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Mortgage brokers reviewed
Habito is a fee-free digital mortgage broker with access to 90+ lenders. Here's our independent look at what it offers, what it costs, and how it compares.
Habito is a fee-free digital mortgage broker that gives customers access to over 90 lenders and 20,000+ mortgage deals. It holds a 4.9 out of 5 Trustpilot rating from more than 10,000 reviews and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Overall, Habito is a solid choice if you want fee-free advice through a modern, easy-to-use platform, though if your circumstances are complex or you'd rather speak to someone in person, it's worth comparing alternatives too.
If you're researching Habito mortgages, you'll come across Habito fairly quickly. It's one of the UK's best-known digital mortgage brokers, and in this review we look at what it offers, what it costs, and how it compares with other online brokers.
Habito is a digital mortgage broker headquartered in London that launched in 2016 with a mission to make mortgages easier, fairer, and simpler. It was founded by Daniel Hegarty, who was inspired to start the company after his own frustrating experience getting a mortgage.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
Best for: first-time buyers, remortgagers, and anyone who wants a fully online experience with no broker fees.
Consider alternatives if: you have complex circumstances, prefer face-to-face meetings, or need specialist support for adverse credit.
Bottom line: Habito delivers a straightforward digital mortgage broking service. Comparing deals from a wide range of lenders, combined with strong customer reviews, makes it a solid option for many homebuyers, though a purely online service won't suit everyone.
Before founding Habito, Daniel Hegarty worked at Wonga in various senior roles, including Head of Decision Science. Ying Tan brings close to 20 years of mortgage industry experience. Habito has raised more than £68 million in funding from investors including Atomico, Augmentum Fintech, SBI Investment, and Ribbit Capital.
In December 2025, Monzo announced its intention to acquire Habito, which would make the digital bank the first UK lender to offer fully integrated mortgage broking within its own app. The acquisition is expected to complete in spring 2026, subject to regulatory approval. For now, Habito continues to operate independently.
Habito (registered as Hey Habito Ltd) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check this on the Financial Services Register.
This regulation means Habito must meet strict standards for customer care, advice quality, and complaint handling. If something goes wrong, you're protected by the Financial Ombudsman Service and may be eligible for compensation through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Mortgage types
Habito's core broking service has no broker fee. It earns commission from the lender when you complete a mortgage through them, which is standard practice across the industry. The difference with some other brokers is that they charge you a fee on top of that commission, whereas Habito doesn't.
Habito compares deals from a wide range of lenders, including some it doesn't have a commercial relationship with. If the most suitable deal for you is with a lender Habito can't directly arrange, it will tell you and let you approach that lender directly.
Habito became a lender in its own right in 2019. Its best-known product, Habito One, offers a fixed rate for terms of up to 40 years, among the longest available in the UK, giving borrowers certainty over their monthly payments for the whole mortgage term.
Habito's brokerage and lending arms are formally separated, so its mortgage experts are required to recommend the most suitable product for you regardless of whether it's a Habito product or from another lender.
Compare your options
We compare a wide range of lenders and brokers to help you find options that match your circumstances.
Habito's own broking service has no broker fee.
Habito makes money through procurement fees (commission) paid by lenders when you take out a mortgage. This is standard practice across the industry, and it doesn't affect the rate you're offered.
Habito Plus is a paid service that bundles together mortgage advice and application, a property survey (HomeBuyer Report), conveyancing and legal work, and a dedicated case manager.
You pay an initial £999 once your mortgage application is submitted, with the remainder due on completion. If your purchase falls through, part of that initial fee can be put towards your next property.
While Habito's own service has no fee, you'll still pay any fees charged by the lender you choose, which typically include:
Your Habito expert will explain all fees before you commit to any product.
Even where a broker's own service has no fee, always check the lender's arrangement and valuation fees before you commit. These can add hundreds of pounds to the overall cost of a mortgage, and they vary a lot between lenders.
Step by step
Complete the online questionnaire
A 10-15 minute form covering your property situation, how much you want to borrow, your income and outgoings, and your deposit or equity position. This stage doesn't involve a credit check.
Speak with a mortgage expert
You're connected with a Habito mortgage expert by live chat, phone, or email. They're available Monday to Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm, and closed on Sundays.
Get your decision in principle
Habito aims to get you a decision in principle within 24-48 hours. A soft credit check is carried out at this stage, which won't affect your credit score.
Submit your full application
Once you've chosen a mortgage product, you'll upload documents such as proof of ID, address, and income to your secure Habito account, and your expert submits everything to the lender.
Complete to keys
Your expert keeps you updated throughout underwriting, which typically takes 2-4 weeks, chasing the lender and helping resolve any issues that come up.
Habito's customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive, but it's worth understanding what people praise and what they criticise.
Overall: around 4.9 out of 5 from over 10,300 reviews.
Alternatives
Verdict: Habito edges ahead with a larger lender panel, stronger reviews, and the Habito Plus option. Better.co.uk (formerly Trussle) is still a solid choice if you want a quick, no-frills comparison.
Verdict: choose Habito if you prefer digital communication and evening availability. Choose L&C if you prefer phone-based service or have a more complex situation.
Verdict: Habito wins on cost and convenience. Local brokers win on personal relationships, complex cases, and local market knowledge.
No single broker has access to every lender in the market.
First-time buyers. The guided process, jargon-free explanations, and round-the-clock availability make Habito particularly good for those new to mortgages.
Remortgagers with straightforward situations. If your fixed rate is ending and you want to find a better deal quickly, Habito's efficient online process is hard to beat.
