Scroll down to see this year’s awards categories and click to download your MFG AWARDS_ENTRY FORM. Entries must be submitted by the new extended deadline of 12 November 2021!

Categories include innovation, community service, corporate social responsibility, customer service, best use of arrears management, best use of technology, best anti-fraud service as well as legal and conveyancing categories, best loan servicer and best surveyor. From an individual perspective there is the Leadership Award for a stalwart within the industry who is at the forefront of business; the Individual Achievement Award for anyone within the sector who goes beyond the call of duty; and the Lifetime Achievement Award for someone who has had an outstanding career.

Lenders – The MFG Awards are open to all lenders – large, medium and small – and the categories are divided into smaller and larger lenders at the judging stage. Traditional banks and building societies are welcome and we would also like to hear from specialist lenders, including equity release, buy-to-let, second charge, new lenders, challenger banks and any other niche player.

Non-lenders – But you don’t have to be a mortgage lender to enter. The awards are also open to non-lenders, which can be any company involved in the mortgage sector. So this could be mortgage intermediaries, law firms, conveyancers, surveyors, IT companies, fintechs, insurance companies and other suppliers.

Criteria – One single nomination cannot be entered into more than one category. So for example, if you have innovative technology, then choose to enter either the Innovation Award or The Best Use of Technology – not both. The criteria for each award are explained below. The awards will be assessed by a panel of independent judges from within the industry.

Product provider awards – In addition to the nominated section there are also awards for the best lenders in various categories – banks, building societies, online providers, buy-to-let, equity release and intermediary lenders – but you do not enter these yourselves. These awards will be based on detailed statistics from financial research company Defaqto.

CATEGORIES

See below a list of the categories for the 2022 Mortgage Finance Gazette Awards. Click to download your MFG AWARDS_ENTRY FORM, where you can submit your entries.

If you have any queries, please contact [email protected].

Mortgage Product Innovation

The Mortgage Product Innovation Award is for product design and development of a mortgage that is innovative and fills a gap in the market. With the changing demographic in today’s society, mortgages have to keep pace with evolving consumer requirements.

Product Innovation can cover any part of the mortgage sector including residential, first-time buyer, shared ownership, help to buy, guarantor, new build, buy-to-let, holiday lets, self-employed and contractor, part and part, flexible, offset, specialist, near prime, non-conforming, complex income and professional. The exclusions here are later life lending and self build, which have their own categories.

Later Life Lending Innovation

This category covers any type of later life lending such as equity release and mortgages into retirement including RIOs. It could be a single product or range of products.

Best Self Build Lender

This category is specifically aimed at the self build and custom build sectors. Our Product Provider awards are independently verified by Defaqto, which does not compile statistics on self build mortgages so instead we have a nominated category for the financing of self build homes. The government has an objective for self build and custom build to account for 30% of new housing in England and has launched schemes such as Right to Build.

The nomination could be about one product or it could about the whole package you offer to borrowers. Does the product have any innovative criteria, how flexible is it, do you allow a range of construction methods, are the rates and fees competitive? Or perhaps you offer borrowers more than just a mortgage –such as advice on house building, raising awareness of self build, access to suppliers and so on.

Innovation Award

Innovation can relate to almost anything that is new to the market over the past year – except mortgage products as we have a separate category for that. The Innovation Award can relate to delivery channels, improving business efficiency or processes, enhancing customer relationships, developing ways of working with and managing people. These are just examples but the judges will be looking for something that is cutting edge, something that makes a difference to the way you work or the way customers interact, for example. Nominations can be sent in by lenders and non-lenders and can also be a collaboration between, for example, a lender and a supplier.

Best Use of Technology

Entries are invited from lenders, non-lenders, suppliers or a mix of lenders and suppliers. This award covers the whole spectrum of IT within mortgage finance. It could be a joint nomination from a lender and a technology provider who have worked well together. Or perhaps a supplier has been successful with a number of lenders because of its systems. The judges will be looking for evidence of a positive outcome through the use of technology, such as business growth, improved customer service, more efficient processes.

Customer Service/Treating Customers Fairly

Good customer service and treating customers fairly are interlinked. Customer service can cover many aspects of how an organisation interacts with the people it does business with. This could be innovative ways of working with customers, how you enhance the level of customer satisfaction, how your products and service levels meet customer expectations or you could just explain how you live and breathe your TCF policy.

