Mortgage and protection brokerage Access Financial Services has launched an in-house digital marketing and lead generation platform.

Access FS has acquired a boutique digital marketing agency called Crazy Nerds Ltd which will be integrated within Access to provide services to its growing team of 220 advisers. This will add to the firm’s suite of other support services.

The Access FS digital marketing offering will provide website development, search engine optimisation, pay-per-click advertising, and social media marketing. The primary objective is to generate high-quality leads for Access FS’s team of mortgage and protection advisers.

After launch, the service will also be available to all financial service firms whether or not they are part of Access FS.

Access FS says it aims to leverage the expertise of the agency to offer tailored bronze, silver, and gold packages to cater to advisers and brokerages of all sizes.

This complements Access FS’s existing range of support services, which includes administration services introduced a year ago. This support service continues to free up to 70 per cent of an adviser’s time with some trebling the amount of mortgage and protection business they write as a result.

Chief executive Karl Wilkinson says: “The acquisition of this successful digital marketing agency marks a significant milestone in our commitment to the future successes of our advisers. By leveraging the expertise of the Crazy Nerds team, we aim to help our advisers to hone their lead generation skills to increase the number of clients and potential clients they have access to.

“After starting Access FS as a sole trader and working as a mortgage broker myself, I know exactly how difficult it can be to build a business from the ground up. I want to ensure our advisers are equipped to thrive and build their own businesses in an increasingly competitive market.”

Founded in April 2017 by Wilkinson, Access Financial Services has grown to a team of over 220 advisers. In addition to its mortgage services, Access FS offers comprehensive advice on protection and general insurance, led by a team of specialist, protection-only advisers. The company says its collaborative approach, coupled with its commitment to professional development, has attracted brokers from institutions across the mortgage and protection market.