Mortgage strategy is delighted to introduce the Future of Mortgages Challenge 2026 — which will form a core part of MS Next Gen mentees programme over the coming months.

The MS Next Gen 2026 cohort of 30 mentees will be divided into teams and asked to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our industry today:

How do we attract, develop and retain the next generation of talent in the mortgage sector?

This isn’t a theoretical exercise but a real, live industry challenge affecting advisers, lenders, networks, technology providers and distributors alike.

The mentees will work together in cross-functional teams and will; explore the root causes behind the industry’s talent gap; combine different perspectives and expertise; and develop a practical, scalable solution that could genuinely move the industry forward

They will be collaborating with peers from across disciplines — advisers, lenders, marketers, technologists and operational professionals — just as in a real-world innovation environment.

At the end of the ideas phase, a judging panel of industry experts from AMI, WIM and Mortgage Strategy will select the two strongest proposals.

Those teams will present their ideas live on stage at Mortgage Innovation & Technology Live 2026 conference on 13 October in central London.  The teams will present in front of 250+ senior leaders, decision-makers and influencers.

Who knows, these ideas may find industry partners to help bring them to life.

So why does Future of Mortgages Challenge 2026 matter? Mortgage Strategy commercial director James Prosser explains:

“The future of our industry won’t be shaped by today’s leaders alone. It will be shaped by people on programmes like this — future innovators, influencers and leaders.”

Talking of the future, anyone interested in joining the MS Next Gen cohort for 2027 can find out more here.