Community Services

This award recognises work in the voluntary sector, to which many financial services organisations are committed. Your entry could refer to one really worthwhile project or a campaign or a selection of wonderful things. Criteria to consider could include staff involvement and voluntary activities, community spirit, financial contributions and fundraising.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Corporate Social Responsibility Award is different to the Community Services Award as it goes further than charitable and community involvement. What the judges will be looking for is how you run your business to produce an overall positive impact on society. You can choose one particular aspect of your CSR programme or describe different aspects of it. This can cover social policies, ethical concerns, education and training, the impact your business has on the environment such as reducing your carbon footprint and energy saving initiatives and how you work with and treat your customers, business partners, staff and other stakeholders.

Best Debt and Arrears Management Strategy

Since the global financial crisis lenders have been showing forbearance to enable borrowers to stay in their homes but now there is the dilemma of coronavirus and an unprecedented number of payment holidays being granted by lenders. If you have a good arrears management/forbearance strategy that’s helping people, then why not share your success. This could be a joint entry from a lender and supplier, such as debt management companies, mortgage servicers and law firms, or a single entry.

Best Anti-Fraud Service

Financial organisations invest heavily in trying to combat fraud. Entries could cover mortgage fraud, conveyancing fraud, valuation fraud, phishing or ID fraud or any other type of financial fraud where organisations have put in measures to detect and reduce fraud or stamp it out. Again this could be a joint nomination between lender and supplier or separate entries.

Best Law Firm

All lenders need legal advice so this category is aimed at law firms that work in partnership and offer excellent service to their lender clients. This can be for any aspect of legal work from litigation and regulation through to arrears and repossessions, remortgage work, title defects, securitisation and mortgage book sales, professional negligence and fraud.

Best Conveyancing Firm

Conveyancing is a vital part of the home buying process so tell us what sets you apart from your competitors. This could be customer experience strategy, online case tracking, good communication, robust training, vigilance against cybercrime and identity theft. Whether you are online or on the high street, it doesn’t matter just so long as you do a good job.

Best Surveying Firm

This was a new category last year and is open to any surveying firm. The award covers both valuations for mortgage purposes and all types of surveys from home reports to full building surveys. The submission could be based on the surveying firm’s relationship with lenders, the quality of surveys, case tracking, reducing post valuation queries for lender clients, customer communication, training programmes and technology.

Best Loan Servicer

This is the second year we have included this award and is aimed at those firms that carry out mortgage servicing for lenders and firms that have acquired mortgage portfolios. To enter this award you must be a mortgage servicer and demonstrate why you are good at what you do. This could include examples of your risk management framework, investment in technology, training, arrears management strategy, a robust process for setting up new loans, boarding new mortgage books, MI reporting, customer service and communication with borrowers.

Individual Achievement

This award is open to anyone, irrespective of where they are employed in the hierarchy, who has succeeded in their work or career in difficult circumstances or undertaken an individual challenge or challenges that are out of the ordinary. In the past, it has been won by people who work tirelessly for their local community through fundraising or giving of their time to helping others or have been brave in the face of adversity. There are individuals out there who truly do some amazing things, so why not nominate a colleague who has gone beyond the call of duty.

Leadership

This is in recognition of diplomatic and spokesman skills which have reflected well on the industry generally, as well as on the recipient’s own organisation. It also incorporates leadership qualities where the nominee can focus their organisation on its corporate goals and direct the management team and business effectively.

Lifetime Achievement

The title of this award speaks for itself. It is for someone who has excelled in their work and the mortgage industry for many years, who is perhaps retiring. Last year the judges decided to award this to two people – both very different but equally deserving.

Best Product Provider Categories 

Please note, these categories are not available to enter.

Best Overall Lender Best National Building Society Best Regional Building Society Best Local Building Society Best National Bank Best Intermediary Lender Best Online Lender Best Buy-to-Let Lender Best Lifetime Mortgage Lender

Entry form

The Mortgage Finance Gazette Awards are free to enter. All you have to do is complete the form below explaining why you believe you or your firm should win the category/ies you are entering and email the word document as an attachment to [email protected].

A one-page appendix may also be submitted (if you wish) for photos, press coverage, testimonials etc.

Download your entry form: MFG AWARDS_ENTRY FORM

If you have any queries, please email [email protected].