The new chair of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), Jonathan Stinton, has called on the mortgage industry to work collectively to support more people into homeownership.

Speaking at an IMLA event in London, Stinton acknowledged that recent geopolitical developments, including the conflict in the Middle East, had created fresh uncertainty around the outlook for interest rates.

Despite this, he emphasised the strength of the market and its ability to adapt, pointing to a strong recovery in lending activity since the turmoil that followed the Liz Truss mini-Budget in 2022 as evidence of that resilience.

Stinton noted that, gross mortgage lending climbed by 19% annually to £288bn last year, with house purchase lending up 18% and remortgaging up 20%, while buy-to-let lending remained broadly stable.

“These are not just figures, they represent families moving, landlords adjusting, buyers returning with confidence and advisers supporting them through uncertainty,” he said.

“We have seen demand rebalance, credit quality remains resilient and, critically, the fundamentals of homeownership in the UK remain as strong as ever.”

Stinton also reinforced the importance of collaboration across the market, particularly between lenders and intermediaries, noting IMLA’s role in ensuring the industry has a strong and united voice.

“As we look to the rest of 2026 and beyond, I genuinely believe this is a moment of opportunity,” he added.

“Let’s embrace technology with urgency and rigour, not fear. Let’s invest not only in innovation but in the security and ethics that underpin it. Let’s strengthen and galvanise our relationships with regulators. And let’s lead, not follow, in shaping how homeownership is financed in the UK.”

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