Hodge launches new online services for intermediaries
Hodge has today launched a brand-new website and broker portal, six months in the making and created to streamline the broker journey.
Going forward, brokers will be able to place and manage all mortgage cases for residential, retirement and holiday let products online via the portal. Not only that, the lender has also launched a fresh-look intermediary website with the support of specialist WordPress agency, Illustrate Digital.
The build of the broker portal has been undertaken by Hodge’s inhouse team of developers and digital experts and every step of the process has been informed by broker research and input.
Chief technology officer, Mark Evans, said of the launch: “This is a significant step forward for Hodge, with the portal being central in allowing intermediaries to access our products and services in an easy and convenient fashion. Hodge is a well-established business but in the past few years we’ve made enormous strides, not only in terms of how we do business, but also in the ways that we work.
“The intermediary portal is a really key building block for us, as we strive to make it easier for intermediaries to access our growing range of innovative products. Building the platform ourselves has freed us of many constraints that limit our ability to offer an excellent customer experience. It has also opened up further opportunities for innovation. As our inhouse digital delivery capability has grown, so too has our determination to make our processes better and simpler for brokers.”
Introducing the new portal and website means brokers are able to complete end-to-end journeys online making their lives easier.
Between the portal and new website, brokers can now:
- Easily access key documentation, in a format which can be shared with customers
- Obtain a quick quote
- Get the information they need quickly without having to pick up the phone
- Register and create an account with Hodge
- Obtain a decision in principle
- Complete an application
- Submit and track cases online, right through to completion
- Upload documents
- Speak to underwriters directly.
The new intermediaries website has been launched following a fantastic collaborative effort between the inhouse team at Hodge and digital agency, Illustrate Digital.
The new site is not so much a redesign as a total overhaul of Hodge’s previous web offering. Its innovative design puts ease of use front and centre with criteria search, mortgage calculators and live chat built in.
Scott Jones, managing director of Illustrate Digital, said of the collaboration: “The project to produce the new intermediary website has allowed for great collaboration, not only with Hodge but with real customers, to help us in designing and developing a truly user-centric digital product.
“Working with this well-established financial services brand has been an energetic, collaborative and overall productive process. All the while allowing the Hodge website platform to benefit from bank-grade security and industry compliance with the help of our expert team at Illustrate Digital.
“The new website for intermediaries is something that both Hodge and our team are incredibly proud of.”
Though the website and portal are now live, the journey continues for the team, with Mark Evans adding: “This is just the start – we have an exciting roadmap for the development of our platforms, all with the primary goal of enhancing the experience of our Hodge customers.”
