Digital platform streamlines intermediary workflows

Second charge lender Equifinance has launched a new broker portal, ECHO, which it says offers introducers a comprehensive ‘end-to-end’ process for clients from enquiry to completion and will help improve efficiency and successful applications.

However, it says it also remains committed to the human touch when assessing applications.

The new portal includes instant credit decisioning, enabling introducers to identify, with certainty, the best-fit product at the earliest stage.

It also includes an instant Hometrack valuation, which it says helps ensure accuracy of the loan-to-value, while a fast affordability calculation allows advisors to know within seconds whether a case can progress.

Equifinance CEO Tony Marshall said: “We are very proud of ECHO. This is the result of a ground-up collaboration between us, our developers and our loyal introducers to produce what we believe is the most user-friendly and effective broker portal in the second charge sector.

Committed to human underwriting

“At Equifinance, while our philosophy remains committed to the primacy of human underwriting, ECHO offers greater automation of the process and gives advisers greater certainty at the earliest stage that their applications are approved in principle before they reach our underwriters.”

He said the portal had already been well-received. “Feedback has already been very positive with an overwhelming number delighted with the simplicity of the user interface and the speed of the process. ECHO demonstrates that technology can work hand in hand with the human touch to produce better and faster outcomes for customers and their advisers.”