The Mortgage Shop

What The Mortgage Shop does

The Mortgage Shop (N.I) Ltd, founded in 1992 by Siobhan McAleer, is a privately-held mortgage brokerage headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, operating 23 branch locations across the region with 55 expert advisers. The firm offers mortgage advisory services across seven product categories — first-time buyer, re-mortgaging, moving home, co-ownership/shared ownership, new build, lifetime/equity release, and buy-to-let — complemented by five protection insurance lines (income protection, critical illness, life assurance, whole of life, and buildings and contents). Its technology footprint is minimal: no proprietary platform, no mobile application, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; the digital surface consists of static mortgage calculators, stamp duty tools, and remote appointment access via FaceTime and Zoom. The Mortgage Shop generates revenue through procuration commissions from lenders on arranged mortgages and commissions from insurance providers on protection products, with a transparent fee structure capped at £295 per mortgage case and a free initial consultation. The firm operates as an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd under FCA regulation (FRN 201108), and is supported by a partnership with UPS Financial Services Ltd (est. 2012) extending distribution into the UPS Estate Agency network. Customer composition is entirely individual consumers across Northern Ireland, with the firm arranging 6,000+ mortgages annually and claiming to have assisted over 100,000 customers since inception.

Name

The Mortgage Shop

Legal name

The Mortgage Shop (N.I) Ltd

Website

https://themortgageshop.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mortgage Shop is a privately-held mortgage brokerage founded in 1992 in Belfast, operating 23 branches across Northern Ireland with 55 advisers, offering mortgage and protection insurance advisory services to individual consumers and arranging 6,000+ mortgages annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Residential Mortgage Brokers (Purchase & Refinance) (FSALABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reverse Mortgage Brokerage (FSAEAEAE), Commercial & Multifamily Mortgage Brokers (FSALABAB)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage
• Residential mortgage lending
• Mortgage advisory services
• Protection insurance products
• Equity release services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Broking Commission: Commission from lenders for arranging mortgages. First consultation is free. Typically no fee for mortgage advice, with maximum fee of £295 depending on circumstances.
2. Insurance Products Commission: Commission from insurance providers for protection products including life assurance, critical illness, income protection, buildings and contents insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Mortgage Shop is a Northern Ireland-based mortgage brokerage that arranges residential, buy-to-let, and lifetime mortgages on behalf of individual consumers, sourcing deals from hundreds of lenders including bank and broker-only products. The firm also brokers protection insurance (life assurance, critical illness, income protection, buildings and contents) and supports customers with affordability assessments, Decision in Principle, full applications, and ongoing re-mortgage reviews across 23 branches plus remote consultation channels.

