First time buying remained biggest advice driver during a turbulent 2009

• After an unstable year in the property market, Unbiased.co.uk's latest Advice Drivers report highlights over 70,000 consumer requests for details of local whole of market mortgage advisers in 2009
• First time buying and re-mortgaging most popular advice areas

After a chaotic year which saw the credit crunch emerge into a full blown recession, property prices plummet, lenders tighten their criteria, and mortgage borrowers befuddled - latest figures from Unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website, reveal that over 70,000 consumers sought guidance from a whole of market mortgage adviser in 2009.

First time buying held the top spot as the most popular advice category, accounting for an average of 40% of consumer enquiries for the whole year. The second most popular advice category was re-mortgaging, with an average of 32% of searches being made in this area in 2009. Across the year there was a spike in consumer mortgage enquiries in the first three quarters, when competitive mortgage deals were hard to come by, and enquiries stablised in the final quarter as the housing market has shown signs of recovery.

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive of Unbiased.co.uk, commented: "2009 was undoubtedly a volatile year, but it is encouraging to see that when there is turbulence in the housing market; consumers seek advice from the experts - as demonstrated from our Advice Driver statistics. However, it is essential that consumers continue to seek advice regardless of the state of the property market, to ensure they are making the best decisions for their individual circumstances.

"Only a whole of market mortgage adviser can give you advice on products across the market, which suits your individual needs and financial position. You can visit Unbiased.co.uk to find a qualified, local whole of market mortgage adviser who can guide you."

The average top ten Mortgage Advice Drivers in 2009 were as follows:


Top Ten Mortgage Advice Drivers:
% of total
1 First time 40%
2 Re-mortgage 32%
3 Residential 21%
4 Buy-to-let 12%
5 Equity release 7%
6 Sub-prime 7%
7 Self employed 5%
8 High loan to value 3%
9 Flexible 3%
10 Commercial 2%


The report is compiled on a monthly basis from comprehensive data collected as a result of individual consumer selections made when requesting details of a local mortgage adviser through Unbiased.co.uk. Consumers can carry out a confidential and free search to find a whole of market mortgage adviser near them by going to Unbiased.co.uk.


For further information on Unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website pleases contact:

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive - Unbiased.co.uk - 020 7833 3131
Anna Schirmer/Jennifer Comerford/ Anna Moulds - Lansons Communications - 020 7294 3682

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