How much do bad credit mortgage brokers charge? Broker fees in the UK typically range from £0 to £999, with £500–£700 most common when a fee is charged. Specialist and adverse credit cases sometimes attract higher fees elsewhere — some firms charge at the initial consultation, on recommendation, or once your application is submitted, regardless of outcome. Darryl charges nothing for the initial consultation, the recommendation, the Agreement in Principle, or the full mortgage application. The only fee — £750 to £995, depending on complexity — is payable once your mortgage is actually agreed and offered by the lender. Many brokers charge at these earlier stages, before you know whether your application will even succeed.
Every UK mortgage broker is paid in one of two ways, sometimes both. Understanding the difference matters more than the headline fee number.
Lenders pay brokers a commission, typically 0.35%–0.5% of your loan amount, once your mortgage completes. This comes from the lender's own margin — it is not added to your mortgage and does not affect your interest rate. Every regulated broker earns this, whether or not they also charge you directly. FCA rules require it to be disclosed to you before any recommendation is made.
Some brokers charge you directly on top of the procuration fee — either a flat fee (commonly £500–£700) or a percentage of the loan (typically 0.3%–1%). This might be structured as a single fee on completion, or split into an upfront commitment fee plus a separate fee once an offer is issued. Fee-free brokers, including Darryl, do not charge this at all.
Complex cases — CCJs, defaults, IVAs, self-employed income, or anything a high street bank would decline automatically — take more work to place correctly. Some specialist brokers reflect this in higher fees, sometimes structured as a commitment fee (paid upfront, occasionally refundable if the application does not proceed) plus a separate fee once a mortgage offer is secured, with the combined total sometimes reaching £1,000–£1,700 depending on the firm.
That is not necessarily poor value — specialist knowledge of adverse credit lender criteria is worth something, and a broker who genuinely secures a mortgage others could not is doing real work. But it is worth knowing upfront, and worth asking directly before you commit to any broker.
Not automatically — but it depends what kind of fee-free broker you're dealing with. Some fee-free brokers work from a genuinely wide lender panel with real specialist experience. Others rely solely on procuration fees because they simply don't have deep access to the specialist, adverse credit end of the market — a restricted panel, or limited experience with complex CCJ, default or self-employed cases. Relying entirely on proc fees can also mean taking on a higher volume of cases to make the model work, which can translate into slower updates and a greater risk of something being missed on your file.
Darryl's model sits deliberately in between: no fee at all unless your mortgage succeeds, but a genuine fee once it does — which means taking on cases properly rather than processing volume to survive on proc fees alone. What actually matters, whichever broker you choose, is whether they have real access to lenders who suit your specific situation, and whether they have the time to give your case proper attention.
My fee is £750–£995, and it's the only thing you ever pay me — nothing for the initial consultation, nothing for my recommendation, nothing for the Agreement in Principle, nothing for the full application. You pay only once your mortgage is actually agreed and offered by the lender. Many brokers charge at those earlier stages, before anyone knows whether your case will succeed. Ask any broker directly when their fee applies before you commit to anything.
No credit search. No obligation. Darryl personally reviews every enquiry and responds within 2 hours.
Lender criteria, rates and deposit requirements quoted on this page are indicative and subject to change without notice. Individual circumstances vary. This page provides general information only and does not constitute regulated financial advice. The Mortgage Geezer is a trading style of Access Financial Services Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Financial Services Register number is 301173. Registered in England No. 04427489. Registered office address Access Financial Services Ltd, Unit 1 Furtho Court, Towcester Road, Old Stratford, Milton Keynes, MK19 6AN. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP YOUR REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER LOAN SECURED AGAINST IT.