But the decision to move rarely comes down to one isolated problem.
From speaking to advisers who are considering their options, I’ve noticed something interesting: the reason someone starts looking at other networks isn’t always the reason they eventually decide to leave.
Sometimes one frustrating experience simply makes an adviser question whether their current network is still the right fit.
Here are seven reasons advisers reconsider their network arrangements, and what to think about before making a move.
1. The Support They Were Promised Doesn’t Match the Support They Receive
Almost every mortgage network talks about the quality of its support.
But there’s a difference between promising support during recruitment and delivering it when an adviser actually needs help.
For advisers managing busy pipelines, support isn’t just about having a telephone number or an email address.
It’s about getting answers, resolving problems and knowing someone is available when a case becomes complicated.
An adviser might have excellent lender access and competitive commission terms, but if getting a straightforward answer takes days, that can affect how efficiently their business operates.
What should advisers consider?
- How accessible are the people providing day-to-day support?
- Are queries dealt with promptly and consistently?
- Is specialist assistance available for more complicated cases?
- Does the network help resolve problems or simply direct advisers elsewhere?
A network’s support proposition should be judged by the experience advisers receive, not just the promises made during recruitment.
2. Compliance Has Become a One-Way Relationship
Compliance should be a relationship, not a department you only hear from when something has gone wrong.
For some mortgage advisers, their experience of compliance is largely reactive.
They submit a case, something gets flagged, and suddenly there’s a conversation about what they’ve done incorrectly.
But surely compliance should be about more than identifying mistakes?
Good compliance is there to protect advisers, their clients and their businesses. Not to catch people out.
That doesn’t mean avoiding difficult conversations or compromising regulatory standards. Quite the opposite.
It means building a mutual relationship where advisers feel comfortable asking questions, discussing concerns and seeking guidance before problems arise.
A good compliance relationship should involve:
- Open communication: Advisers should feel comfortable approaching compliance without worrying that every question will be treated as a problem.
- Mutual respect: Compliance teams and advisers should understand each other’s responsibilities and work towards the same outcome.
- Proactive guidance: Helping advisers get things right from the beginning, rather than only highlighting mistakes afterwards.
- Accessibility: Having knowledgeable people available when advice or clarification is needed.
- Constructive feedback: When something does go wrong, the focus should be on correcting it, understanding why it happened and preventing it from happening again.
Of course, compliance must remain independent, challenge poor practices and take appropriate action where necessary.
But that shouldn’t prevent a positive working relationship.
If the only time you hear from compliance is when you’ve done something wrong, is that really the support relationship your business needs?
At TRY Mortgage Network, we believe compliance should be an ongoing, two-way relationship built around communication, guidance and maintaining high standards.
Because the best compliance support doesn’t just identify problems.
It helps prevent them.
3. Their Business Has Outgrown the Network
The mortgage network that suited an adviser when they first became self-employed might not be the right fit several years later.
As advisers gain experience, their businesses can develop in different directions.
Some may want to recruit additional advisers. Others may begin encountering more complex lending requirements or opportunities outside their usual areas of expertise.
These might include:
- Specialist buy-to-let mortgages
- Bridging finance
- Commercial mortgages
- Development finance
- Second-charge lending
- Expanding into a multi-adviser brokerage
The question then becomes whether their existing network can support those ambitions.
And there’s another consideration that advisers shouldn’t overlook: what happens to their client relationships when specialist lending is involved?
If an adviser refers a client externally for a bridging loan or commercial mortgage, they should understand who will service that client and what happens to the ongoing relationship.
At TRY Mortgage Network, our internal specialist lending expertise, including The Deal Club, allows advisers to access support for cases outside their normal advice scope.
Where cases are handled by our specialist lending team, the originating adviser retains the client relationship, with the client passed back to them rather than being taken into a separate adviser client bank.
For advisers building a long-term business, protecting established client relationships can be just as important as accessing new lending opportunities.
4. Their Mortgage Network No Longer Represents Good Value
Commission splits naturally attract attention when advisers compare networks.
But the headline percentage doesn’t always tell the full story.
A network offering a higher commission split may initially appear more attractive, but advisers should consider what they’re receiving in return.
Are CRM and compliance support included in the network fee? Are there additional charges for technology, administration or other services? Is specialist lending support available when needed?
The highest commission split doesn’t automatically mean the best overall value.
A network should be judged on the complete proposition, not simply the percentage of commission an adviser retains.
Advisers should understand:
- Their commission and procuration-fee arrangements
- Monthly network fees and additional charges
- What services are included within those fees
- The quality and accessibility of compliance support
- Technology and CRM provision
- Opportunities to develop and grow their business
- Contractual commitments and potential exit costs
At TRY Mortgage Network, transparency around procuration fees, commission arrangements and network charges is an important part of our commercial approach.
Ultimately, the question isn’t simply how much a network charges.
It’s whether the adviser feels they’re receiving genuine value for what they pay.
5. Technology Is Creating More Work Instead of Less
Technology should make a mortgage adviser’s working day easier, not introduce more administration.
Yet some advisers still find themselves entering the same client information into different systems, switching between platforms or manually tracking the progress of applications.
As a business grows, these inefficiencies can become increasingly frustrating.
A mortgage CRM should do more than simply store client information. It should support the entire advice and application process.
Modern mortgage technology can offer features such as:
- Centralised client information: Keeping client details, documents and application records together rather than across disconnected systems.
- Reduced rekeying: Allowing information to be reused across compatible systems and stages of the mortgage process.
- Integrated sourcing: Connecting mortgage and protection research tools with the wider case management process.
