Another Fantastic Event: TMB Summer Event 2026

Held on 18 June 2026 at The Cambridge Belfry, Cambourne, Cambridge.
Written By Sam Kirtikar

At The Mortgage Broker our mortgage & protection advisers support customers across the UK, from the South Coast to Scotland. That national reach is a real strength but it also comes with its challenges. Remote and hybrid working is now the norm, and this always makes it more difficult to galvanise team spirit and strong working culture and a close knit team. Fortunately, we have a fantastic team, and these events play a really important part, not only for crucial industry and criteria knowledge, but bringing the TMB team together.

Our TMB Summer Event on 18 June 2026 was designed to do exactly that and what a fantastic event it was. Thank you to Katy Crinnion and Jodi Spreadbury for their efforts in bringing it together. Thank you to Co-op for Intermediaries and Coventry for Intermediaries who were our headline sponsor for the event.

The day brought our UK wide team together with lender and protection partners for a full day of learning, collaboration, company updates and practical market insight. It was not just about regulatory CPD which we have to do for our continued professional development, but more about staying closer to the market our customers are living in and learning further solutions to support their every day challenges.

Mortgage customers are still facing a fast moving landscape and unpredictability. Rates, affordability, lender criteria, income assessment, buy-to-let rules, protection needs and property types can all change how a case is reviewed and for our advisers, staying informed is not optional. It is part of delivering clear, careful and relevant guidance to every set of bespoke circumstances our customers are facing.

The TMB Summer Event gave our advisers time with lenders, protection specialists and each other – though sadly pictures from the Karaoke in the evening have not made the gallery. This really matters though, because good guidance and real advice is built on real knowledge, strong working relationships and a culture of continuous learning from each other.

"Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them."— Steve Jobs

What happened on the day?

The event was held in the College Suite at The Cambridge Belfry in Cambourne, Cambridge.

The agenda was structured around three clear parts:

• Our adviser team came together from across the UK for a full day of learning and development.
• The morning focused on company strategy, year-to-date performance, future technology, innovation, later life lending, and protection.
• The afternoon moved into an expo-style lender roadshow, giving advisers direct access to lender and protection partner updates.
• Sessions covered purchase, remortgage, buy to let, specialist residential, later life lending and protection.
• The day reinforced why lender relationships are so important in an ever-changing mortgage market.

The day opened with Sam’s presentation covering the direction of the business, performance so far this year and the next phase of TMB’s technology and innovation plans.

Steven Seal, our strategic adviser, spoke about the experience and perspective he brings to the business. Paul Smith presented on Later Life Lending, an area where customer needs must be handled carefully and with the right level of expertise. The Mortgage Broker are now part of the Equity Release Council.

Matthew Cotter also presented on protection, including the new protection presenter and the importance of making protection part of the wider customer conversation.

Why lender learning matters in today’s mortgage market and why relationships are so important.

A customer might see a rate online, play with a mortgage calculator or looking at their banking app… but the rates being seen are only one part of the picture and the mortgage market and the solutions it has to offer can be very difficult to read from the outside.

We have a wide selection of Lenders and they don’t all look at affordability, income type, credit history, property type, deposit, loan size, rental income, background commitments and the reason for borrowing – all in the same way. Then you throw in self-employed customers, limited company directors, portfolio landlords and customers with more complex income and you quickly understand that lender criteria can make a significant difference depending on the circumstances.

That is why direct lender engagement is so valuable and when our advisers speak directly with business development managers, national account managers and specialist lender teams, they can better understand what is changing, where criteria may be more flexible and what lenders are focusing on in practice.

This does not guarantee any mortgage outcome but it certainly helps understand the picture and allows for sensible and focused understanding, rather than a simple digital decision. Every case is assessed on its own facts and against lender criteria of course, but it does help our advisers stay informed, ask better questions and guide customers through the process with more clarity.

Lender and protection partner highlights

The afternoon created a strong roadshow environment. Advisers could move between lender stands, ask questions, discuss criteria and learn directly from the people supporting brokers in the field.

Co-op for Intermediaries and Coventry for Intermediaries

Co-op for Intermediaries and Coventry for Intermediaries were our headline sponsor for the event.

A special thank you goes to our headline sponsors, Co-op for Intermediaries and Coventry for Intermediaries, for supporting the TMB Summer Event 2026. Their session gave our advisers a valuable update on how both brands are operating, the differences between the two propositions.

Co-op for Intermediaries brought useful insight across residential lending, including professional mortgage products and support for first-time buyers. Their professional mortgage range is designed for newly qualified applicants in approved professions, including accountants, actuaries, architects, barristers, chartered surveyors, dentists, medical doctors, optometrists, pharmacists, solicitors and veterinarians. Co-op also promotes support for first-time buyers, including mortgage options up to 95% loan-to-value and extended family gifted deposit options, subject to criteria.

Where this can help: This can be relevant for customers early in a professional career, first-time buyers with family deposit support, and residential borrowers where a mainstream lender with clear intermediary criteria may be suitable to review.

Coventry offers a wide range of residential and buy-to-let mortgage products through intermediaries, with criteria covering income, affordability, interest-only, lending into retirement, self-employed applicants, buy to let and residential lending.

