Choose a mortgage adviser who is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), properly qualified (usually to CeMAP standard), genuinely whole-of-market rather than tied to a small panel, and clear about fees in writing before you start. A mortgage is probably the biggest financial commitment you will ever make, so the person who arranges it should be someone you can check, question and trust. Below is a practical checklist you can use before you hand over a single detail, plus honest guidance on fees, red flags and the protections that sit behind regulated advice.
What does a mortgage adviser actually do?
A good adviser does far more than find a low rate. They assess what you can realistically afford, search lenders whose criteria fit your situation, handle the paperwork and the lender’s questions, and stay with you from the first conversation through to your mortgage offer and completion. That matters because the cheapest headline rate is worthless if the lender declines you, or if hidden fees make it more expensive overall. The right advice is about the whole deal, not just the number on the front of the brochure.
Is the firm FCA authorised, and how do I check?
Arranging residential mortgages and equity release is a regulated activity, so the firm must be authorised by the FCA. You can and should verify this yourself. Ask for the firm’s legal name and its Firm Reference Number (FRN), then search that number on the free FCA Financial Services Register. Searching by FRN is safer than by name, because firm names can look alike but each FRN is unique. Check that the firm holds permission for home finance and read any regulatory notices. If someone is vague about their FRN, treat that as a warning sign. Our companion guide explains what FCA registered means for you in more detail.
What qualifications should the adviser hold?
Look for CeMAP, the Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice. It is a Level 3 qualification awarded through the London Institute of Banking and Finance and is the recognised industry standard for mortgage advice in the UK. Passing it is what allows an adviser to practise as a regulated mortgage adviser. It is a fair question to ask directly: “What qualification do you hold?” A confident, qualified adviser will happily tell you. If you want the full picture, we set out what CeMAP qualified means in a separate guide.
Whole-of-market, or tied to a panel?
This is one of the most important distinctions. A whole-of-market adviser can search across the great majority of UK lenders, including smaller building societies and specialist lenders you cannot approach directly. A tied or restricted adviser only looks at one lender or a limited panel, which narrows your options and can mean you miss a better fit. Always ask plainly: “Are you whole-of-market, or tied to certain lenders?” The answer tells you a lot. We compare the two approaches in our guide to whole-of-market versus tied mortgage advice.
How much should you pay, and when?
Fees vary widely, so get them in writing before any work begins. In the UK in 2026, advisers who charge a client fee most commonly ask for between £500 and £700, with the market average around £640 for a purchase and roughly £623 for a remortgage (illustrative figures, as of July 2026). Others charge a percentage of the loan, and some charge you nothing at all because they are paid a procuration fee by the lender instead. None of these models is automatically better. What matters is that the fee is transparent, fair and, ideally, only payable once your mortgage actually goes ahead.
| Fee model | Typical cost (illustrative, July 2026) | When you usually pay |
|---|---|---|
| No client fee (lender commission only) | £0 to you; lender pays a procuration fee of roughly 0.35% to 0.5% of the loan | Nothing from you |
| Fixed advice fee | Commonly £500 to £700 (average around £640) | Often on mortgage offer or at completion |
| Percentage of the loan | Around 0.3% to 1% of the amount borrowed | Varies; agree the timing up front |
At Spolton Mortgages our advice is free until your mortgage offer is approved, and you will always know exactly what you will pay and when. You can read our full fees before you commit to anything.
Will you deal with the same named adviser throughout?
Some firms pass you between a call centre, a “case handler” and an administrator, so you repeat your story several times and no one owns your application. Ask whether you will work with the same named, qualified adviser from your first chat right through to completion. Continuity is not a luxury. When a lender raises a query or a chain wobbles, it helps enormously to have one person who already knows your circumstances and can act quickly. This is where a smaller, family-run firm often has the edge over a large national operation.
Does the adviser arrange protection too?
A mortgage and the protection around it belong together. If your adviser also arranges life cover, income protection and buildings insurance, the whole plan joins up and nothing falls through the gaps. It is sensible to ask whether they can advise on mortgage protection as well as the loan itself, so you are not left arranging cover separately and hoping it fits. Joined-up advice means the person who understands your mortgage also understands what would happen to those repayments if your income stopped.
How do you spot genuine reviews?
Reviews are useful only if they are real. Look for verified reviews on independent platforms such as VouchedFor or Google, where clients confirm they genuinely used the firm, rather than anonymous testimonials pasted onto a website. A long, steady track record of detailed reviews mentioning named advisers is far more reassuring than a handful of five-star lines with no substance. Read a few of the middling reviews too, not just the glowing ones, to see how the firm responds when something is not perfect.
What protection do you have if something goes wrong?
Using a regulated, FCA-authorised firm gives you real safeguards. If you are unhappy with the advice and cannot resolve it with the firm, you can refer the complaint free of charge to the Financial Ombudsman Service. And if an authorised firm fails, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) covers eligible mortgage advice claims. These protections are one of the strongest reasons to insist on a regulated adviser rather than an unregulated introducer, however friendly and cheap the latter may seem.
Does a local adviser really matter in Sleaford and Lincoln?
It can make a genuine difference. An adviser who knows Sleaford, Lincoln, Grantham, North Hykeham and the surrounding villages understands the local property mix, from period homes off Carre Street to new-build estates on the edge of the city, and knows which lenders tend to be comfortable with them. You can also sit across a table from a real person rather than a distant call centre. Whether you are a first-time buyer, remortgaging or self-employed, local knowledge combined with whole-of-market reach is a strong combination. As former bank managers, our team has seen the lending world from the inside.
Red flags to watch for
- Reluctance to share a Firm Reference Number, or being cagey about FCA authorisation.
- Fees that are unclear, or demanded in full before any work is done.
- Pressure to decide quickly, or claims that a deal is “guaranteed” before your application is even assessed.
- Access to only one lender or a tiny panel, presented as if it were the whole market.
- No named adviser, so you never know who is actually handling your case.
- Only anonymous testimonials, with no verified independent reviews.
Common questions
Do I need an adviser, or can I go straight to a lender?
You can approach a lender directly, but a bank can only offer its own products and its own criteria. A whole-of-market adviser searches many lenders, handles the application and can often find options a single lender could not, which is especially valuable if your circumstances are anything other than straightforward. If you are unsure which route suits you, our guide to choosing the right mortgage is a good place to start.
Is advice free?
It depends on the firm. Some charge a fee, some are paid only by lender commission, and some combine the two. At Spolton Mortgages our advice is free until your mortgage offer is approved, and any fee is always agreed in writing beforehand so there are no surprises.
How do I check an adviser is genuine before I share my details?
Ask for the firm’s legal name and Firm Reference Number, then look it up on the FCA Register before you share any personal or financial information. A legitimate firm will expect and welcome that check.
Talk to a Sleaford team you can check and trust
Spolton Mortgages is a family-run, whole-of-market, FCA-authorised firm of former bank managers on Carre Street in Sleaford, with qualified advisers and hundreds of verified reviews. You deal with a named adviser from the first chat to completion, the advice is jargon-free, and our service is free until your mortgage offer is approved. Read about us or book a free, no-obligation chat to see how we compare against this checklist.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
