Official: We Are the Best Contractor Mortgage Provider 2020

Wednesday night saw the second annual Contractor Awards ceremony. How different compared to the inaugural event it was, thanks to the pandemic.

Last year, we enjoyed an extravaganza at the Grand Ballroom at The Montcalm, Westminster. This year, a 50-minute live YouTube event with a chat-thread, compered by comedian, Ian Moore.

Nonetheless, it was a well-visited stream, with a convivial atmosphere amongst all participants. Our MC fair rattled through the nominees, sponsors and winners. And only with some nifty finger work did we manage to maintain 'live' commentary on Twitter.

A Lot to Shout About

As you may (or may not) know, we are the official mortgage and insurance partner of Contractor UK.

As such, it was fitting that we made the shortlists for both categories, as we did in 2019.

This year, however, we went one better. We won the Best Contractor Mortgage Provider or Broker Award outright.

I'm over the moon and thrilled for all our staff and clients who facilitated this prestigious award. A huge "Thank you!" to you all.

Working with Contractors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Two reasons the judges awarded us Best Contractor Mortgage Provider 2020 were:

"The judges were very impressed by how reactive [Freelancer Financials] have been to COVID,
"and how extremely active they are in the contracting world."

And it's great that they recognised our whole team's efforts. During (the first) lockdown, we helped hundreds of contractors remortgage to better deals.

As of this week, going into our second lockdown, no doubt we'll help even more contractors remortgage. That's because the Chancellor has announced further furlough measures, stretching into March 2021.

Reading between the lines, I don't think the Govt. expects this second lockdown to be the end of it. Either way, restrictions will have a huge impact on both housing and mortgage accessibility.

As the market reacts, we'll update you with the key points. But expect the mortgage process to be more protracted than you're used to over the coming months.

Double Whammy

Another event that went online this year was the Next Intelligence mortgage awards.

Once again, we picked up an award, our seventh straight year in doing so.

Whilst this award may mean less to our contractor audience, it reaffirms something definite to us.

It confirms to me that we're not only specialists in helping the self-employed. The Next Intelligence 2020 award recognises our efforts in the broader broker sense.

Serving all Contractors, Limited, Umbrella and PAYE

With many contractors going back to PAYE, this second award should add confidence. Its diversity exemplifies why we're not a one-trick pony.

In the current climate, that counts double. I believe anyone buying a home will benefit from having a broker on board.

By winning these two awards in as many weeks, it puts Freelancer Financials in a stellar position. We can serve traditional contractors, as well as those returning to employment, in a meaningful way.

Take Nothing for Granted; Expect the Unexpected

With the Chancellor making four changes to his winter budget in just six weeks, nothing is guaranteed. We urge anyone considering buying a home to talk to us first.

The playing field is morphing every day. When it's your time to buy, you need someone with inherent knowledge of how the land lies.

Until then, #StaySafe, and don't make a move without us—now, the official Best Contractor Mortgage Provider—by your side.