AToM is a Specialist Mortgage Packager & Distributor

Those who know AToM will be aware that, in addition to arranging mortgages for the general public, we are also a specialist mortgage packager/distributor.  We look after and arrange mortgages for other mortgage brokers, estate agents and independent financial advisers nationally.  In fact, our database now reaches almost 9,000 financial intermediaries.

For some lenders, AToM acts as their administration arm, collating information, instructing valuation and processing applications right up to the issue of the mortgage offer. For other lenders, AToM is often allocated a tranche of funds to distribute for them and AToM advertises and controls the administration process.  It could be that the lender requires AToM to pilot schemes and iron out any potential system issues before the products are opened to the general mass mortgage market.  Alternatively to just use our experience and extensive market knowledge to highlight product gaps in the market which the lender can then explore further, if the funding is available!

Any mortgage broker, independent financial adviser or similar, who require these particular offerings, will often have to come via AToM to gain access to such products. The benefit to the lender is that AToM carry out all the work, including taking telephone calls, requesting information from employers/accountants, collating documentation, and more. So potentially it can be cost effective for the lender.

These can be specialist lenders and not normally household names.  But this also works to your advantage when requiring someone to think 'outside the box' or needing a lender who adopts a more individual approach to each case.

Most high street lenders credit score applications based upon the amount of credit you have, whether you are on the electoral role and your recent payment profile. If the computer says ‘no’, you will tend to find the usual high street lenders doors will be shut to you. Even your own bank, with whom you’ve been a loyal customer to for many years, may report back that you have a low credit score and the computer says “no”.  Consequently, they will not offer you a mortgage and there’s no arguing with their systems and technology which has, in effect,  made the decisions! 

This is a dramatically increasing scenario.

However, the emergence is with the smaller lenders who will manually assess and carry out a  manual credit search. A human being who makes the decision based on the merits of the application and has the ability to agree (or decline) based on non standard criteria or circumstances.  Don't give up just because someone says 'no' to your initial enquiries, there might be other options out there.