High street banking giant Santander has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to mortgage brokers and their clients by renewing a set of key promises for the coming year.
Santander's Three Core Promises for 2026
The lender has formally renewed its Broker Pledges for 2026, centring on three main guarantees for the intermediary market. Firstly, the bank promises there will be no dual pricing, ensuring brokers and direct customers are offered the same mortgage rates. Secondly, it commits to giving at least 24 hours' notice before withdrawing any mortgage products from the market. Thirdly, Santander vows to continue making improvements to its product transfer process for a further twelve months.
In a significant addition for the new year, a fourth pledge has been introduced. The bank states that its intermediary partners will benefit from access to underwriters whenever they need it, aiming to streamline the application process.
Building on a Year of Change
These pledges were first launched in February 2025 as a demonstration of Santander's dedication to the broker channel. David Morris, Head of Homes at Santander UK, commented on the progress made since the initial launch. "Last year we pledged to do more to better support our intermediary partners, and feedback has shown that brokers have felt and seen the difference in how we've operated over the past twelve months," he said.
The tangible results are evident in the bank's activity. Since the pledges began, Santander has completed more than 30 product relaunches, each adhering to the 24-hour notice rule and none featuring dual-priced products.
Enhancing the Product Transfer Experience
Substantial work has also gone into refining the product transfer journey for existing customers. Enhancements now allow brokers to view transfer rates on sourcing systems to create illustrations faster and to accept these rates on their clients' behalf.
Furthermore, the bank's 'Switch Now' initiative enables clients to move to a lower rate up to four months early without incurring an Early Repayment Charge (ERC). Customers can also make overpayments within the product transfer window, again with no ERC. Brokers can access all their clients' mortgage details, including product end dates, via the Santander Introducer Internet.
"Our changes have made a tangible difference," added Mr Morris, highlighting that more than 10,000 customers have already benefited from switching early to a lower rate. "Today we are restating our commitment to supporting brokers and their clients for the next 12 months with our renewed, and refreshed, Broker Pledges."
