At a recent L&G Ignite webinar session, we had the chance to speak with a group of advisers about the role technology plays in their businesses. It was a lively, honest discussion and one that underlined just how central tech has become to day-to-day advice.
To dig a little deeper, we ran a live poll during the session. The results? Telling, but not altogether surprising.
100% of attendees said that using the right technology is either ‘vital’ or ‘very important’ to their business, with a whopping 81% rating it as vital. That kind of consensus is rare, and it reinforces what many of us already know that tech is no longer just a back-office function, it’s the engine that powers modern advice.
We also asked which areas of the advice process tech supports most. Compliance and timesaving came out joint top (69.2%), followed closely by mortgage sourcing (65.4%) and improving accuracy by reducing rekeying (57.7%). Secure portals for document uploads and support for insurance sales were also cited as key benefits.
It’s clear that firms aren’t just looking for bells and whistles, they want technology that tackles the real pressure points. By that I mean admin, compliance, speed and service. But while the importance of tech is a given, what’s less certain is whether advisers truly feel their current systems are meeting those expectations.
That’s where the bigger questions come in.
Are your existing platforms helping or hindering your processes? Are they adaptable, intuitive, and integrated — or are they held together by workarounds and manual fixes? And perhaps most importantly, do they truly reflect the complexity of the mortgage market, and your specific business model?
Choosing the right technology partner isn’t just about software. It’s about finding a provider that understands the demands of modern advice, from regulatory change and customer expectations to market volatility and product complexity.
Advisers should feel empowered to ask challenging questions of tech providers, such as – what does the onboarding process look like? How often is the system updated? Can it scale with your business? And is there flexibility to configure workflows and integrations around how you work, not just how the platform was designed?
Tech partners that know the industry will welcome these conversations. They won’t offer one-size-fits-all solutions or try to wedge your firm into a generic process. Instead, they’ll talk about support, configurability, and how they can help you future-proof your business – whether through API integrations, automated workflows, embedded compliance checks or smarter sourcing tools.
Because the cost of working with the wrong systems are rarely obvious at first. It shows up in slower turnaround times, duplicated admin, missed opportunities and frustrated clients. Over time, these inefficiencies erode profitability, morale, and service standards.
On the flip side, the firms investing in the right systems are seeing a tangible return. Second charge brokers using real-time sourcing tools are reducing case time significantly.
Lenders in the bridging space are completing deals over 20 days faster thanks to end-to-end digital processes. And brokers embracing CRM-driven client engagement are winning on retention and repeat business.
So if you’re reassessing your tech, or know deep down that it’s time to, now’s the moment to be bold. Ask tough questions. Explore what’s out there. And don’t settle for ‘good enough’ when a solution that’s built around your advice process could unlock so much more.
Because the right technology doesn’t just support your business, it helps shapes it now and in the future.
Neal Jannels is managing director at One Mortgage System (OMS)
