As lenders strive to increase automation and improve customer experience, they need to do so whilst managing risk and the limitations and associated risks of relying on data and models alone without recourse remains an obstacle that cannot be ignored. 

The industry has made great strides in automation over the last few years but that seems have somewhat plateaued, and there is still a substantial reliance on physical and desktop valuations that continue to create friction in the mortgage process, limiting the ability of mortgage lenders to deliver faster application to offers and provide earlier certainty for borrowers. 

On Wednesday 2 April at 10:00, I will be joined by Rob Stevens from Nationwide Building Society and John Bagley from UK Finance and for an important discussion on how innovations in property risk and valuation can increase automation whilst managing risk. In this webinar we will dissect the current state of automated property risk and valuation, the challenges lenders face with increasing automation and how automation needs to co-exist sustainably with surveyors. 

Despite the increases in adoption and proven benefits of Automated Valuation Models – speed and cost – there remains a ‘glass ceiling’ preventing lenders from scaling automation beyond a certain threshold. Risk, in the absence of recourse, remains a fundamental barrier resulting in lenders having to continue to rely on slower physical valuations for around two-thirds of mortgage applications. 

This is not just a cost and risk issue; it is a commercial imperative. While mortgage lending volumes look set to grow in 2025, particularly remortgages, lenders continue to find themselves in an intensely competitive environment. The ability to offer a frictionless customer experience will be a critical differentiator, yet many lenders remain constrained by processes that have not really changed in decades. The solution lies in bridging the gap between automation and risk mitigation. 

Services that allow lenders to break through the automation ceiling while managing risk, by combining advanced data modelling with insurance-backed valuation decisions that enable a significant increase in automated property valuations. With demand for valuations continuing to increase and the widely recognised lack of surveyors being a significant skills shortage in the UK, this will also enable lenders to deploy skilled RICS surveyors more effectively to assess the properties that really need their expertise. 

The question facing the industry is not whether automated valuations should play a greater role, but how we make it happen whilst managing the risk for lenders and maintaining the critical ecosystem of automated and surveyor valuations. Innovation can provide a pathway to faster application to offer processing and earlier certainty for borrowers. 

The conversation on 2 April will be an opportunity to hear about innovation for the future of property risk and valuation alongside the expert insights of a leading mortgage lender who has piloted the solution on the challenges lenders face in increasing automation and wider considerations in doing so. 

The competitive landscape is shifting, and those who embrace innovation will be best positioned to meet and exceed customer expectations. I invite you to join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking and highly relevant session. Register now and be part of the conversation about the future of property risk and valuation.