- Automated workflows: Helping advisers manage routine tasks, reminders and case progression.
- Document management: Making it easier to collect, organise and retrieve supporting information.
- Case tracking and reporting: Providing better visibility of outstanding tasks, application progress and business activity.
These are examples of functionality available through modern mortgage CRM platforms, including One Mortgage System (OMS). The precise features and integrations available will depend on the system configuration and services provided.
But having access to technology is only part of the equation.
The real question is whether that technology works effectively for the adviser using it.
When comparing mortgage networks, advisers should consider whether the CRM is straightforward to use, how well it integrates with other systems, what training is provided and whether additional charges apply.
At TRY Mortgage Network, advisers have access to OMS CRM as part of our technology proposition, with CRM and compliance support included within the network fee.
Ultimately, advisers shouldn’t have to adapt their entire working day around inefficient technology.
Technology should support the way they work, not dictate it.
6. They No Longer Feel Their Network Understands Their Business
There is a difference between having access to operational support and feeling that your network genuinely understands your business.
As an adviser develops, their priorities can change.
A newly qualified adviser might need regular guidance, training and support towards Competent Adviser Status (CAS).
An established adviser may be more focused on efficiency, specialist lending opportunities and commercial arrangements.
A growing brokerage might need support with recruitment, supervision and business development.
Not every network will be the right fit for every adviser at every stage.
And as networks themselves grow, the relationships advisers originally valued can sometimes become less personal.
Being able to speak directly to someone who understands your business can make a significant difference.
At TRY Mortgage Network, we place importance on accessible relationships, including direct communication with experienced people and senior decision-makers.
For advisers considering a move, the question shouldn’t simply be whether a network offers support.
It should be whether that support is appropriate for the business they have today and the business they want to build tomorrow.
7. One Experience Makes Them Question Everything Else
This is perhaps the most interesting reason of all.
Advisers don’t necessarily start looking at other networks because everything has gone wrong.
Sometimes it’s one experience.
A case takes longer than expected.
A query isn’t answered.
A compliance conversation feels unnecessarily difficult.
Or an adviser discovers that an opportunity they wanted to pursue isn’t supported by their existing network.
On its own, that incident might not justify moving.
But it can prompt a much bigger question:
“If I were choosing a mortgage network today, would I choose the one I’m already with?”
And once that question has been asked, advisers may start examining things they haven’t questioned for years.
Their fees. Their support. Their technology. Their opportunities to grow.
What began as one frustration can become a wider assessment of whether their network is still right for them.
From my perspective in recruitment, this is an important distinction.
The issue that starts the conversation isn’t necessarily the issue that determines the final decision.
Why Every Adviser’s Situation Is Different
There is something I’ve learned from speaking to mortgage advisers who are considering their options.
No two conversations are exactly the same.
Some advisers are frustrated with the support they’re receiving. Others are happy with their existing network but want to understand whether there are better opportunities to develop their businesses.
And sometimes an adviser simply wants to explore what’s available without having made any decision to move.
“I’ve had many conversations with different mortgage advisers, and no two stories are the same. That’s why I believe it’s so important to have those conversations, understand each adviser’s vision for their business, and then establish where we might be able to provide the support they’re not currently getting.” — Clive Bell, Head of Recruitment, TRY Mortgage Network
There’s no universal answer to whether an adviser should change mortgage networks.
The right decision depends on what they’re trying to achieve, the challenges they’re facing and the support they need to move forward.
That’s why understanding the adviser and their ambitions should come before discussing what a new network can offer.
A recruitment conversation should begin with understanding the adviser, not selling the network.
Should You Change Mortgage Networks?
Changing mortgage networks is a significant business decision.
It shouldn’t be based solely on a frustrating experience, an attractive commission split or a persuasive recruitment conversation.
Before making a decision, advisers should consider whether their concerns can be resolved with their existing network.
If they decide to explore alternatives, they should compare the complete proposition, including:
- Commercial arrangements and ongoing costs
- Compliance and operational support
- CRM and technology
- Specialist lending opportunities
- Business development support
- Management accessibility and network culture
- Contractual obligations, notice periods and exit arrangements
It’s also important to understand what happens to existing clients, ongoing cases and outstanding commission when changing networks.
Moving can involve onboarding requirements, regulatory processes, technology migration and temporary disruption.
The objective should be to identify the network that provides the most suitable long-term environment for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do mortgage advisers leave their networks?
Mortgage advisers may change networks because of poor support, compliance difficulties, commercial arrangements, technology limitations, business growth or changing relationships with network management. Often, several factors contribute to the decision.
When should I consider changing mortgage networks?
It may be worth reviewing your options if your existing network no longer supports your business objectives, its costs no longer represent good value or ongoing concerns remain unresolved. That doesn’t necessarily mean moving is the right decision.
Is it difficult to change mortgage networks?
The process depends on contractual obligations, notice periods, due diligence, regulatory requirements and the receiving network’s onboarding arrangements. Planning ahead can help reduce unnecessary disruption.
Can I take my clients when changing mortgage networks?
This depends on existing contractual terms, how client relationships were established, servicing rights and relevant data protection requirements. Advisers should clarify these matters before deciding to move.
Should I change networks for a higher commission split?
Not necessarily. A higher commission split may be attractive, but advisers should compare total costs, included services, support and business opportunities before deciding.
What should I ask a mortgage network before joining?
Ask about commission arrangements, fees, compliance support, CRM systems, specialist lending, business development opportunities, client servicing rights, notice periods and contractual obligations.