Product overview

The Mortgage Shop is a mortgage brokerage operating across 23 branch locations throughout Northern Ireland, offering advisory services on a comprehensive suite of mortgage and protection products. The core offering centers on mortgage broking across 7 mortgage product types: First-Time Buyer Mortgages, Re-Mortgaging Mortgages, Co-Ownership Mortgages (Shared Ownership), Moving Home Mortgages, New Build Mortgages, Lifetime Mortgages, and Buy-To-Let Mortgages. These are complemented by 5 insurance/protection products (Income Protection, Critical Illness Insurance, Life Assurance, Whole of Life Insurance, Buildings & Contents Insurance) and a suite of digital tools (Mortgage Calculator, Mortgage Overpayment Calculator, Stamp Duty Calculator, Risk Reality Calculator). The company also provides educational advisory resources including a Mortgage Guide Brochure and credit score improvement advice. The portfolio is distributed through 23 physical branches and remote appointment options via FaceTime and Zoom, unified under The Mortgage Shop brand as an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First-Time Buyer Mortgages Mortgage advisory service for first-time buyers, including affordability assessment, indicative quotes, and full mortgage application support. Delivered to Northern Ireland consumers across 23 branch locations plus remote consultation.
• Re-Mortgaging Mortgages Re-mortgage advisory for homeowners looking to switch lenders, release equity, consolidate debt, or obtain a lower interest rate. Targeted at Northern Ireland existing homeowners whose current deal is ending or who are rate-sensitive.
• Co-Ownership Mortgages (Shared Ownership) Mortgage advisory for the Co-Ownership NI shared ownership scheme, where buyers purchase 50%–90% of a property's value and pay rent on the remaining share. For buyers who cannot afford full property purchase.
• Moving Home Mortgages Mortgage advisory for existing homeowners moving from one property to another, guiding clients through the transition process including coordination of sale and purchase.
• New Build Mortgages Mortgage advice for newly built or substantially renovated properties within the past two years, including off-plan purchases. Targeted at buyers of new construction in Northern Ireland.
• Lifetime Mortgages Later-life lending and equity release mortgages, including interest roll-up and interest-paying lifetime mortgage products. For Northern Ireland retirees and older homeowners seeking to release equity.
• Buy-To-Let Mortgages Mortgage advisory for landlords and property investors purchasing property to rent out, with access to broker-only BTL deals and adviser expertise on BTL lender criteria.
• Income Protection Insurance Long-term insurance policy protecting income if the policyholder cannot work due to illness or injury, with a term aligned to retirement date. For Northern Ireland consumers seeking income protection.
• Critical Illness Insurance Financial security insurance providing a lump sum payout upon diagnosis of a defined critical illness during the plan term. For consumers seeking critical illness financial protection.
• Life Assurance Term assurance and decreasing term life cover providing a death benefit to beneficiaries if the insured dies within the specified term. For consumers seeking term life cover.
• Whole of Life Insurance Life insurance policy guaranteeing a lump sum payout to loved ones whenever death occurs, rather than within a defined term. For consumers seeking lifelong death-benefit cover.
• Buildings & Contents Insurance Buildings insurance covering structure repair costs and contents insurance covering personal possessions, available as combined or separate policies. For homeowners and property buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 people helped since 1992
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Mortgage Shop (N.I) Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Stonebridge is based at 9 Lord's Court, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1SS with Financial Services Register number 454811.
• UPS Financial Services LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership established in 2012 to bring Mortgage Shop expertise to the UPS Estate Agency branch network. UPS Financial Services is a trading style of UPS (Financial Services) Ltd, an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd. Registered at 6 Wellington Place, Belfast, BT1 6GE with firm reference number 629551.
• Various Mortgage LenderscoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to hundreds of mortgage lenders offering thousands of exclusive deals, including bank mortgages and broker-only products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Habito: UK digital-first mortgage broker offering whole-of-market comparison and advice, primarily targeting first-time buyers — directly competing with The Mortgage Shop's core FTB segment, though with a digital-only delivery model.
• London & Country Mortgages (L&C): One of the UK's largest independent mortgage brokers, providing whole-of-market advice across purchase, remortgage, and BTL — directly comparable in service offering, though serving a national rather than regional NI client base.
• Alexander Hall: Independent UK mortgage broker offering face-to-face and remote advice across a full product panel — comparable business model as an appointed-representative-style broker serving consumers, focused on Greater London but with a similar advisor-led approach.

Others

• Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions: The FCA-authorised principal firm of which The Mortgage Shop is an Appointed Representative. Operates a national network of AR mortgage brokers — comparable as the infrastructure counterparty and commercial enabler of The Mortgage Shop's operations.
• PRIMIS Mortgage Network: UK mortgage and protection network supporting appointed representative advisers — comparable as a competing intermediary network to Stonebridge, representing an alternative infrastructure option The Mortgage Shop could theoretically migrate to.
• Openwork Partnership: UK financial advice network providing mortgage, protection, and wealth services through a national network of advisers. Comparable as a competing distribution model (appointed-representative network) for mortgage advisory.
• TMA Mortgage Club: UK mortgage club/network providing advisers access to lender panels, criteria search, and protection products. Comparable as a competing intermediary infrastructure supporting mortgage advisers across the UK.

Broad incumbents

• Skipton Building Society: UK's fourth-largest building society offering direct mortgage origination and savings products. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing mortgage products that brokers like The Mortgage Shop distribute, and as a direct competitor for NI borrowers.
• Connells Group: UK's largest estate agency group with embedded mortgage and financial services arms — a broad incumbent that offers mortgage broking within a wider property services portfolio, including potential NI presence via acquired brands.

Regional players

• Principality Building Society: Wales's largest building society and a regional mortgage lender. Comparable as a regionally-focused mortgage provider competing in a defined UK geography, mirroring The Mortgage Shop's NI regional focus, though operating as a lender rather than broker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMortgageShopNorthernIreland
• Xx.com/mortgageshopni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mortgage-shop-n-i-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Mortgage Shop