UK, 19 August 2019: The amount of people searching for a mortgage who meet the qualifying criteria for every deal on the market is as low as 3.5%, according to new analysis from Experian.
One in five (22%) of those using pre-qualification websites to find a mortgage meet the initial qualifying criteria for every lender on the market. But this figure falls to just 3.5% once their affordability for their desired loan is considered with an eligibility check.
The way consumers shop for financial products has transformed in recent years, with Experian’s services powering many of the price comparison websites people use to find the best deal for their circumstances.
Pre-qualification solutions help streamline this process by matching customers to deals they are most likely to be eligible for. Experian continues to grow the panel of lenders which appear on pre-qualification websites, helping the lenders to connect with people who are likely to become customers and enabling them to offer an improved customer experience.
On average, lenders decline a third of customers (33%) as they don’t meet their full lending criteria. By checking a potential customer’s eligiblity at the beginning of the journey, this unwanted outcome can be avoided.
In addition, more than one in four people searching for a mortgage find they are eligible for a mortgage with at least one lender but will not be able to borrow their desired amount. The analysis shows 27% are eligible for a mortgage but only for a reduced amount to meet the lender’s affordability requirements. The figure rises to 31% for those looking to re-mortgage with additional borrowing requirements.
Lisa Fretwell, Managing Director of Data Services at Experian, said: “People don’t want to leave anything to chance when they’re trying to buy their dream home. Pre-qualification websites strengthen their position, signposting mortgages which they will find affordable and be accepted for, so they can get the loan they want.
“Mortgage lenders are using new services to increase their acceptance rates. Pre-qualification connects them with people who are eligible to borrow from them, while Open Banking services allow them to quickly understand someone’s income and outgoings.
“We are working with more mortgage lenders who want to leverage pre-qualification and Open Banking technology to find eligible new borrowers and give customers the best possible service.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Analysis carried out on customer figures from the three main aggregator channels of HD Decisions, a part of Experian, in June and July 2019.
Media contact:
Robert Goodman, PR Manager Corporate & B2B, Experian UK&I
Tel: 07989 398948 / Email: Robert.goodman@Experian.com
Weber Shandwick for Experian
Tel: 020 7861 0762 / Email: experian@webershandwick.com
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