Tech-savvy borrowers. If you're comfortable managing things online and prefer messaging to phone calls, Habito's digital-first approach will suit you.
Time-poor professionals. You can complete forms late at night, upload documents from your phone, and chat with experts around your own schedule.
Buy-to-let investors. Habito can help with standard buy-to-let, portfolio landlords, limited company structures, and HMOs.
Complex credit history. Habito's algorithm-first approach may struggle with very complex cases, and a specialist adverse credit broker might get better results. If you're worried about problem debt, free and impartial guidance is available from MoneyHelper on 0800 138 7777.
Unusual income situations. Contractors, self-employed people with less than two years' accounts, or those with multiple income sources may find a broker with specific expertise more helpful.
A preference for face-to-face meetings. Habito is entirely online, with no branch network, so you'll need a traditional broker if you want to sit down with someone in person.
Very high-value properties. For mortgages above £1 million, a private bank or specialist high-net-worth broker may offer a better service.
If your case doesn't fit a standard lending profile, an algorithm-led broker isn't always the best starting point. Speak to an advisor who can compare specialist lenders and explain which ones are more flexible about your circumstances.
Understanding what to expect helps you prepare and can speed up your application.
These are typical timescales. Complex cases or busy periods may take longer.
What you'll need
Before you apply
Habito has built a strong reputation as one of the UK's leading digital mortgage brokers. The combination of a wide lender panel, no broker fee, and consistently positive customer reviews makes it a strong option for most people looking for a mortgage.
Habito could work well if you:
Consider other options if you:
For many first-time buyers, remortgagers, and buy-to-let investors with fairly standard circumstances, Habito offers a genuinely convenient service. If your situation is more complex, or you simply want to compare Habito against other options, speaking to an independent advisor can help you weigh up the alternatives.
Habito is one of several digital mortgage brokers worth considering. At Money Saving Advisors, we help you compare your choices, including specialist mortgage advisors who search a wide range of lenders.
Common questions
Yes. Habito's mortgage advice and application service has no broker fee. It's paid commission by lenders when you complete a mortgage, but this doesn't add to your costs - you pay the same rate as going direct to the lender. The only paid service is Habito Plus, its home-buying package, which starts at around £2,000.
Yes. Habito is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This means it must follow strict rules about treating customers fairly and giving suitable advice. You can check any firm's status on the Financial Conduct Authority's Financial Services Register.
The initial online questionnaire doesn't involve a credit check. When you apply for a decision in principle, Habito performs a soft search that won't affect your credit score. A full, hard credit check only happens when you submit a formal mortgage application.
Habito can help with some credit issues, but its technology-driven approach is generally better suited to straightforward cases. If you have more serious debt problems or a complex credit history, a specialist adverse credit broker may get you better results.
The initial questionnaire takes around 10-15 minutes to complete. A decision in principle typically takes 24-48 hours. The full mortgage process from application to offer usually takes 4-6 weeks, though this varies depending on lender workloads and the complexity of your case.
For most people, yes. Habito compares deals from 90+ lenders, including banks and building societies, so you're more likely to find a suitable deal than by looking at a single bank's products alone. You also get expert guidance throughout the process. The main exception is if you already have a particularly good relationship with your bank that gives you preferential terms.
Yes, though you'll typically need 2 years of accounts or SA302s. Habito can search for lenders with more flexible self-employed criteria, but if you have less than 2 years' trading history or an unusual income structure, a specialist self-employed mortgage broker might offer better options.
If Habito's lender panel can't offer you a suitable mortgage, it will tell you honestly. If a better deal exists elsewhere, it will let you know so you can approach that lender directly. It won't put you forward for an unsuitable product just to earn commission.
Monzo announced in December 2025 that it intends to acquire Habito. The deal is expected to complete in spring 2026, subject to regulatory approval. For now, Habito continues to operate as normal, and existing customers shouldn't see any immediate changes.
You can reach Habito by live chat on its website, by phone on 0330 223 0996, or by email through your Habito account. Mortgage experts are available Monday to Thursday 9am-9pm, and Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm.
Standard Habito is a mortgage broking service with no broker fee. It helps you find and apply for a mortgage. Habito Plus, from around £2,000, is an all-in-one home-buying service that also includes a property survey, conveyancing, and a dedicated case manager.
Yes. Habito offers buy-to-let services including standard buy-to-let, portfolio landlord mortgages, limited company (SPV) buy-to-let, HMOs, and holiday lets. It searches across specialist buy-to-let lenders as well as mainstream providers. Most buy-to-let mortgages aren't regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Habito handles remortgages in the same way as purchase mortgages. It searches for suitable deals across its lender panel and handles the application process. Remortgages are often simpler than purchases since there's no chain involved.
Habito doesn't have a dedicated mobile app, but its website is fully mobile-optimised. You can complete your application, upload documents, and chat with experts from your phone. If the Monzo acquisition completes, Habito's services may eventually be integrated into the Monzo app.
Habito's mortgage experts are available Monday to Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday 9am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-5pm. An automated chat assistant is available at other times for basic queries.
What our clients say
Shortly after I spoke with Anna, she was also very helpful and made it effortless and a nice experience.
Had a really good experience regarding arranging a secured loan. They introduced me to a great advisor. Thanks for the help.
For once a loan transaction without stress and complications. Very impressed and highly recommended.
Thrilled to share my exceptional experience with Money Saving Advisors. The website made it incredibly simple and easy to connect with an advisor. They helped me find the best deal on my remortgage and secured a very competitive interest rate!
Great advice and money saved on mortgage.
I have previously declined a loan of the value I needed from various brokers, but this website found me a reputable broker with surprisingly decent rates.
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