Command to ChatGPT: “Write a brief overview of the current UK mortgage market.”
Only kidding. I won’t do myself out of a job just yet. However, if the latest global tech development were to sum up the market right now, I imagine cautious optimism would be the gist of it.
The judges really struggled to choose a winner in many categories
After many months of negative rhetoric, it’s refreshing to see some positive financial results from firms, and hear commentators speculate that we’ve been through the worst of it in terms of slow buyer demand and house price drops.
Albeit a drop in house prices is what many are holding out for, particularly first-time buyers who seem damned unless they can raise (or borrow) a significant deposit. Even the mooted return of Help to Buy is not the promised answer as the industry believes this will further inflate house prices.
Good luck, Gary. It won’t be the same without you!
But back to the positive and in April we completed the final round of interviews to determine the winners of this year’s Mortgage Strategy Awards.
The level of passion and commitment to the mortgage market was truly inspiring and, while I say this each year, it is always true: the standard of entries was at an all-time high and the judges really struggled to choose a winner in many categories, wanting to recognise the efforts of everyone on the shortlist, who made it through an exceptionally tough year in 2022 to be ranked one of the best businesses in the market.
All will be revealed in a few short weeks at Grosvenor House Hotel in London, so make sure you have your space secured for the best night of the year!
It’s refreshing to see some positive financial results, and hear commentators speculate that we’ve been through the worst of it
On a sad note, this issue of the magazine is the last for deputy editor Gary Adams, who is leaving after five years with Mortgage Strategy for a role closer to home in Bournemouth.
I’m sure many will miss Gary’s humour, especially the internal team here at emap, but he may appear in the magazine again in another guise, if you keep your eyes peeled….
Good luck, Gary. It won’t be the same without you!
This article featured in the May 2023 edition of MS.
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