Start Mortgages

What Start Mortgages does

Start Mortgages operates under the trading name Mortgage Scout and is the consumer-facing brand of LRG Financial Services Limited, a private limited company registered in England (company number 03155032) with its registered office at Building 1, Meadows Business Park, Blackwater, Camberley GU17 9AB. The firm functions as a UK mortgage broker and intermediary, operating as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau Limited and Mortgage Advice Bureau (Derby) Limited — both authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It previously traded as Start Financial Services before rebranding to Mortgage Scout, with operations, lender access, and customer commitments carried through unchanged.

The company's core product is mortgage brokerage: it provides borrowers access to more than 100 lenders and 28,000 mortgage products through its principal network, and earns transaction-based commission from lenders for successful placements. The product portfolio is segmented by use case across first-time buyers, buy-to-let investors, remortgagors, customers moving home, contractors and self-employed borrowers, shared-ownership buyers, and new-build purchasers, supplemented by insurance products (buildings, contents, life) and an online calculator suite covering borrowing capacity, monthly repayments, stamp duty, BTL rent, and remortgage scenarios. Distribution is conducted through a network of 30+ physical branch offices across southern England and Wales (Harrow, Ruislip, Stanmore, Reading, Bedford, Bromley, Chester, Stratford, Worthing, Derby Cornmarket and others), with marketing conducted via the corporate website, Twitter (@mortgagescoutuk), Facebook, and a referrals/word-of-mouth channel feeding branch appointments.

Name

Start Mortgages

Legal name

LRG Financial Services Limited

Website

https://startmortgages.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mortgage Scout (Start Mortgages / LRG Financial Services Limited) is a UK FCA-regulated mortgage broker operating as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau, providing access to 100+ lenders and 28,000 mortgage products through a 30+ branch network serving first-time buyers, BTL investors, remortgagors, and self-employed borrowers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage services
• Residential mortgage advice
• Buy-to-let finance
• Remortgage advisory
• Protection insurance products

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Brokage Commission: The company earns commission from lenders when they successfully arrange mortgage products for customers. As a mortgage broker with access to over 100 lenders and 28,000 mortgage products, they earn placement/commission fees from lenders for introducing borrowers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Start Mortgages (trading as Mortgage Scout) is a UK mortgage broker that intermediates between individual borrowers and a panel of 100+ lenders offering 28,000 mortgage products. It provides advisory and arrangement services across first-time buyer, buy-to-let, remortgage, moving home, contractor, shared ownership, and new homes mortgage categories, alongside related protection insurance products. The firm operates as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau, generating revenue through lender-paid commissions.

Product overview

Start Mortgages operates under the Mortgage Scout brand as a mortgage broker intermediary offering a unified service model. The company provides access to over 100 lenders and 28,000 mortgage products through its core brokerage service. Its product portfolio encompasses specialized mortgage advisory services for distinct customer segments (First Time Buyers, Buy to Let investors, Remortgage clients, Moving Home, Contractor Mortgages), alongside insurance products and shared ownership/new homes mortgage solutions. The offering is complemented by online mortgage calculators as informational tools for prospective clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Time Buyer Mortgages
• Buy to Let Mortgages
• Remortgage Services

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Mortgage Advice Bureau LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMortgage Scout operates as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This regulatory relationship allows Mortgage Scout to provide mortgage advice and arrange mortgage products from lenders across the UK market.
• Mortgage Advice Bureau (Derby) LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMortgage Scout operates as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau (Derby) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This extends the regulatory framework enabling mortgage distribution across additional UK regions.
• 100+ Lenders NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThrough its partnership network, Mortgage Scout has access to over 100 lenders and 28,000 mortgage products, enabling them to match borrowers with appropriate mortgage solutions across the UK residential mortgage market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Habito: UK digital-first mortgage broker offering online and telephone advice with whole-of-market lender access. Comparable as a mortgage intermediary serving UK consumers, but differentiates via a tech-led rather than branch-led distribution model.
• Trussle: Online UK mortgage broker focused on remortgage customers with whole-of-market lender access. Comparable as a UK mortgage intermediary but competes via a digital-only model against Mortgage Scout's branch network.

Direct peers

• London & Country Mortgages: UK whole-of-market mortgage broker offering residential, buy-to-let, and remortgage advice across multiple lenders. Comparable in product breadth (whole-of-market access) and focus on first-time buyers, remortgage, and complex borrower segments.
• Mortgage Advice Bureau: National UK mortgage broker network of which Mortgage Scout is an appointed representative. Directly comparable in that it aggregates multiple AR offices, distributes 1000s of mortgage products via a lender panel, and operates the same FCA-regulated advice model.
• John Charcol: Long-established UK whole-of-market mortgage broker with a particular focus on complex borrower cases, contractor and self-employed lending. Comparable in targeting specialist segments and offering face-to-face/telephone advice.
• SPF Private Clients: UK mortgage broker providing whole-of-market residential and buy-to-let advice including specialist segments. Comparable in advisory model and breadth of lender panel.
• Alexander Hall: UK mortgage broker offering first-time buyer, remortgage, buy-to-let, and shared ownership advice with whole-of-market access. Comparable product mix and customer segments, including shared ownership specialism.

Broad incumbents

• Rightmove (Mortgage Comparison): UK property portal that has expanded into mortgage comparison and lead generation, competing for the same first-time buyer and mover audiences. Comparable as a funnel for mortgage leads but operates at very different scale.
• Cooperative Bank (Mortgage Distribution): UK retail bank distributing residential mortgages through broker and direct channels. Comparable as a UK mortgage provider whose broker-distributed products are arranged by intermediaries like Mortgage Scout.
• Newcastle Building Society (Broker Channel): UK mutual lender and building society distributing mortgage products through intermediaries. Comparable as a UK mortgage provider serving broker-originated volume, though operates from the lender side rather than as a broker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mortgagescoutuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/mortgagescoutuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/start-mortgages

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Start Mortgages