About
Ben Blyth, MSc, CeMAP, CeRER - Director
I have worked in financial services since 2007, and specifically in specialist mortgages since 2014.
Following the global pandemic, it became clear to me that personalised mortgage advice can be delivered to anywhere, from anywhere and at any time - so our service commitment is to work any way that suits you.
In a world where ‘computer says no’, Houz Mortgages is committed to finding a way for a human to say yes.
I started my career in financial services in 2007 at the Cheshire Building Society, which became part of Nationwide. My early days were spent in the branch network, before I passed my mortgage advice qualifications in 2014. I then spent 5 years in specialist mortgage lending with the Market Harborough Building Society before moving on to be Head of Intermediary Mortgages at another specialist mortgage lender – Darlington Building Society.
My experience working for specialist lenders has given me valuable understanding of how lenders operate and assess mortgage applications. It’s given me a great insight on the other side of the coin to how I now operate as a broker and this is especially useful when helping arrange complex or specialist mortgages.
In 2018 I graduated from Loughborough University Business School with a Masters Degree in Leadership and Management.
I currently serve as a Trustee for the Market Harborough Building Society Charitable Foundation, where we provide grants to charities and community projects in the local area.
What now?
I set up Houz Mortgages in 2022 to serve anyone in the UK who wants expert and personal help with their mortgage and insurances.
Following the global pandemic, it became clear to me that personalised mortgage advice can be delivered to anywhere, from anywhere and at any time – so our service commitment is to work any way that suits you.
In a world where computer says no, Houz Mortgages is committed to finding a way for a human to say yes.
Houz Mortgages
I set up Houz Mortgages in 2022 to serve anyone in the UK who wants expert and personal help with their mortgage and insurances. I’ve long been a believer that mortgage advice should be free for all, no matter what.
Houz Mortgages offers fee-free advice - we will be paid by the lender if you take out a mortgage, and we think that should be enough. We understand that buying a home or moving house can be expensive!
We are keen to keep utilising new technology to innovate and help to simplify the mortgage process. You can read more about the technology we use below.
Going Green & Climate Positive
Using technology allows us to be almost paperless, in fact we only print or use paper when we absolutely must. Because sometimes we need to print, occasionally we drive to meetings and of course we use electricity, we have committed to planting 11 trees per month from day one! 10 of these will be planted around the world where they can have the biggest impact, and 1 in the UK.
We have committed indefinitely to a monthly subscription, so as the business grows we pledge to increase this number per employee to keep Houz Mortgages climate positive!
Technology
Your mortgage journey with Houz will likely begin with a chat, or a phone call. Here are some of the services we use:
Zoom Phone
Our phone service is something called VOIP – meaning calls work securely through an internet connection. It allows us to be always on using desktop and mobile apps – and the line is usually crystal clear. The phone number is a national number, not a premium number – it shouldn’t cost you to call us as calls to an 0330 number are usually inclusive minutes! (Please check with your service provider)
In 2021, the UK had over 40 millions Whatsapp users! So we know it’s a great and easy way to communicate. It’s fully encrypted and allows us to create groups so that if you’re buying together, we can all keep in touch easily.
Video Calls
As well as using Zoom, we can also meet you through any other service you might prefer, whether that’s a Whatsapp video call, FaceTime, Microsoft Teams or any other. Just let us know and we’ll meet you your way.
Adobe
When we need your signature, we’ll use Adobe services to request this electronically – easily done in a matter of seconds on a phone, tablet or computer. No printing or scrambling to find a pen and no delay in getting paperwork back to us.
Data protection
To share important documents, we offer a secure online portal to share this information privately. We also have the ability to electronically verify your ID – removing the need for photocopies and prints.
Just because we feel these are the best services now, doesn’t mean we’ll use them forever. We’re committed to innovating and keeping the mortgage advice journey straightforward.
What people say
This is what people have had to say about using Houz Mortgages…
