Skipton Building Society joins Ami

The head of intermediary lending for the society said Ami membership would help bring its products to more intermediaries across the UK and enhance existing relationships, given that 90 per cent of its lending in 2011 was done through advisers.

Mr Darwin said: “We originated around £2bn of lending through mortgage brokers during 2011. Not only do we value our relationship with them, but we also recognise the increasingly vital role they play in helping consumers to navigate a course through one of the most subdued and complex mortgage markets in history.”

He said that getting involved with Ami, which broke off from the Association of IFAs earlier this year to focus on representing the interests of mortgage intermediaries and protection advisers, was a natural step for Skipton.

He added: “We pride ourselves on providing brokers with an outstanding level of personalised service, and have invested heavily in enhancing this over recent years, in recognition of their role as a lynchpin of our lending strategy.”

Changes over the past 12 months have included introducing an online decision-in-principle service, to enable IFAs to give their clients more relevant and up-to-date guidance on eligibility to apply for Skipton loans. The society has also extended its network of business development managers.

Robert Sinclair, director of Ami, said: “The addition of Skipton to our membership brings additional strength to our organisation, and our goal of representing the broker community in the UK.

“With the challenges still facing the economy, including changing UK and European regulation, it is essential that Ami remains a representative and democratic voice.

“With the vast majority of the industry in membership this is a voice that must be listened to. Skipton’s experience as a lender will add to our internal debate and ability to articulate the issues.”