Study finds 91.7% of advisers see lead generation as vital for 2026, but many still struggle with consistency
Nearly all advisers across the UK mortgage and protection market see lead generation as essential to their business this year, according to new research – but a majority are still finding it a persistent struggle to get right.
The study, published by The Wealthy Advisers Club, the UK's largest protection and mortgage adviser training community with over 2,200 members, found 91.7% of advisers believe generating more leads is vital for them in 2026.
Its founder, Terry Blackburn (pictured top), told Mortgage Introducer the finding came as no surprise, since he had seen advisers struggle to generate consistent leads years earlier, back when he was coaching them one-to-one rather than running a wider community. "It didn't surprise us, because when I was working with people one-to-one a few years back, it was a problem then," he said.
Why is lead generation such a persistent problem for brokers?
The whole-of-market research, conducted between 1 and 26 June among both mortgage brokers and independent financial advisers (IFAs), drew 114 responses from members and non-members alike. Despite the near-universal recognition of lead generation's importance, 64.7% of respondents said it is either very difficult or somewhat difficult for their business, with only 17.6% saying they "do OK." Lead quality proved similarly mixed, as 57.2% rated the leads they generate as quite good or very good, while 42.9% rated quality as only OK or poor.
Blackburn said the issue often stems from where advisers focus their energy. "Most brokers have a lead problem, which is – they want to scale, they want to do more, they want to help more clients and families, but there's a block somewhere down the chain of lead generation," he said. "Even if you were the best salesperson in the world, and you had a great brand and the best CRM in the world, but nobody knows about you, it doesn't really matter, because if you've got nobody to sell to, it doesn't matter how good you are."
Social media is not optional for the next generation of advisers
Blackburn argued advisers targeting any client group – landlords, first-time buyers or high-net-worth individuals – need a presence where those clients already are. "The future landlords, the future first-time buyers, the future high-net-worth individuals are also on social media now, and they're only going to be more so in the future," he said.
However, he was careful to note social media isn't compulsory. "Nobody has to do anything," he said. "But I think it's definitely preferred that the new generation of advisers – the younger ones – really should be on it. People buy people, don't they? That's why Elon Musk has got more followers than Tesla, and Branson's got more followers than Virgin."
Diversify or risk collapse, Blackburn warns
On the risk of over-relying on any single channel – whether social media or a single introducer relationship – Blackburn was blunt. "I think being reliant on any one lead generation strategy is a dangerous strategy," he said. "The best strategy is to have multiple strategies. I teach a multi-pronged attack, so you have at least six different things going on at once. It de-risks the business, but it also improves the business from a lead generation perspective."
That message echoes the research findings on lead quality, which Blackburn addressed directly. "It's clear from our research that advisers across the market are still placing major importance on lead generation going into 2026, but many are finding it difficult or at best inconsistent, especially when it comes to generating quality enquiries."
Blackburn said the fix often comes down to prioritisation rather than tactics. "If people spent more time marketing – gave it more importance, prioritised marketing their business, their products and services – I think so many more advisers would do more business," he said, pointing to the free training, templates and scripts he provides through his adviser community covering everything from referrals to organic social media.
He said his broader aim goes beyond any single firm's lead numbers. "My objective is I want to improve the entire industry," he said. "It's to rebuild and improve the industry, then offer brokers from every network and the directly authorised space the proper training that actually works, regardless of experience level and age."
That approach appears to be resonating. Blackburn's most recent community event drew more than 400 attendees, including an appearance from Sarah Willingham of Dragons' Den. It sits alongside a growing push across the industry towards technology and AI-driven approaches to lead generation as advisers look to diversify beyond traditional referral networks.
Blackburn's message to advisers competing for the same pool of clients was one of abundance rather than rivalry. "There's more than enough clients to go around," he said. "When you help people, and you share, and you be part of something collectively, we all win."
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