The mutual says its ‘inviting difference in’  broker portal, developed with fintech MQube,  uses AI and machine learning to process over 20,000 data points in real time to give faster residential home loan decisions. 

It adds that the tool automates the entire underwriting process, automatically validating documents and affordability, and only requesting additional information when it’s needed. 

“The result is fewer bottlenecks, fewer delays, and decisions delivered in minutes instead of weeks,” says the building society. 

The mutual says it began working on the system last year with MQube, and started testing it with broker L&C at the end of 2024 and across the first half of this year. 

It adds that almost 500 brokers have signed up to the system, in addition to L&C brokers. 

Over a third of applications made on the platform are approved at first underwrite, says the mutual. 

It intends to add its buy-to-let, foreign national applications and other propositions to the platform “as part of the ongoing phased integration”. 

Nottingham Building Society chief executive Sue Hayes says: “We have spent the last two years building and upgrading a lot of our technology.

“Our partnership with MQube, however, has been less than 12 months and is transformational for us.

“The IDI — ‘inviting difference in’ broker portal — will also enable us to move into markets, to use different data sources, and to be able to offer a mortgage to people who would find it very difficult to get one at all.”

MQube chief executive Stuart Cheetham adds the move will see brokers and borrowers “benefit from faster decisions and a simpler, more certain mortgage journey”.