Over one in five mortgage brokers (22%) are reporting that their clients are having to take extra steps to prove affordability because of their career choice or working pattern, new findings from Nottingham Building Society have revealed.

The society’s research also found that 17% of brokers said lenders had turned clients down outright because of income complexity.

Nottingham’s study of 500 UK mortgage indicated that buyers with non-standard incomes are continuing to face systemic barriers when applying for a mortgage.

One in seven (16%) brokers reported that clients had experienced previous problems with mortgage applications because of their career choice, while 14% noted that self-employed or freelance clients sometimes secure mortgages without significant difficulty, highlighting the variability in lender approaches.

At the same time, brokers are seeing the knock-on impact on people’s wider life choices, with 18% reporting that clients had changed plans to pursue dream jobs, entrepreneurial ventures or passion projects because they fear it will hurt their mortgage chances. One in seven respondents (15%) said their clients worry that starting their own business would jeopardise their ability to get on the housing ladder.

“Careers in the UK are more varied than ever, but mortgage rules still favour the traditional nine to five,” commented chief lending officer at Nottingham Building Society, Aaron Shinwell.

“Our research shows that too many aspiring homeowners are holding back on life decisions – whether that’s taking a dream job, starting a business or pursuing a passion – because current lending models don’t account for the realities of modern work.

“At the same time, there are encouraging signs that some lenders are adapting, with brokers reporting cases where tailored support or greater flexibility has given clients new confidence. That balance of caution and innovation is key – and it underlines the importance of lenders continuing to evolve their products and criteria.”

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