Mortgage Insider

AI is playing an increasingly important role in the mortgage and home buying journey; shaping how consumers, brokers and the wider industry engage with technology, where trust sits, and what comes next. Host Phil Spencer is joined by Dr. Carol McNaughton Nicholls, Managing Partner at Thinks Insight & Strategy and expert on human behaviour and financial decision making, and Chris Williams, Foun...

The Scotland housing market 2026 continues to stand apart and for any mortgage broker Scotland-based, understanding the Scottish property market is key. In this episode of Mortgage Insider, host Phil Spencer is joined by Colleen Badcock (Rightmove, Head of Partner Marketing and Property Expert) and Lynne Peterkin (First Mortgage, Managing Director, Scotland) to explore what it really takes to buy...

The 2026 housing market is shaping up to be a story of returning demand set against a continuing housing supply crisis, with new build homes at the centre of the challenge. In this episode of Mortgage Insider, host and property expert Phil Spencer is joined by Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation, and Craig Hall, Director of Strategic Partnerships at LSL Financial Servic...

There has been no shortage of change in the UK economy, and mortgage brokers are having to help potential and existing homeowners interpret fast-moving headlines, swap rate turbulence and the potential direction of Bank of England interest rates.  In this episode of Mortgage Insider, Phil Spencer is joined by Julian Lafarge, Chief Market Strategist at Barclays Private Bank, and Davi...

For many first-time buyers, the home buying process can feel confusing, full of jargon and hard to follow. And with affordability concerns and rate changes still shaping the UK housing market, securing a first-time buyer mortgage can feel more daunting than ever for all too many. In this episode of Mortgage Insider, Phil Spencer is joined by Louise Baxter MBE, co-CEO of Consumer Friend, and Kate F...

The home buying process remains slow and uncertain for all too many. On average, it now takes around 120 days to complete a property purchase in the UK, a sharp rise since 2007, and around one in three deals still falls through. The cost of failed property transactions runs into billions each year and creates stress for buyers, sellers and mortgage intermediaries alike. In this episode of the Mort...

Welcome to the award-winning Mortgage Insider - back for 2026. Property expert and TV presenter Phil Spencer MBE will once again guide you through the trials and tribulations of the housing world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For mortgage intermediaries, few periods have felt as complex or fast-moving as they are today. Keeping track of regulations, understanding the impact of AI, and managing rising client uncertainty in the current political climate are among the biggest challenges shaping the advice process. In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider podcast, host and property expert Phil Spencer is joined by...

Forecasting into 2026 is already being shaped by lingering economic uncertainty, shifting consumer trends and tighter consumer spending. With the labour market slowing, the unemployment rate edging up and the impact of AI changing early-career roles, these pressures are influencing confidence, demand and how homebuyers and homeowners plan their next steps. This special episode of the Mortgage Insi...

2024 saw a record number of fraud cases filed with the National Fraud Database. While mortgage fraud still represents a small proportion of overall UK fraud, there is a reported 5% increase in the number of mortgage fraud cases involving false application. In the latest instalment of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host and property expert Phil Spencer is joined by Mike Haley, CEO of CIFAS,...

Figures from the National House-Building Council saw Q1 2025 register a 36% increase in new homes built across the UK compared with the same period last year, representing a striking development for the first-time buyer market. But with the higher cost of building, ongoing planning challenges and new and changing regulations, how sustainable is this growth? And what does it mean for brokers? In th...

What do the most expensive parts of the country reveal about shifting demand? And why is the Manchester housing market now outperforming many southern counterparts? In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, to explore how regional trends...

A rising number of borrowers are finding it harder to access mortgages due to being credit challenged - whether that’s from historic debts, a county court judgment, or having little to no credit history. Research indicates that 14.8 million people in the UK have experienced adverse credit at some point, with 8.4 million affected in the past three years alone. For any mortgage broker, this gr...

The mortgage market continues to evolve, and so too does the answer to the question: what is a high net worth individual in today’s market? In this episode of the Mortgage Insider podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Stephen Moroukian, Head of Product and Proposition for Real Estate Financing at Barclays Private Bank, and Islay Robinson, founder and CEO of Enness Global. Together, they ex...

An estimated 1.8 million fixed rate mortgage deals are due to expire in 2025, 400,000 more than in 2024. This surge in remortgaging presents a critical opportunity for mortgage brokers to offer essential advice and financial support to homeowners across the UK, ensuring they transition smoothly to new deals amid stabilising interest rates and heightened affordability checks.   In this episode...

A recent report from Barclays revealed that right-sizing – when homeowners move to a more suitably sized property – could potentially free up 3.8 million homes and tackle the issue of 10 million unused bedrooms across the UK. By supporting last-time buyers to make the move and release equity, this shift could help in unlocking the housing market and creating greater levels of movement...

Who are Gen Z, and why are they rewriting the financial advice rulebook? In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host and property expert Phil Spencer is joined by two industry thought leaders to explore how Gen Z navigates financial education through the digital world, their engagement with Finfluencers, and how brokers can use social media platforms to build trust and extend th...

For many first-time buyers, the homeownership dream feels increasingly out of reach, with rising house prices and affordability challenges making it harder than ever to step onto the property ladder. As a result, gifted deposits from family - often referred to as the ‘Bank of Mum & Dad’ - have become a crucial source of support. But what about those who don’t have parental he...

Ever wondered how Phil met Kirsty or what he really thinks about the UK housing market? In this special episode of the Mortgage Insider Podcast, Phil Spencer takes the hot seat as Barclays Business Development Manager Claire MacPhail flips the script and puts him under the spotlight. Phil tackles your burning questions from across the intermediary market, covering topics such as tips for first-tim...

The Mortgage Mum is a business that has achieved impressive growth by embracing open dialogue, fostering an inclusive culture, leveraging flexible working, and adopting an innovative social media approach. In this episode of the Mortgage Insider Podcast, Sarah Tucker, founder and CEO of The Mortgage Mum, joins host and property expert Phil Spencer to share her inspiring journey from competing on T...

The performance of the UK housing market in 2024 has largely exceeded many people's expectations, although challenges remain for first-time buyers due to house prices increasing and a testing rental market for many. Regional disparities, such as the North-South divide, also continue to influence housing accessibility and affordability for many buyers in pockets of the country. In this episode of t...

Allyship is a vital component in advancing diversity and inclusion efforts, as it involves using our privilege to support underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals and those within the neurodiversity spectrum. By actively participating in DEI initiatives and mentoring, allies help normalise conversations around representation while providing guidance and opportunities for marginalised...

With a new Labour government in place, an autumn budget and the US election fast approaching, the old suspects of inflation and tax rises still generating much debate, there’s plenty to discuss from an economic standpoint.  To help break down this complex economic landscape and explore its implications for the intermediary mortgage market, by popular demand, Will Hobbs, Head of Multi-Asset Wealth...

During a cost of living crisis, the additional expense of life insurance, critical illness, income protection and even protecting a mortgage may seem like an unnecessary burden for homeowners. However, this protection is arguably more crucial than ever. According to ONS figures, 2.5 million people in the UK are unable to work due to long-term illness, and Cancer Research data indicates that half o...

Machine learning in finance, the adoption of AI and technology regulation are all hot topics in their own right. Then throw into the mix the potential of automated mortgage advice and what an AI mortgage broker may look like and it's little wonder that intermediary firms across the UK are considering how the role of a broker may change as the AI revolution continues to gather pace.  So, what exact...