Technology should do the paperwork; people should do the thinking

Whenever the lending industry introduces new technology, the same question inevitably follows.

“Will this replace the personal service brokers value?”

It’s a fair question. Specialist lending has always been built on relationships, conversations and experience. Brokers don’t bring us complex cases because they want another online form to complete — they come to us because they need experienced people who understand complexity and are prepared to find solutions.

That isn’t changing.

In fact, I believe technology will make those relationships even more valuable.

The greatest benefit of digitisation isn’t that computers become better at specialist lending. It’s that they become better at handling the routine tasks that don’t require specialist expertise in the first place.

Uploading documents. Verifying information. Tracking case progress. Managing administration. Processing straightforward applications. These are exactly the kinds of tasks technology should simplify, freeing up time for people to do what people do best.

For brokers, automating those tasks means spending more time advising clients, spotting opportunities and helping customers navigate more complex transactions.

For lenders, it means underwriters can focus their experience where it adds the greatest value: understanding unusual circumstances, assessing more complicated cases and finding ways to lend where automated decisions simply can’t.

Technology shouldn’t replace judgement; it should create more time for judgement

We’ve already seen this happen across financial services. Digital identity checks, automated and desktop valuations, electronic documentation and smarter underwriting have all removed unnecessary friction from the lending journey without removing the expertise behind every lending decision.

The next step is bringing those efficiencies together in a more connected digital experience for brokers.

At United Trust Bank, that’s exactly the thinking behind our continued investment in technology.

Digital where it makes sense; personal where it matters

Our new bridging portal is designed to make submitting and managing cases simpler, faster and more transparent, but it doesn’t change what specialist lending is really about.

To put it simply: when you want to upload a document, use the portal. When you want to discuss a case, pick up the phone.

Technology should take care of administration so people can focus on conversations.

That’s where brokers add value for their customers, and where experienced underwriters add value for brokers.

Those conversations aren’t becoming less important — they’re becoming more important, because technology taking the routine work out of the process to allow for better focus.

Looking ahead, it’s likely that digitisation will also create opportunities to automate elements of the underwriting process for more straightforward cases. That’s not about replacing underwriters — it’s about allowing technology to assess routine applications quickly and consistently so experienced people can dedicate more time to the cases that genuinely require specialist thinking.

That’s good news for brokers, because simple cases can move more quickly while complex cases receive the attention they deserve.

It’s good for customers too, because they benefit from both greater efficiency and better-informed lending decisions. And it’s good for lenders, because our expertise is focused where it adds the greatest value.

As a member of the executive committee of the Open Property Data Association (OPDA), I’m encouraged by the wider direction of travel across our industry.

Better property data, connected systems and common standards have the potential to remove duplication, reduce delays and improve the experience for everyone involved in a property transaction.

Technology isn’t replacing specialist lending. It’s allowing specialist lending to become even more specialist.

The more routine work technology can handle, the more time brokers and lenders will have to do what they’ve always done best — build relationships, solve problems and help customers achieve their property ambitions.

That’s the future of specialist lending, and it’s one we should embrace.