Where this can help: Coventry can be useful to discuss where customers need a strong mainstream lender route, including residential purchases, remortgages, buy to let, interest-only considerations and cases where affordability and criteria need to be checked carefully before submission

Video caption: Jodi Spreadbury interview with Mark Wheatley, our Business Development Manager at Coventry for Intermediaries.

Foundation Home Loans

Foundation Home Loans joined us at the event to talk through specialist lending across buy to let and residential mortgages.

Keith Jones, National Account Manager, and Ginny English, our Regional Account Manager, supported the session. The focus was on specialist mortgage areas where customer circumstances may not always fit a standard high street lender route. Foundation’s buy-to-let range includes product guides for landlords, while its wider intermediary proposition supports brokers with specialist guidance and criteria support.

Where this can help: Foundation can be relevant for landlords, specialist buy-to-let cases, residential customers with more detailed circumstances, and cases where income, property type or background profile needs more specialist lender consideration.

Paragon Bank

Paragon joined us to discuss the buy-to-let market and how landlords continue to need clear, informed support.

Sam Debenham, our Regional Manager for Paragon, spoke about Paragon’s position in buy to let and the way more bespoke cases may be reviewed. This was valuable for advisers working with landlords whose circumstances do not always fit a simple route. Paragon also has a Tailored route for larger or more complex buy-to-let applications that may sit outside standard criteria, giving brokers a clearer path for cases that need more individual review.

Where this can help: Paragon can be relevant for professional landlords, portfolio landlords, limited company buy to let, larger buy-to-let cases and more complex landlord structures where the case needs more than a basic rental stress calculation.

Video caption:  Clare Peckham interview with Sam Debenham from Paragon. 

Learn more about buy to let mortgages

OSB Group, Precise and Rely

OSB Group were represented by Jonathan Mann, Key Relationship Manager, and Kate Welland, Business Development Manager.

The discussion covered Precise, which focuses on specialist residential lending, and Rely, the buy-to-let brand supporting landlords across a range of buy-to-let needs.

Where this can help: This was a strong session for advisers dealing with cases involving self-employed income, adverse credit history, complex circumstances and buy-to-let structures.

Specialist lending is not about forcing a case through. It is about understanding criteria clearly, gathering the right information and knowing which lenders may be willing to assess certain customer circumstances.

Video caption: Kevin Blount interviewing Kate Welland, our BDM from Kent Reliance for Intermediaries & Precise Mortgages. 

Guardian

Protection is a key part of a responsible mortgage conversation and for any clients in general. Guardian joined us for a protection session with Joanna Connaughton. Their protection proposition includes life cover, critical illness cover, combined life and critical illness cover, income protection and more cost conscious Essentials options. Guardian has also expanded its Essentials range with lower cost critical illness options, giving advisers more flexibility when discussing customer priorities and budget.

Where this can help: Guardian can be relevant where customers are taking on or reviewing a mortgage and need to consider how their household would manage if death, serious illness or long-term sickness affected income. Protection is personal, so it should always be discussed based on the customer’s own circumstances, budget and existing cover.

Video caption: Matthew Cotter had a quick 30 seconds with Joanna from Guardian. 

Chorley Building Society

Chorley Building Society were represented by Shane Dye,  Senior Business Development Manager.

Building society relationships are valuable because they often bring a different lens to the market. For some cases, the discussion is not only about price and it is also about criteria, service, property type and how a lender assesses the detail of an application.

Chorley Building Society brought the value of manual underwriting and direct underwriter access into the conversation. Their intermediary criteria highlights a common sense approach, individual manual underwriting and flexibility to support more detailed customer requirements. Chorley also offers self-build mortgage options through its intermediary range.

Where this can help: Chorley can be relevant where a case benefits from individual review rather than a purely automated decision. That may include certain property types, self-build enquiries, or customers whose circumstances need a more hands-on underwriting conversation.

Video caption: Katy Crinnion was joined by Shane for a quick fire few questions. 

Kensington Mortgages

Kensington Mortgages were represented by Nick George, BDM.

Kensington Mortgages are well known in the specialist residential market. Their lending criteria covers areas such as self-employed applicants, contractors, credit history, CCJs, defaults, debt management plans, bankruptcy history, interest-only, shared ownership, Right to Buy, Own New and lending beyond age 70, subject to criteria.

Where this can help: Kensington can be relevant for customers with real life income, self employed or contractor income, historic credit issues, shared ownership, new-build routes and other cases where a more specialist residential lender may need to assess the detail.

Landbay

Landbay were represented by Simone Ferreira, BDM.

Landbay brought a strong buy-to-let focus. Their intermediary proposition covers standard buy to let, houses in multiple occupation, multi-unit freehold blocks, limited company buy to let, trading companies, limited liability partnerships and first-time landlords. Landbay also promotes tools such as its criteria assessment tool and buy-to-let calculator to support broker conversations.

Where this can help: Landbay can be relevant for landlords buying or remortgaging rental property, including limited company landlords, portfolio landlords, first-time landlords, HMO and multi-unit property cases.

