Online research has overtaken recommendations from friends and family as the way that most people would find a mortgage broker, new research by Pepper Money has revealed.

As part of its ‘Adverse Credit Study’ in association with YouGov, the specialist lender found that the majority (57%) of people said they would use online research to find a broker.

Just 37% of respondents said that they would rely on recommendations from friends and family.

When the research was last carried out in Autumn 2020, 55% of respondents said they would choose a broker on the basis of recommendations, just ahead of online research. However, the number of respondents who said they would seek the advice of a broker has fallen from 66%, to 44% in the most recent study.

Pepper Money sales director, Paul Adams, said: “The message from this research to brokers is clear. Get online. Make sure your website accurately reflects your services, your values, and communicates who you are able to help.

“Make use of social channels to extend your reach and target one review site, encouraging your customers to leave positive reviews. More and more customers are conducting research online before speaking to a broker and the more that brokers can enhance their digital presence, the better the chance that more customers will understand the benefits of professional advice.”

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