Cumberland Building Society has announced the launch of a new portal designed to streamline the mortgage process for intermediaries.
The portal, in collaboration with cloud-based mortgage system Mast, is aimed at offering a total mortgage journey from initial enquiry to application submission and completion.
Grant Seaton, head of intermediary lending at the society, says the partnership will reduce the time spent on administration for brokers, and will automate administrative tasks such as document uploads, so that they can spend time advising their clients, not dealing with paperwork.
“The ability to reduce the time spent on administration is crucial for brokers navigating today’s market,” he said.
“This follows the successful launch of our affordability calculator, which has already made a significant impact in speeding up the mortgage process. We believe the portal will continue to improve broker interactions with us, ultimately helping them deliver faster, more accurate advice to their clients,” he added.
Mast also works with Melton Building Society.
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Joy Abisaab, CEO of Mast, said she is “delighted” by the collaboration.
She said: “Mast’s platform is built to drive efficiency in mortgage origination, and we believe this platform will transform how brokers interact with The Cumberland.
“Our shared vision of leveraging technology to enhance the broker and client experience is at the heart of this partnership, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this platform will have on intermediaries across the mortgage space.”
Gateway reappointed as panel manager
Gateway Surveyors has been reappointed as panel manager for Cumberland Building Society.
The Derby-based firm, part of business support and regulation provider Simplybiz, has been working with the mutual as its panel manager since 2021.
Rachael Cross, head of underwriting at Cumberland Building Society, says the values and work ethic of the two businesses are “perfectly aligned”.
She said: “We are committed to providing our members with the best possible services, enabling them to confidently build their futures. All of our partnerships are built around this principle, which is why we chose to continue our collaboration with Gateway.”
Pete Hughes, chief executive of Gateway, said the reappointment “is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, as well as the strong relationship we have developed with our clients”.
“Gateway Surveyors has built a strong legacy of delivering market-leading panel management services, and we take pride in our reputation for offering innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients, as well as our ability to swiftly adapt to changing circumstances,” he added.
Simplybiz said the reappointment of Gateway was “the latest in a series of existing business partnerships the firm, which is part of regulation, tech, and business support provider Simplybiz, has extended during 2024”.
