The week after a mortgage offer arrives, and what to do

2 days ago
3 min read

Introduction

The offer comes through and, from the broker's point of view, the job is essentially done. The case is placed, the commission is safe, and attention moves to the next application. From the client's point of view almost nothing has happened yet — they still do not own a house.

That gap is where brokers lose the goodwill they spent weeks building. The client has an offer they do not fully understand, a solicitor they have never met, an expiry date nobody has mentioned, and several weeks of silence ahead of them. All four are easy to fix.

1. The week after a mortgage offer arrives needs an explanation, not a forward

Sending the offer with no covering note is a missed opportunity. Write four lines with it.

Explain what the offer actually says

Rate, term, monthly payment, product end date, early repayment charges, any conditions. Clients read the number and miss everything that will matter later. Highlight the end date especially.

Say what is a condition and what is not

Retentions, further documents, a valuation condition. An unread condition is what delays a completion. List them separately.

2. Point out the expiry date early

This is the detail that causes genuine problems. Almost nobody mentions it.

Say when the offer expires and what that means

Offers do not last forever, and a slow chain can run past one. A client who knows the date will chase their solicitor without being asked. Put it in writing.

Explain what happens if it does expire

Whether it can be extended, re-offered, or has to be re-applied for. Knowing there is a route removes the panic. Say you would handle it.

3. Explain who does what next

Clients genuinely do not know how the pieces fit. Nobody has ever explained it to them.

Set out the roles

Broker, lender, solicitor, estate agent, surveyor. One short paragraph on who is responsible for what saves you a dozen misdirected phone calls. Include the names where you can.

Say what will now be asked of them

Searches, enquiries, signing documents, transferring the deposit. Warning people about the deposit transfer in particular avoids a very stressful final week. Mention the timing and the amount.

4. Deal with protection while they are listening

This is the right moment for a reason, not merely a commercial one. The need is real and immediate.

The risk has just changed

They are about to take on a substantial debt. Reviewing life cover, income protection and buildings insurance is genuinely relevant now rather than later. Offer the review.

Buildings insurance is usually required at exchange

Say so in advance. Discovering it on the day is a scramble and often produces a poor purchase.

5. Stay present until completion

Silence is what makes clients feel abandoned. Presence costs almost nothing.

Set a check-in rhythm

A short message every week or two, even when nothing has changed. It is the cheapest goodwill available.

Diarise the product end date at the same time

Record it now, while the file is open. That single field is what makes the next remortgage yours rather than somebody else's.

Conclusion

To a broker the offer is the finish; to the client almost nothing has happened yet, and the silence that follows is where goodwill drains away. Send the offer with an explanation covering rate, term, payment, product end date, early repayment charges and any conditions.

Flag the expiry date explicitly and say what happens if a slow chain runs past it, because a client who knows the date will chase without being prompted. Set out who does what — broker, lender, solicitor, agent — and warn them about the deposit transfer. Review protection while the risk is live and buildings cover before exchange. Then check in every week or two, and diarise the product end date now.