Precise Launches New Residential Mortgage Platform Cutting Offer Times by 30%

Precise, the specialist lending arm of OSB Group, has launched a new residential mortgage platform designed to eliminate the traditional friction between manual underwriting and digital efficiency. For fintech professionals, this represents a significant shift in the specialist market, where complex cases are increasingly being handled by high-speed, automated technology to drastically reduce offer turnaround times.

What was announced

The new residential mortgage platform from Precise combines enhanced technology with the firm’s existing specialist underwriting expertise. The primary objective is to streamline the application journey for complex residential cases, which typically require more manual intervention than standard mortgage products. During a pilot phase conducted with intermediary partners, the platform demonstrated a nearly 30% reduction in average application-to-offer times. Furthermore, application-to-completion times were reduced by approximately one-third, with some specific cases moving from initial submission to a formal offer in under 24 hours.

The platform introduces several technical enhancements to better accommodate the nuances of specialist borrowers. These include dedicated support for adverse credit assessments, the ability to process joint applications more efficiently, and more refined product segmentation. The technology underpinning this launch is not entirely new to the OSB Group ecosystem; it already supports customer journeys through Rely, the group’s buy-to-let lending brand. However, the system has been specifically tailored for Precise and its intermediary partners following extensive feedback from brokers. The development phase included a pilot with members of the HLP network, ensuring the final interface and workflow were optimized for advisers managing non-standard residential applications.

"This launch fundamentally changes the way we do specialist lending and is a significant step forward. For too long, brokers with complex residential cases have had to choose between the specialist expertise they need and the speed and certainty they want. Our platform has reduced average application-to-offer times by almost 30%, and in some cases, we’re issuing offers within 24 hours."

Emily Hollands, Group Head of Intermediary Sales and Distribution at Precise.

The companies involved

Precise is a prominent specialist lender in the UK market, operating as part of the wider OSB Group (OSB GROUP PLC). The parent company, which maintains a significant presence in the specialist mortgage and savings sectors, also operates the buy-to-let brand Rely. OSB Group is a major player in the UK financial services landscape, focusing on market segments that are often underserved by larger, mainstream retail banks. The group’s digital strategy focuses on leveraging shared technology platforms across its various lending brands to improve intermediary experiences.

HLP, also known as HLPartnership, is a major UK mortgage and protection network. It supports a community of more than 1,000 mortgage advisers across the country, providing them with the regulatory framework and technology tools needed to serve their clients. Matt Brown, the Propositions Director at HLPartnership, played a key role in the pilot phase of the Precise platform, ensuring that the technology met the practical needs of high-volume mortgage intermediaries who specialize in complex borrower profiles.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the evolving landscape of specialist lending and the executive shifts driving digital transformation across the sector. We previously reported on Pepper Money Appoints Michael Walsh to Lead Scottish Expansion Ahead of First Charge Launch, highlighting the competitive pressure among specialist lenders to expand their regional footprints and product ranges. Additionally, our coverage of the broader fintech advisory space includes RiseUp Accelerates Growth With Appointment of Three Fintech Veterans to Advisory Board, reflecting the industry-wide trend of bringing in veteran expertise to guide high-growth technology initiatives.

What this means

This announcement moves the needle by challenging the long-held industry assumption that "specialist" must mean "slow." By bringing 24-hour offer times to the complex residential space, Precise is putting immense pressure on other specialist lenders who still rely on legacy manual processes. The move signals that the "specialist" tag is no longer a valid excuse for poor digital UX. However, it raises a critical question for the sector: as underwriting becomes increasingly automated to meet these new speed benchmarks, can lenders maintain the same level of nuanced risk assessment for adverse credit borrowers that manual human intervention once guaranteed?