What DIRECT IFA'S LIMITED does

Direct IFA's Limited is a UK-based independent financial advisory firm headquartered in East Bridgford, Nottingham. Founded in 2003 and directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Number 228706, Companies House registration 04862731), the firm specialises in whole-of-market mortgage brokerage. It advises individual consumers across residential purchase, remortgage, buy-to-let, self-build, and Help to Buy scenarios, drawing on access to more than 3,000 mortgage products. The firm's primary customer segments are first-time buyers and home movers in the East Midlands, with secondary segments covering property investors, self-build customers, and consumers seeking used-vehicle finance. Service delivery is through a regional network of ten named qualified advisors providing face-to-face and telephone consultations, supplemented by two Appointed Representative firms (Independent Mortgage Experts Ltd and The Official Mortgage Company).

The business operates a commission-based revenue model. On the mortgage side, Direct IFA's earns commission from lenders as a percentage of the loan amount arranged, with no direct fees charged to consumers. Beyond mortgages, the firm runs an FCA-regulated consumer credit brokerage, arranging Hire Purchase and PCP finance for used vehicle purchases, particularly for customers declined by mainstream lenders. In this segment, the firm holds a "leading broker" position with one of the UK's largest used car supermarkets under a fee-based arrangement in which 100% of commission is passed to the dealer. Protection insurance and general insurance advisory are offered as supplementary services. The cumulative outcome claim is more than 10,000 first-time buyers and home movers assisted through the Help to Buy scheme.

The firm operates without proprietary technology, relying on qualified human advisors and a referral-driven go-to-market motion. Word-of-mouth from satisfied clients is described as the principal source of new business. The marketing mix is overwhelmingly weighted toward referrals, supported by a Wix-hosted professional website. There is no disclosed external investment, no M&A activity, no patents or trademarks, and no AI/ML capability; the operating model is intentionally capital-light and relationship-led, contrasting with digital-first UK mortgage broker competitors.

Name

DIRECT IFA'S LIMITED

Legal name

Direct IFA's Ltd

Website

https://directifas.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Direct IFA's Limited is a Nottingham-based, FCA-regulated independent mortgage and consumer credit brokerage serving individual consumers across the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire via qualified advisors, offering whole-of-market mortgage access and a leading position in used vehicle finance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

East Bridgford, Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Advisory Commission: Direct IFA's earns commission from lenders for arranging mortgage products. The commission is typically a percentage of the loan amount borrowed. This model is indirect - the customer does not pay fees directly; instead, the lender pays the broker commission.
2. Consumer Credit Broker Commission: As a consumer credit broker for Hire Purchase and PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) financing, Direct IFA's earns commission from a panel of lenders. Commission is a percentage of the amount financed. The company explicitly states no fees are charged directly to consumers for consumer credit services. In their dealer arrangement, 100% of commission is passed to the dealer.
3. Protection and Insurance Products: Direct IFA's offers protection insurance products alongside mortgage services, generating commission from these product referrals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Direct IFA's is an independent, FCA-regulated whole-of-market mortgage advisory firm that arranges residential, buy-to-let, Help to Buy, self-build and remortgage products on behalf of individual consumers. It also operates as a consumer credit broker arranging Hire Purchase and PCP vehicle finance through a panel of lenders, and provides protection and general insurance products alongside its mortgage services. The firm earns commission from lenders for arranged products rather than charging direct fees to consumers.

