With our next Headlinemoney Masterclass swiftly approaching, we hear from speaker Chris Hill, Senior Manager, Accord Sales, about the interesting ways the market is trying to help underserved borrowers and first-time buyers, and how borrower needs are changing and how this impacts the mortgage market. 

Can you give a quick overview of what your Masterclass session will cover?

My session will provide an overview of the makeup of mortgage pricing, along with a look at the market and the impact the economic landscape has on mortgages, as well as what this means for brokers and borrowers. This will also include a discussion on shifts in the mortgage landscape according to borrower need.

What are the challenges surrounding your topic journalists should help their readers understand? How will you be discussing this at the Masterclass?

The mortgage landscape is a changing picture, which can understandably cause uncertainty and worry for borrowers as well as confusion for journalists.  

We want to help people to understand what makes up a mortgage, as well as how and why things have changed over recent years in this space – and what the future might look like. We also want to look at the market, how borrower needs are changing and how this impacts the mortgage market. 

Any general tips for money writers covering your sector?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to lenders, mortgage clubs or brokers for wider background or understanding – we’re generally more than happy to help, or if we can’t in the first instance, we can usually point you in the direction of someone who can.

What would you like to change about how journalists cover your area?

There’s so much more to mortgages than rates going up or down; there’s some really interesting ways the market is trying to help underserved borrowers and first-time buyers that you don’t see all that much written about. For example, home loans linked to families, or common-sense lending can all offer real help to those wanting to get on the property ladder.

Tell us about the big stories in your sector in the past few months. Could these be rolling stories? 

• Support for first-time buyers – products in the sector such as our 5K deposit mortgage to help this squeezed group 
• Stamp duty changes – and what this might mean for the sector and for first-time buyers in particular 
• Proposed changes to affordability rules such as LTI limits and how this might help borrowers is also currently a very hot topic 
• The popularity of ‘green mortgages’ as a growing trend.

Finally, why is it important for journalists to have access to initiatives such as Headlinemoney Masterclasses?

It’s a great opportunity for journalists to be immersed in various elements of personal finance, to get important updates on the sector and to better understand mortgages and other topics that matter to their readers.  

The next Headlinemoney Masterclass will be held on Thursday 1 May 2025, featuring experts from three other financial services companies, giving succinct overviews of their sectors for financial journalists. Find out more and book a place.