Stonebridge reported a 24% increase in lending in 2025, reaching a record £16.2 billion of mortgages arranged, as more than 500 advisers and industry leaders gathered for its annual national conference at the Celtic Manor Resort.
The event brought together network members from across the UK for a day focused on market insight, education, and collaboration, alongside updates on Stonebridge’s performance and priorities for the year ahead.
A closing keynote from Olympic double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes saw the day end on a high, as she shared lessons on resilience, mindset, and leadership with delegates. Her session explored how business owners can maintain focus and confidence through periods of challenge and change.
Delegates also heard from a range of senior figures from across the mortgage and protection sector, including representatives from Aviva, Lloyds Banking Group, Santander UK, Vitality, and the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries.
A 2026 economic outlook was provided by Liz Martins, UK economist at HSBC UK, who told attendees there were “reasons to be more cheerful” about the year ahead. She highlighted easing inflationary pressures and forecast that the Bank of England base rate could fall to 3% by the end of 2026.
Alongside external insight, the conference featured practical sessions on adviser performance trends, emerging market opportunities, the role of AI in document processing, and upcoming regulatory developments. A particular focus was placed on introducing protection conversations earlier in the mortgage journey, following recent FCA commentary on the protection gap.
Stonebridge’s internal update showed that AR firms completed 24.3% more mortgages in 2025 than in 2024, significantly ahead of the network’s 11.3% growth in adviser numbers over the same period.
Reflecting on the event, Rob Clifford, Chief Executive at Stonebridge, said the conference was about more than celebrating results.
“It was a wonderful day and there was so much energy in the room. Dame Kelly was an inspiration and, with so much to celebrate at the network, the sense of self-belief and pride was palpable.
“I always enjoy seeing our members interact with each other because it’s the one time in the calendar where they really get to see how they’re part of something bigger. They see the culture they build with us reflected in advisers they’ve never met before, but will go on to build lasting relationships with.
“This is all being captured in the sector-leading growth we’re delivering, both in lending figures and adviser numbers. The day itself is never just a meet-and-greet, although it’s always superb fun. We send all our advisers away with a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges in front of them, and a lot of what happens on the day shapes how we amend our services over the next 12 months. It’s incredibly valuable all round”
Stonebridge remains the second-largest mortgage-focused network by number of AR firms, adding more ARs than any comparable network for the fourth consecutive year. If you’re looking for a network to support you and your business with a market-leading level of support and technology, contact us here to discuss how we can help.
