Technology is moving deeper into mortgage distribution. OMS and Step One Finance have extended their partnership through a bespoke loan-origination system, while Thirdfort’s platform rebuild has added features including firmwide insights, task management and co-purchaser source-of-funds linking. These developments point to more automated journeys for specialist and complex lending.
For advice firms, the prize is lower administration, better case visibility and earlier identification of delays or missing evidence. This is especially relevant as industry voices warn that slow completions can drain broker capacity and jeopardise pipelines. AI can assist with document classification, case summaries, follow-up prompts and anomaly detection—but it should not become an opaque decision-maker.
The FCA reports that 88% of firms say they understand its expectations for supporting consumers and embedding Consumer Duty. As firms adopt AI, governance should cover data protection, human oversight, testing for bias, audit trails, supplier due diligence and processes for correcting errors. Automation should make advice more timely and consistent while preserving accountability to the client.