Appetite for AI and automation rising, though scepticism remains
Nearly nine in 10 mortgage brokers (89%) want technology to play a greater role in streamlining the mortgage application process, up from 74% six months ago, according to research from Nottingham Building Society.
The survey also found that 90% of brokers believe lenders are already using technology effectively to support them and improve the end-to-end mortgage journey.
The findings indicate the industry debate has shifted from whether technology belongs in mortgages to where it can deliver the most tangible benefit.
Brokers identified better handling of complex or non-standard cases as the area where technological improvements would have the greatest positive impact (33%), alongside clearer case progress tracking (33%), better integration between broker and lender systems (32%), and faster decision-in-principle outcomes (32%). Nearly a third (32%) said reducing manual document submission would improve their ability to place cases, while 31% pointed to more consistent underwriting decisions.
Mixed views on AI
Broker sentiment towards AI has shifted modestly. In 2025, 28% fully supported AI playing a key role in the mortgage application process and 30% said it should have a role subject to proper regulation. By 2026, 33% say they are comfortable with greater use of AI or automation in parts of the mortgage journey.
One in three brokers said they would be comfortable with increased AI or automation use across document verification and administration, initial affordability assessments, broker-lender communications, case prioritisation and triage, customer journey updates, and income and expenditure analysis.
Brokers also identified specific areas where AI could benefit the market. More than a fifth (22%) said AI's biggest positive impact could be in supporting regulatory and compliance checks, while around a fifth pointed to supporting borrowers with multiple income streams (21%) and better interpretation of income and expenditure (20%).
Scepticism persists, however. In 2026, 20% of brokers said AI would not have a meaningful positive impact on the mortgage process. A third (33%) also said clearer rules around the use of AI in the mortgage application process would be among the government or regulatory changes most likely to support the UK mortgage market.
"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," said Aaron Shinwell (pictured right), chief lending officer at Nottingham Building Society.
"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.
"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."
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