Darlington ‘doubling down’ on broker channel with service commitment launch

02 March 2026

Darlington Building Society has today outlined three new clear service commitments to all brokers which it said will help guarantee confidence in every submission and places its broker relationships at the heart of growth plans.

At a time when some lenders are exploring widening digital execution-only distribution, Darlington said it is choosing to put the three commitments to brokers on record in a bid to strengthen its partnerships through greater transparency, accountability and consistency.

The three service commitments are:

Offering a dedicated underwriter, every step of the way

Darlington said all cases will now be supported by a named underwriter from Decision in Principle through to formal offer. Brokers will be able to speak directly to an underwriter and those underwriters will only request relevant documents or ask questions specific to the borrower’s circumstances, reducing interactions and respecting brokers’ time.

Respecting broker business

Darlington said it will never dual price between broker and direct channels. In addition, the Society will also give at least 24 hours’ notice before withdrawing a product to help brokers manage client expectations and avoid last-minute disruption where possible. It will also conduct regular procuration fee reviews to ensure remuneration remains competitive and fair, both on new business and product transfers.

Investing in a better broker experience

Darlington said its BDMs will always be accessible by phone and email, and broker feedback will continue to directly inform service enhancements and criteria updates to keep pace with changing borrower profiles and market conditions. It will continue to refine the application journey, using technology to make submissions faster and smoother without removing the human support brokers rely on.

The introduction of the three service commitments follows the recent rebrand of the Darlington’s broker arm and builds on a year of growth over 2025, with the launch of foreign currency and limited company buy-to-let mortgages, as the Society’s balance sheet surpassed £1bn.

Chris Blewitt, Head of Intermediaries at Darlington Building Society, said:

“We are ambitious about our future, but that growth will only come from deepening the relationships we already value. Brokers are central to our strategy and these service commitments formalise what we stand for.

“At a time when parts of the market are moving towards more automated, direct models, we are ‘doubling down’ on our broker focus.

“That means clear pricing, consistent communication and direct access to decision-makers. We want brokers to know exactly what they can expect from us on every case, and to have confidence we will continue to build our service around their needs this year and well into the future.”