Afin Bank has launched a new partnership with Nivo to implement its technology solution to handle all broker interactions.

Nivo’s technology offering will allow Afin Bank’s brokers to spend less time gathering data and documents by unifying all communications through one preferred channel when the lender fully launches later this year.

Afin Bank is a new firm created to help people from Africa and other foreign national communities living in the UK to get mortgages.

The bank received its banking licence in October last year and is backed by African reinsurer, WAICA Re, which has committed £62m to setting up the firm. It will offer a range of residential and buy-to-let mortgages this year, alongside FSCS protected savings accounts.

Afin Bank warned that borrowers from Africa and other diaspora communities living in the UK can struggle to get mortgages from mainstream lenders because of issues such as their visa status or lack of UK credit history.

The group said the Nivo solution, however, can ensure clarity throughout the application process to help underserved customers overcome the barriers they might face trying to secure a mortgage.

Afin Bank’s chief commercial officer, Alan Davison, commented: “This partnership with Nivo highlights Afin Bank’s commitment to brokers and underserved borrowers. We’re building a lender from the ground up and that means selecting the best technology to support them.

“Nivo’s messaging-first platform means brokers don’t have to learn a new system and it fits neatly with how they already work. It’s fast, intuitive and removes the pain points of traditional portals that make brokers bristle.”

Nivo founder, Matthew Elliott, added: “Brokers don’t want to juggle multiple logins, learn new interfaces, or be forced into using rigid workflows. Email persists because it’s the path of least resistance, but with Nivo, brokers get the best of both worlds; a seamless, structured messaging experience that feels as simple as email but without the inefficiencies.

“Using Nivo’s verified identity messaging service, further speed, clarity, certainty and security are afforded to Afin Bank’s customer base.”

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