The Mortgage Finance Gazette (MFG) Rated for Service rankings return for the fourth year running, in collaboration with The Openwork Partnership and Mortgage Strategy.
Recognising exceptional performance in 2025, these are the only annual rankings that celebrate service in the UK mortgage lending industry. Mortgage brokers are called on to provide invaluable feedback through the survey — highlighting both achievements and areas that require improvement — to ultimately lead to better client outcomes.
Since the rankings were launched, the industry has experienced testing periods of volatility — from Covid and the Truss/Kwarteng ‘Mini- Budget’, to a cost-of-living crisis. The sector has had much to endure, and this is all the more reason to celebrate those that have overcome adversity to provide excellent service.
Paul ShearmanThe Openwork Partnership proposition director Paul Shearman explains why the MFG Rated for Service rankings are so important in this market.
“We closely engage with our advisers and get their feedback all the time,” he says.
“However, the real strength of this survey is that you get a much broader, industry view — not just from our advisers but from other networks like HLP, MAB, Primis, Quilter, Stonebridge, etcetera, as well as smaller directly authorised firms and those that use the bigger clubs.”
Brokers sometimes reference individuals who have really delivered, and this feedback is incredibly well received
The number of advisers completing the survey has increased steadily year on year, as has the depth of feedback given. As Shearman explains, brokers know that their feedback will be directly relayed to lenders.
“That is one of the main reasons brokers hold Rated for Service in such regard.”
David BoothThe Openwork Partnership mortgage proposition manager David Booth is keen to emphasise that the rationale behind the survey is about promoting positive change, not about finger pointing.
“MFG Rated for Service has never been and will never be about lender bashing.
We work in partnership with lenders. Our qualitative and quantitative feedback helps them identify areas where they are strongest and also areas they can improve.”
Booth acknowledges that, at the inception of Rated for Service, lenders were wary that the survey might be used to name and shame. But that has never been the case.
And as Shearman elaborates: “Lenders look forward to seeing the latest set of results. If they see that their ‘strategic focus’ score is not as good as those of some other lenders, they can look at what they can do to improve it.
“And it is important to remember the value of positive feedback.
For instance, with sales support and BDMs, brokers sometimes reference individuals who have really delivered, and this feedback is incredibly well received.”
As the industry evolves, we structure the survey to factor in changes, whether that be AI or digital development
What makes Rated for Service different, Booth points out, is the information available to lenders on their dashboard.
“While lenders do conduct their own surveys, they don’t have benchmarks. With the MFG dashboard they can drill down into the data and say, ‘Where do we sit against the benchmark?’ and, ‘In what areas are we ahead of or behind our peers?’”
What of this year’s rankings, then? What can we expect?
“Last year, tech was the lowest-scoring area, and from our conversations with lenders over the past 12 months it feels like many players have made significant steps forward,” says Shearman.
“A number of lenders have really delivered and it will be interesting to see if that is reflected in the scores.”
Lenders can drill down into the data and say, ‘Where do we sit against the benchmark?’ and, ‘In what areas are we ahead of or behind our peers?
Booth adds: “MFG Rated for Service is not singlehandedly going to drive innovation and improved product offerings and service levels, but it plays a part. And, as the industry evolves, we structure the survey to factor in changes, whether that be AI or digital development, and how that impacts on advisers now and in the future.”
MFG Rated for Service is based on a comprehensive annual survey that tracks brokers’ assessments of lenders’ levels of service over the previous 12 months.
Lenders are appraised across five key assessment areas within three peer groups, categorised as mainstream, specialist and buy-to-let. Your voice counts and your experiences matter.
The survey takes just 15 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Participants have the chance to win one of four £250 John Lewis vouchers. Prize-draw T&Cs and the survey can be found on the Mortgage Finance Gazette and Mortgage Strategy websites.
The real strength of this survey is that you get a much broader, industry view, and brokers know that their feedback will be directly relayed to lenders
If you are a lender or network, we strongly encourage you to prompt your brokers to give us their views, to ensure they are represented.
We will be happy to provide any marketing assets to assist with this.
Please contact indigo.marketing @emap.com for further information and promotional assets.
Click here to complete the survey.
The survey closes on Tuesday 13 January 2026.The results will be published in Mortgage Finance Gazette and Mortgage Strategy in March 2026.
Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by finopulse.
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