Video caption: Leanne Sergeant interview with Simone Ferreira from Landbay. 

Metro Bank

Metro Bank were represented by the forever positive, Joel Hopwood, Business Development Manager.

Their intermediary criteria covers a broad range of areas, including residential, buy to let, self-employed income, professional mortgages, interest-only, second homes, large loans, shared ownership, let to buy, credit history and property type. Metro also has a residential large loan range for loans exceeding £1 million.

Where this can help: Metro can be relevant for residential borrowers, professional applicants, large loan customers, buy-to-let customers and cases where income, property or credit background needs to be checked carefully against lender criteria.

Video caption: Rob McCraw, right the way down from Edinburgh has a few moments with Joel Hopwood from Metro Bank. 

Together

Together were represented by Katie Wilshire Garrett.

Together add specialist property finance insight and through their intermediary range they offer bridging loans, regulated bridging finance, second charge options and specialist lending routes. Their bridging proposition can support areas such as auction purchases, chain breaks, downsizing and time sensitive property transactions, subject to criteria.

Where this can help: Together can be relevant where customers or investors need specialist property finance, bridging, second charge lending, commercial or semi-commercial considerations, or a route that does not sit neatly within a standard residential mortgage application.

The Mortgage Lender and Bluestone

Nicola Clarke represented The Mortgage Lender and Bluestone Mortgages.

The Mortgage Lender, also known as TML, focuses on real life lending across residential and buy to let. Their residential range is designed for customers whose circumstances may not be completely standard, while their buy-to-let proposition includes lending of large loans per lending and customer, with no set cap on portfolio size, subject to criteria.

Where this can help: TML can be relevant for self-employed customers, customers with credit blips, residential borrowers with more detailed circumstances, landlords, portfolio landlords and buy-to-let borrowers where loan size or portfolio structure needs careful review.

Bluestone Mortgages ooffer a specialist residential insight, particularly around complex credit and income. Their product ranges shows residential credit categories and criteria around defaults, debt management plans, CCJs and different credit tiers. Bluestone also promotes a specialist approach for customers with credit problems, self-employed income, contractor income and more complex situations.

Where this can help: Bluestone can be relevant for customers with historic credit issues, self-employed or contractor income, debt management history, defaults, CCJs or other real-life circumstances that need specialist residential underwriting.

Video caption: Craig Leigh asked Nicola Clarke, a few quick fire questions. 

West One

West One were represented by Kayleigh Tuvey, Regional Account Manager.

Offering second charge mortgages, buy-to-let second charges, bridging, residential, buy to let and commercial mortgage products West One are specialist. Their second charge range includes residential and buy-to-let second charges, flexible affordability, interest-only second charges, AVM options on eligible cases and consideration for a wide range of legal loan purposes, subject to criteria.

Where this can help:  West One can be relevant where customers need to explore specialist lending, second charge borrowing, buy-to-let second charges, bridging finance, residential specialist lending or capital raising where a full remortgage may not be the only route to review.

Video caption: Sarah Mascot interview with Kayleigh Tuvey from West One. Add interviewer name before publishing.

The points above are not mortgage advice and do not guarantee an outcome for anyone, but they do show the type of lender insight our advisers discussed on the day, and why these relationships matter when customer circumstances are not always straightforward – equipping us with the tools we need to help our UK Wide Customers.

What this means for our customers

Customers do not need to know every lender policy or criteria change, that is why we are here. However, customers do need to know that their adviser is informed, supported and connected to the wider market. Events like the TMB Summer Event help us do that and this day helped our advisers stay closer to lender appetite,  product areas, criteria conversations and protection developments. It also helped the team share what they are seeing with real customers across the UK.

That matters whether you are:

• Buying your first home.
• Moving home.
• Remortgaging.
• Reviewing a buy-to-let mortgage.
• Looking at portfolio landlord options.
• Self-employed or a limited company director.
• Exploring specialist lending because your case is more detailed.
• Thinking about protection alongside your mortgage.

No two customers are the same. That is why we keep learning, keep asking questions and keep working closely with lender and protection partners.

Thank you to Jodi Spreadbury and Katy Crinnion for organising and running the event, to every lender and protection partner who joined us, and to the TMB team for making the day such a success.

Another fantastic event, and a valuable day for our people, our partners and the customers we support across the UK.

FAQs

Why does The Mortgage Broker run Lender events?

We run lender events to keep our advisers informed about criteria, product areas, service updates and market changes. This helps our advisers give clearer guidance to customers, without relying only on published criteria or generic information.

What areas did the TMB Summer Event cover?

The event covered company strategy, technology, innovation, later life lending, protection, purchase, remortgage, buy to let, specialist residential lending and lender criteria updates.

Does meeting lenders mean a customer will be accepted?

No. Every mortgage application is assessed by the lender against its own criteria. Direct lender engagement helps our advisers stay informed, but it does not guarantee an outcome.

Can The Mortgage Broker help with more complex mortgage cases?

Yes, our advisers regularly support customers with a wide range of circumstances, including self-employed income, limited company directors, landlords, remortgage customers and customers who may need specialist lender consideration. The right route depends on the detail of the case.