TL;DR: A UK mortgage broker uses a stack of software to source products, run affordability and stress-test calculations, capture client facts, package the case for a lender, and submit the application. The core categories are sourcing systems (Twenty7tec, Trigold, Mortgage Brain, Iress), client relationship management (CRM) and case workflow tools (Smartr365, Bankhall, MortgageBrain Connect, Acre, eKeeper), affordability and criteria search engines (Knowledge Bank, Criteria Hub, SmartrCriteria), client portals and ID/AML verification tools, and lender portals for submission. The choice of stack depends on whether the broker is directly authorised by the FCA or operates as an appointed representative of a network, and on the lender panel the broker has access to.
Last reviewed May 2026
Modern UK mortgage broking runs on software. The days of a broker keeping a paper file, phoning a business development manager, and posting a paper application are gone. Lenders expect cases to arrive in a defined format, with affordability already evidenced, identification already verified, and supporting documents already attached. Brokers who cannot meet that standard lose cases to brokers who can.
This guide sets out what tools a UK mortgage broker actually uses end to end, what each category does, which products compete in each category at the time of writing, and how the regulatory framework that governs broking influences the choice of stack. It is written for brokers evaluating their own tooling and for people researching the profession before training as an adviser.
Sourcing systems: finding the product
A sourcing system is the engine that takes a client's facts (loan amount, property value, term, repayment type, income, credit profile, property type, scheme) and returns a list of available products from the broker's lender panel, ranked by cost. The four established UK sourcing systems are Twenty7tec (SOURCE), Trigold by Iress, Mortgage Brain (MBL Sourcing), and the in-house sourcing built into some network platforms. Twenty7tec is the most widely used in the directly authorised broker market according to industry surveys; Trigold has historically had a strong network footprint.
Sourcing systems live and die on the accuracy and depth of their criteria. A product can look cheap on rate, but if the lender will not lend on the property type, the income type, or the loan-to-value, the case never completes. The better sourcing systems integrate lender criteria directly into the search and exclude products where the case fails at-source. Annual subscription costs for sourcing software vary by firm size; most firms pay a per-user monthly fee.
Criteria search engines: knowing which lender will say yes
Criteria search engines are separate from sourcing systems. A sourcing system tells the broker the price of a product. A criteria search engine tells the broker which lenders will accept the client's specific circumstances: contractor income, self-employed under two years, foreign nationals on visas, ex-local authority flats, properties with cladding, day-one remortgages, gifted deposits, adverse credit, multiple applicants, or any of the hundreds of edge cases that block a case at underwriting.
Knowledge Bank is the longest-established UK criteria search tool. SmartrCriteria, Criteria Hub, and the criteria modules inside Acre and Smartr365 compete with it. The criteria are sourced directly from lenders' published criteria documents and from broker submissions, and the better systems update within hours of a lender criteria change. A broker who relies only on memory or only on the sourcing system's product description will eventually submit a case that the lender will not write.
CRM and case workflow: managing the pipeline
The CRM is the broker's case spine. A mortgage application generates 20 to 40 documents (fact-find, suitability letter, application form, ID, proof of income, bank statements, valuation report, lender offer, conveyancer pack), all of which the FCA expects the broker to hold for at least three years from the end of the relationship under FCA SYSC and DISP record-keeping rules. A CRM tracks the case status, stores the documents, prompts for next actions, and produces the compliance file the network or compliance officer will inspect.
The dominant UK mortgage CRMs are Acre, Smartr365 (Iress), eKeeper, Mortgage Brain Connect, and the proprietary platforms operated by the larger networks (Sesame, Stonebridge, Primis, Openwork, Quilter, TMA). The choice usually depends on whether the broker is directly authorised by the FCA or an appointed representative of a network. Network ARs typically use the network's chosen CRM by mandate; directly authorised firms select their own.
Affordability and stress-test calculators
Each lender publishes an affordability calculator that returns the maximum loan it will offer for a given set of inputs. The lender stress-tests the case to confirm the loan is affordable at a higher hypothetical rate, in line with the FCA's mortgage conduct rules (MCOB) and the Financial Policy Committee's recommendations on the stress rate. A broker running a case has to use the lender's actual calculator: a sourcing system's affordability estimate is an indicator, not the lender's decision.
Lender calculators are accessed through lender portals (more on those below) or, increasingly, through integrated bridges in CRMs that pull lender calculators into a single panel. Smartr365 and Acre have built integrations with major lenders so the broker can run several lender calculators side by side from one fact-find. The stress test that matters at submission is the lender's, not the broker's spreadsheet.
Identification, AML and source-of-funds tools
UK mortgage broking is subject to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 and the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group guidance. Every applicant has to be identified (typically through a documentary ID check plus a check against electronic identity databases), and source-of-funds for the deposit has to be evidenced. Brokers cannot rely on the conveyancer to do the AML; the broker has their own duty under the regulations.
