Knowledge Bank saw a record month in April, with over 100,000 searches carried out for the first time this year.
‘Notify’, the lender-broker enquiry tool, also saw more use as brokers contacted lenders directly when search results didn’t give clear answers.
Searches for residential shared ownership rose again in April, almost breaking into the top 10 most searched categories.
Additionally, searches for expat consumer buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages also continued to climb.
Michael Craig, managing director at Brilliant Group, said: “We’ve certainly seen a clear rise in enquiries from our broker network regarding expat clients, which aligns with the ongoing increase in search activity around expat consumer buy-to-let mortgages, as highlighted above.
“The growing interest in this niche really emphasises the need for brokers to remain focused and adaptable to the evolving needs of both the expat segment and their wider client base.
“We believe it’s vital to stay ahead of changes in the market — not just in the expat space, but across the industry as a whole.”
Knowledge Bank data also revealed that searches for non-EU foreign national criteria dropped in April.
April was also busy for lenders, who added 166 new criteria to the platform and updated over 1,200 existing ones using their KB PRO accounts.
Shane Chawatama, sales director at Knowledge Bank, said: “The market is continuing to shape itself into a more specialist landscape.
“We’re seeing new lenders looking to join the platform with clear areas of focus and specialism. It’s more important than ever for brokers to build their knowledge and consider where they can carve out the best niche.
“The right expertise, supported by tools like Knowledge Bank and Notify, will be a major differentiator in the months ahead.”
