Square 1 Media, the PR and marketing agency for the mortgage and financial services sector, has confirmed the successful delivery of its Mortgage Market Debate 2025, held on Wednesday 21st May at RSA House, London.
The invite-only event brought together over 120 professionals from across the mortgage, housing and finance sectors for a 90-minute panel discussion under Chatham House Rules, chaired by Victoria Hartley, client services director at Square 1 Media.
This year’s session was entitled, ‘Modernising Home Buying and Selling – Data, Digitalisation and Leasehold Reform’, with a lively and thought-provoking conversation led by a panel of high-profile industry figures, such asL Leigh Church, head of BM Solutions at Lloyds Banking Group, John Baguley, principal – mortgage policy at UK Finance, Sebastian Murphy, group director at JLM Mortgages, Esther Morley, managing director at Premiss Consultancy and Paul Albone, non-executive director at Open Property Data Association (OPDA).
Discussions explored the practical hurdles to digitising the home buying process, the role of smart data and interoperability, and the wider need for Government-backed frameworks to support data sharing.
While the session respected Chatham House Rules, there was a clear consensus on the importance of collaboration, tackling legacy system issues, and aligning consumer expectations with regulatory and technological change.
The debate also touched on the FCA’s recent review of mortgage advice and the pressing need to simplify and streamline key parts of the transaction journey, including conveyancing.
The event was once again sponsored by CLSQ, a leader in geospatial property data and digital underwriting, which supports over a quarter of all UK loan originations.
Additional support came from Woodhurst, a consultancy helping financial services organisations to create and enhance digital solutions.
Paul Hunt, managing director at Square 1 Media, said: “The debate has grown into an essential forum for open and honest discussion on some of the most complex challenges facing our industry.
“From reforming leaseholds to improving data flow across the buying process, the insights shared by our panellists and audience highlighted just how much collaboration is already under way.
“I genuinely don’t think there’s another agency in the country that could bring together such an influential group and deliver a discussion as focused and worthwhile as this.”
He added: “At Square 1, we’re proud to help create the space for these conversations to happen as we believe honest, informed discussion is vital.
“Events like the Mortgage Market Debate give people a chance to say what they really think, to challenge ideas, test assumptions and look ahead. Our aim is to host more of these.
“As an agency that is immersed in this market, working alongside our clients, we are here to help drive activity and to ensure businesses continue to deliver strong positive messages, gain increased profile, and benefit from a heightened, ongoing presence in their chosen space.”
Hunt concluded: “If we’re not already working with you, then we hope that the value of events like the Mortgage Market Debate, and the results we are achieving for our client roster, show the value of that kind of partnership.
“We’d be delighted to talk to all businesses about what we can offer and how we can deliver in these areas.”
Spencer Wyer, strategic development director at CLSQ, said: “The Mortgage Market Debate continues to strike the right balance between ambition and realism.
“The mortgage process will only move forward if data, technology and policy are aligned, and events like this are vital to making that happen.
“We were pleased to support another strong and thoughtful discussion, thanks to Square 1 Media’s clear ambition to drive the conversation forward.”
