Britain’s biggest building society is shaking up who steers its broker ties and partner deals, with ripple effects across mortgages and cover.
Nationwide has named Damian Thompson to run mortgage intermediary and partnership strategy, a move the society says takes effect on Wednesday and spans all customer touchpoints handled via brokers and third‑party partners.
What changes from Wednesday
The leadership shift covers the entire intermediary channel used by Nationwide and The Mortgage Works (TMW), plus third‑party arrangements for home insurance, protection and investments. Thompson will report to Group Director of Mortgages, Henry Jordan, and will take charge of relationships that reach millions of members through brokers and partner brands.
From Wednesday, Nationwide puts a single director in charge of broker relationships and key partnerships across mortgages and home insurance.
No pricing moves or product withdrawals were flagged alongside the announcement. The change centres on accountability, service and delivery across the network that places most Nationwide mortgages and underpins its home insurance scheme underwritten by Aviva.
Who is taking the wheel
Thompson steps up after leading landlord strategy at TMW since early 2023. He has worked across specialist lending and intermediary distribution, giving him a front‑row view of what brokers seek: clear criteria, fast decisions, and dependable service levels. He succeeds long‑time distribution lead Ian Andrew, who guided Nationwide and TMW’s intermediary team for 18 years. Jordan welcomed the appointment, citing deep experience across mutual and mortgage sectors.
Why this matters to borrowers and savers
Most UK mortgages now originate through brokers, not branches. That means the person setting policy for intermediary relationships wields significant influence over how quickly cases move, how criteria evolve, and how lenders respond in a fast‑changing market. Nationwide serves about 16 million members, so even modest tweaks to broker processes or partnership journeys can touch a vast customer base.
- Faster broker case handling can cut days off application timelines.
- Clearer lending criteria reduce failed applications and reworks.
- Aligned partner systems improve claims and policy changes for home insurance.
- Consistent messaging helps customers compare fixed and tracker options with confidence.
What brokers are watching
Service levels and underwriting pace
Brokers will track turnaround times on document checks, valuation bookings and final offers. They also watch how quickly policy exceptions get escalated. A tighter grip here can lift Nationwide’s share of complex cases without raising risk.
Lending criteria and product clarity
Criteria shifts cascade through broker advice. Landlord affordability, green incentives, and treatment of variable income sit high on checklists. Thompson’s TMW background suggests attention to buy‑to‑let nuances, portfolio landlords and energy‑efficiency upgrades.
Communication during rate moves
Rate cycles turn fast. Advisors want early notice of deadlines, pipeline rules and product transfers. Clean cut‑offs reduce customer anxiety and avoid last‑minute scrambles.
Home insurance and other partnerships
Nationwide’s household cover is underwritten by Aviva. That division falls under the same leadership umbrella from Wednesday. Customers should see tighter alignment between mortgage completions, policy inception and mid‑term adjustments, especially where a mortgage condition requires buildings insurance on exchange.
Mortgage completions, buildings cover and partner systems sit on one dashboard, aiming to cut gaps and duplication for customers.
Protection and investment tie‑ups also sit in scope, meaning better hand‑offs when brokers discuss income protection or ISA transfers alongside a remortgage.
What this could mean for your next mortgage
There is no new pricing today. But leadership priorities often feed through to the front line within weeks. Watch for changes that affect workflow rather than headline rates:
| Area | What to expect | When |
|---|---|---|
| Broker submissions | Clearer packaging guidance and fewer repeat document requests | Staggered through Q4 |
| Underwriting | Sharper rules on income verification and landlord stress tests | As policy notes update |
| Rate change comms | Earlier pipeline alerts and firmer deadlines for product switches | During the next rate cycle |
| Home insurance | Smoother setup at exchange and better claims hand‑offs with Aviva | Progressively from Wednesday |
Practical steps for customers
If you are mid‑application, keep your broker close and respond quickly to any document requests. If you are months from a remortgage, set calendar reminders for six months and three months before your fixed rate ends. If you hold Nationwide home insurance, review your rebuild cost figure and make sure your sums insured match current prices and materials.
- Check your mortgage offer expiry date and pipeline rules.
- Ask your broker for current turnaround times for valuations.
- If buying to let, verify rent coverage ratios and stress rates.
- For buildings cover, line up the start date with exchange of contracts.
Signals to watch in the coming weeks
Brokers will report if case ages fall, if exception approvals speed up, and if fewer cases stall on minor packaging points. Customers will notice fewer interruptions, clearer updates in the app and more certainty around rate locks. The wider mortgage market may remain volatile, but smoother execution can save money through fewer delays and re‑valuations.
Who’s who and the chain of command
Thompson now leads all intermediary and partnership functions at Nationwide Group and reports to Henry Jordan, Group Director of Mortgages. The baton passes after nearly two decades of leadership by Ian Andrew, whose tenure built one of the sector’s most established distribution teams. The structure aims to keep broker experience consistent across Nationwide and TMW while tightening links to partner providers.
If you are a landlord with TMW
Portfolio checks, EPC upgrades and remortgage timing remain central. Expect a continued push for robust affordability and better data capture on rental voids and maintenance. Speed matters for landlords facing product expiries and re‑pricing risk. Coordinated leadership may reduce friction on documentation for multiple properties and improve policy clarity for limited company structures.
Extra context for readers weighing their options
Intermediary lending rewards clean files. Assemble three months of payslips, bank statements, and ID documents early. For self‑employed applicants, prepare full accounts and SA302s. A tidy pack moves faster and lowers the chance of further information requests. On insurance, revisit your home’s rebuild cost after renovations. Under‑insurance can bite at claim time due to average clauses.
Thinking about timing? If your current fix ends within six months, ask a broker to model two scenarios: a switch now to lock today’s rate, or a later switch if market pricing softens. Check any early repayment charge and weigh it against potential savings. Small timing differences can add up, particularly on larger balances.
Will this actually shorten underwriting timelines or just reshuffle the org chart? I’m mid‑application—will repeat document requests drop from Q4 as promised? Also, any update on TMW landlord stress rates and variable income tretament?