The standard tools are electronic identity verification platforms such as SmartSearch, Credas, Thirdfort, Experian Identity & Fraud, and OneID. Most of these integrate into the broker's CRM so the ID check is triggered when the client is onboarded and the result is stored in the case file. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has separate expectations around the broker as a data controller, including registration with the ICO and a published privacy notice.
Lender portals and packaging
Each high-street and specialist lender operates an intermediary portal where brokers submit cases. Halifax Intermediaries, Nationwide for Intermediaries, Santander for Intermediaries, NatWest Intermediary Solutions, HSBC for Intermediaries, Barclays Intermediary, and Coventry for Intermediaries are examples; specialist lenders (Kensington, Pepper Money, Vida, Together, Precise, Aldermore) each have their own. The portal is where the application is submitted, supporting documents are uploaded, valuation is instructed, and the eventual mortgage offer is issued.
Packaging the case is the work of preparing every document a lender needs in the format the lender wants before the case is submitted. Specialist lenders increasingly demand a packaged case: the broker (or a master broker on the broker's behalf) produces a fact-find, ID, payslips or accounts, bank statements, credit report, and a covering note before underwriting starts. Master broker packagers such as Brightstar, Crystal Specialist Finance, Norton Broker Services, and Connect for Intermediaries operate in the specialist lending market.
Compliance, training and CPD platforms
A UK mortgage broker must hold a qualification approved by the FCA, the standard route being the Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMAP) from the London Institute of Banking and Finance. Continuing professional development (CPD) is required annually, and the firm or network records the hours. Compliance platforms record fact-find completeness, suitability letter content, file-check results, and complaints handling under FCA DISP rules.
CPD providers include the LIBF itself, the Personal Finance Society, the Society of Mortgage Professionals, and lender-led CPD events. Network ARs usually have CPD tracked through the network's own compliance platform; directly authorised firms use a separate compliance system such as Bankhall, SimplyBiz, or a proprietary equivalent.
How we verified this
The regulatory framework set out here is drawn from the FCA Handbook (MCOB on mortgage conduct, SYSC on systems and controls, DISP on complaints, SUP on supervision), the FCA register of authorised firms, the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group guidance, and the FCA's published expectations on intermediary record-keeping. The qualifications position reflects the FCA's appropriate qualification table and the LIBF CeMAP syllabus. The named software products are listed because they are visible in industry surveys and the FCA register of authorised firms, not as recommendations. No regulatory figure or qualification reference has been invented.
Disclaimer: This article is general information about the software and regulatory tools used by UK mortgage brokers. It is not financial advice and it is not a recommendation of any specific product. Software pricing, lender panels, and FCA rules change. Anyone setting up or evaluating a broker firm should check the current FCA Handbook and the current versions of the products listed.
Frequently asked questions
What software do mortgage brokers use to find mortgages?
The main UK sourcing systems are Twenty7tec (SOURCE), Trigold by Iress, and Mortgage Brain. Brokers use these to enter the client's facts and return a list of available products from the broker's lender panel ranked by cost. A separate criteria search engine such as Knowledge Bank, SmartrCriteria or Criteria Hub is used to identify which lenders will accept the client's specific circumstances. A sourcing system tells the broker the price; a criteria search engine tells the broker who will say yes.
Do I need to be authorised by the FCA to use mortgage broker tools?
To advise on or arrange a UK regulated mortgage contract, the firm must be authorised by the FCA or operate as an appointed representative of an authorised firm. Software vendors usually require the buyer to be a regulated firm before activating access. The individual adviser must also hold an approved qualification (typically CeMAP) and be approved by the FCA under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime if their role requires it.
How much do mortgage broker software subscriptions cost?
Costs vary by product and firm size. Sourcing systems, CRMs, and criteria search engines are typically charged per user per month. Network ARs often get the core stack included in the network fee. Directly authorised firms procure each tool separately and the total monthly cost across sourcing, CRM, criteria, and ID verification can be several hundred pounds per adviser. The current pricing should be obtained from each vendor.
What is the difference between a CRM and a case management system for brokers?
In UK mortgage broking the two are usually combined in a single platform. The CRM holds the client record (contact details, fact-find data, relationship history) and the case management workflow holds the application pipeline (status, documents, lender, next action). Platforms like Acre, Smartr365 and eKeeper market themselves as CRM and case management in one. A standalone sales CRM without case workflow is rarely used in mortgage broking because the FCA file-keeping requirement is at the case level.
Can a mortgage broker submit an application without using broker software?
In principle, an application can be submitted by typing data directly into each lender's intermediary portal, but the broker is still required by FCA rules to keep an evidenced fact-find, suitability assessment, and case file. In practice a broker writing more than a handful of cases a year uses a CRM and sourcing system because the manual approach cannot meet the FCA's record-keeping requirements at scale and is uncompetitive on speed.
