Mortgage brokers report that lenders have not kept pace with modern and non-standard borrower circumstances, with 88% saying lenders have been slow to adapt. This creates a clear advice opportunity as income patterns become more varied across self-employment, multiple jobs, contract work, variable pay and later-life borrowing.
AI and workflow automation could help advisers organise evidence, spot missing information, summarise complex cases and route applications towards lenders with relevant criteria. However, the value lies in improving preparation and consistency, not in allowing an opaque model to make a lending recommendation or affordability decision.
Adviser firms should build processes that capture the full income story and retain an auditable rationale for lender selection. This supports good client outcomes and is especially important where automated tools could oversimplify unusual but sustainable borrower circumstances.