, but brokers are telling us very clearly where the next wave of improvement needs to land.
“It has to help with the real pinch points – borrowers with complex incomes, case visibility, reducing time intensive administrative tasks and the moments where a good case can stall because the system isn’t capable of reading the full picture.”
He said the brand’s new IDI broker portal developed with MQube, which uses AI underwriting, is an example of this shift in practice, adding: “AI may have a role to play, but confidence will depend on how it is used. Brokers want tools that make the process clearer and fairer, with transparency and oversight.
“The opportunity is to combine better technology with sound judgement, so borrowers with more complex financial lives are assessed with the care and context their circumstances deserve.”
Marc Shoffman is a freelance financial journalist
