How to choose a mortgage adviser

You have found your perfect house. But now you need a mortgage, which can be a daunting task. There are many options to choose from and things to consider. Fixing the mortgage interest rate for example and for how long? Using the service of a mortgage adviser will alleviate you from these tasks and help you with finding the mortgage that suits your circumstances best. It is important to have sharpest interest rate and the best terms and conditions that fit in your situation best. But how do you choose a mortgage adviser? And what should you pay attention to?

What do mortgage brokers do?

A&H Finance is a mortgage broker, which means our financial advisers have expert knowledge in financial advice, mortgages (and insurances). A mortgage broker finds the best suitable mortgage for your personal circumstances. This means that we find the best mortgage and also negotiate on your behalf with mortgage providers, advice you in the process and connect you with the necessary parties that make the financing of your house possible.

Tied or independent?

There is an important distinction between tied and independent mortgage advisers. Tied advisers are for example part of a bank and can therefore only offer you products of the organization (the bank) which with they are affiliated with. Independent brokers have the freedom to recommend mortgages from any lender and thus can compare many different products and see what mortgage suits you best. A&H Finance belongs to the latter category. We can compare over 30 mortgage providers in the Netherlands, both large systematic banks like ING, ABN-AMRO and RABO, but also smaller mortgage providers. An important note here is that some independent mortgage brokers can only compare a handful of mortgage providers. You can always ask this or read the service document of the company where you can check how many lenders the broker can compare.

Fees

All mortgage advisers are paid on the basis of a fee. This can be an hourly rate or fixed fee. Most of the time the height of the fee depend on your situation: whether you buy a house for the first time, are moving to a new house or want to remortgage for example. As said before, A&H Finance can compare many different lenders. By looking further than just your own bank, you can save a lot of time and money. For example, the long-run mortgage interest rate of banks can deviate considerably from a pension fund or insurer. And besides, our rates are very competitive and our advice always includes insurances needed for the mortgage. Our mortgage advisers are happy to explain this personally during an introduction on the phone (020 – 465 19 51).

Comparing mortgage advisers

It is wise to compare different mortgage advisers by reading client reviews. There are comparison websites like Independer and Advieskeuze.nl where you can see what clients think of their adviser. Also, ask your friends, family and colleagues about their experience with getting help from a mortgage broker.

Furthermore, you should also check whether the mortgage broker is affiliated with relevant organizations and if they have the necessary licenses. Important organizations are: the Dutch Authority Financial Markets (AFM), the Complaint institute Financial Services (KiFiD) and the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA). In addition, if the adviser is actually an acknowledged financial adviser (Erkend Financieel Adviseur). Of course, A&H Finance is affiliated with all organizations that are relevant.

Additionally, every financial services provider has to provide a service document on their website. This is a standardized document that specifies what the adviser can do for you, how many lenders it can compare, what its fees are and how it arranges its aftercare. This is also a practical tool for you to compare different mortgage brokers with.

A&H Finance has been awarded with best mortgage advice in the Netherlands by comparison website Independer five times in a row. Hundreds of reviews of our clients are placed on that website, and they give us a 9 on average! But also on Advieskeuze.nl and Google our clients are very happy with our service. Our office lies in Diemen, but our service stretches countrywide, with a focus on urban areas like Amsterdam, Almere, Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht.

Do you want to know what your possibilities are? Call us on 020-465 1951 or request a callback. Experience the service of an independent mortgage broker!