The Nottingham has announced that anyone applying for its mortgages will no longer have a “hard” footprint left on their credit file at the application and Decision in Principle (DIP) stage.

As part of an ongoing commitment to evolving its mortgage proposition, the lender has introduced soft searches, via Experian, at the start of the mortgage process.

The move means a broker can apply for a DIP on behalf of their client knowing that it won’t impact a credit rating until it is converted into a full mortgage application (FMA).

At the FMA stage, The Nottingham said it would then focus on factors such as a customer’s income, financial circumstances, if mortgage payments are affordable now or in the future, as well as look more at credit history, as part of its policy of responsible lending.

“The introduction of soft credit searches at application stage is really positive for brokers and their clients,” said head of mortgage product, Christie Cook. “A strong driver for me to come to The Nottingham was hearing about its dedication to reinventing how it does mortgages and this is another great example of that.

“What’s fantastic is that all this is just the start of an exciting year where there will be more initiatives and products announced, all which slot nicely into our ethos of listening to feedback from, and being built around, brokers.

“Most importantly of all the aim is to continue helping people put roofs over their heads - something The Nottingham has been proud to do for over 170 years and that I’m extremely proud to be part of now, too.”

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