Which kind of mortgage broker should I choose for my buy-to-let?

A landlord asks our property experts if they’re missing out on better deals by not paying a fee. Plus, advice on how indemnity policies work

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Friday January 23 2026, 12.00pm GMT, The Sunday TimesShareSave

I use a mortgage broker who doesn’t charge me a fee — they get their commission from the lender. But I’ve been looking at other brokers who do charge client fees, often £500 to £800. I’m struggling to see the value they can provide to justify that amount when commission-only brokers seem to have the same market access. What are your thoughts on whether fee-charging brokers are worth the money?
Mussa, London

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As you’ve rightly said, the most important thing when it comes to a mortgage broker is full market access. A broker who’s tied to a certain lender or panel won’t be able to tell you about the full range of products, which is obviously bad news for you.

Once that box is ticked, we’d next look at their experience of working with investors rather than home buyers. Buy-to-let mortgages come with a completely different set of considerations and this requires familiarity with the criteria of a different segment of the market. If you’re going into a specialist area like multi-lets, or have unusual circumstances like being an expat, we’d look for brokers with experience in that area too.

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At that point you can start thinking about the fees you get charged. In theory fee-charging brokers should be working on fewer cases at once because they’re earning more per transaction and can therefore make the same amount of money while focusing on fewer clients. This can — but won’t necessarily — mean a higher quality of service.

A less volume-focused broker may be able to spend more time talking to you about your overall goals and future plans, package your case more carefully and speak to lenders pre-application to get a sense of their appetite if your situation doesn’t map neatly onto their criteria.

Of course, this doesn’t mean they will or that you need them to. The real test is whether they can demonstrate their value upfront: they should be able to give you examples of where they’ve used their expertise to improve their clients’ business or save them from a tricky situation.

But then again if your situation is pretty standard and you’re happy with the service your no-fee broker is providing, there’s no compelling need to switch. Provided they have full-market access, paying a fee won’t give you access to any “secret” products that will make you a saving.

Ultimately the main differentiator of a great broker is market knowledge. That won’t necessarily translate into cheaper rates but it can mean fewer nasty surprises, such as applications being declined, and being able to better understand factors like speed by knowing which lenders are backlogged. Given the size and importance of each transaction, that knowledge is well worth paying for — but if you’re getting that without paying then you’re onto a good thing.

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Rob Bence and Rob Dix

Will doing building works on our new house invalidate the indemnity policy?

My wife and I are in the process of buying a property that we plan to live in as our family home. During the legal process the sellers disclosed that they carried out works eight years ago for which they received planning approval but never had building control sign-off. The works include a loft conversion as well as a ground-floor rear extension. The works have been carried out to a high standard and the sellers are offering an indemnity policy to cover the risk and associated costs should there be enforcement action in future.

We want to conduct our own works, but the policy does not cover any risk that I create during the process. My solicitor has stated that enforcement action can be taken up to ten years after works are complete, so to avoid any risk we should wait another two years before making any further changes. Does this sound right to you, and do you think any future buyers will be put off by the lack of previous sign-off if there is an indemnity policy in place?
Des, London

Your solicitor is right that, under the Building Safety Act, a local authority’s main practical enforcement power is now limited to ten years from completion. That’s why indemnity policies are commonly used where building control sign-off is missing and the works are still within that window.

Before the ten-year point, starting new work can increase risk, as contact with the council can invalidate an indemnity policy and bring historic works to their attention.

Once the works are over ten years old, the position changes. The council’s realistic enforcement options are much more limited, and it’s very common for homeowners to go on to obtain building control approval for new works after this point without any issue arising from historic, longstanding alterations.

So it’s safest, as your solicitor said, to wait two years before doing any work that requires building control approval — which is annoying, but hopefully won’t affect your plans as long as you can live comfortably in the property in the meantime.

A bigger concern could be whether future buyers are put off — but if the original works are long established and new works are properly approved and documented, it’s highly unlikely that there will be any issue.

Rob Dix and Rob Bence present The Property Podcast and are co-founders of the property education platform Property Hub. Dix’s book Seven Myths About Money (Cornerstone £18.99) is available from timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Discount for Times+ members

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