Product overview

Direct IFA's Limited is a whole-of-market mortgage advisory firm offering a unified suite of services centered around mortgage brokering. The core offering includes specialized mortgage products for First Time Buyers, Moving Home, Remortgaging, Buy to Let, Help to Buy, and Self Build scenarios, supported by expertise across multiple mortgage types (repayment, interest-only, offset, and flexible). The firm also operates as an FCA-regulated Consumer Credit Broker for Hire Purchase/PCP financing in the automotive sector, and provides Protection and General Insurance as supplementary add-on services. The portfolio is delivered through a network of qualified advisors providing face-to-face and telephone consultations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whole-of-Market Mortgage Advisory Independent mortgage brokerage service covering first-time buyer, home mover, remortgage, buy-to-let, Help to Buy, self-build, and multiple mortgage structures (repayment, interest-only, offset, flexible). The firm searches across 3,000+ mortgage products from thousands of lenders to identify the best deal for individual customer circumstances, handling the full application process including liaison with lenders, solicitors and surveyors.
• Consumer Credit Broker (Hire Purchase / PCP) FCA-regulated credit brokerage arranging Hire Purchase and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) finance for used vehicle purchases, sourcing funding from a selective panel of lenders for customers — particularly those declined by mainstream finance companies. The service is delivered in partnership with one of the UK's largest used car supermarkets; 100% of commission is passed through to the dealer.
• Protection and General Insurance Supplementary protection and general insurance products (including buildings and contents cover) arranged alongside mortgage services to help customers protect their family financial position against unexpected circumstances.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 first time buyers and home movers assisted through Help to Buy scheme
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UK's Largest Used Car Supermarket (Unnamed)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect IFA's serves as a leading broker in the Hire Purchase PCP market for one of the UK's largest used car supermarkets. The relationship is market leading, combining dealership technology with Direct IFA's innovative systems. The business model arranges and sources financing from a panel of lenders for customers declined by mainstream finance companies. The relationship with the dealer is fee-based with 100% of commission passed to the dealer.
• Panel of Consumer Credit LenderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect IFA's works with a selected panel of lenders for consumer credit (Hire Purchase and PCP) products. As an FCA-regulated credit broker, they introduce customers to lenders who may be able to help finance purchases. The company receives commission based on a percentage of the amount borrowed.
• Panel of Mortgage LenderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect IFA's provides whole-of-market mortgage advice with access to over 3,000 mortgage products from thousands of lenders in the market. The company acts as an intermediary, earning commission from lenders when mortgage products are arranged.
• Independent Mortgage Experts LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMrs. Esther Barnes operates as an Appointed Representative under Direct IFA's FCA authorisation. Contact: [email protected], 07504 071685.
• The Official Mortgage CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates as an Appointed Representative under Direct IFA's FCA authorisation. Contact: [email protected], 01777 809700.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• London & Country Mortgages: One of the UK's largest independent mortgage brokers, offering whole-of-market mortgage advice across first-time buyer, remortgage, buy-to-let and self-build — directly comparable in product scope and independent broker positioning to Direct IFA's.
• SPF Private Clients: Whole-of-market UK mortgage, protection and wealth advisory firm — comparable in independent advice positioning, panel breadth and cross-selling of insurance.
• John Charcol: Long-established UK whole-of-market mortgage broker covering first-time buyer, remortgage, BTL and specialist lending — closest peer in product range and independent advisory proposition.
• Trinity Financial: UK independent mortgage and insurance broker specialising in first-time buyers, BTL and whole-of-market search — overlapping service mix and advisor-led model to Direct IFA's.
• First Complete: UK mortgage, protection and GI distribution network acting as appointed representatives — directly mirrors Direct IFA's appointed-representative structure for Independent Mortgage Experts Ltd and The Official Mortgage Company.

Emerging players

• Habito: UK digital mortgage broker and lender using technology to streamline the broker process — represents the tech-enabled model that advisor-led firms like Direct IFA's are competing against for first-time-buyer mindshare.
• Tembo Money: UK mortgage broker with hybrid digital and adviser support focused on first-time buyers and Help-to-Buy-style affordability products — overlapping segments and product scope with Direct IFA's.
• CarFinance247: UK consumer car finance broker connecting applicants to a panel of lenders, including for non-prime borrowers — directly overlaps with Direct IFA's Hire Purchase/PCP consumer credit brokerage panel.

Broad incumbents

• Mortgage Advice Bureau: Listed UK mortgage and protection advice network with thousands of advisers — operates at much greater scale than Direct IFA's but competes for the same whole-of-market intermediary share.
• Openwork Partnership: Large UK IFA and mortgage network supporting thousands of advisers — competes for adviser recruitment and lender panel access across the same whole-of-market proposition as Direct IFA's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-ifa's-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 DIRECT IFA'S LIMITED