I recommend the mortgage broker route for several reasons:

#1: Brokers get to hear about many deals that are never offered publicly

#2: Brokers know about the different criteria used by lenders and can steer you towards those most appropriate for you

#3: They can advise you on all the steps of the process and help you with the paperwork
That said, I do not think many people need the services of a mortgage broker who charges a fee. Most brokers get 'procuration fees' from lenders, typically 0.25% to 0.5% of the loan. This is sufficient to cover the provision of an advisory service for the vast majority of straightforward lending cases.
But I also think you should avoid brokers who do not have access to the whole lending market - and there are many small local brokers who are effectively tied to a small panel of lenders. A 'whole of market' broker in contrast has access to the vast majority of available loans.

Find me a broker

Switching from paying a typical Standard Variable Rate of around 6.75% to a fixed rate deal of 5.29% could save you £1,693 in just two years. Over five years that saving climbs to a massive £4,234.

Thursday, February 02, 2006
by Chris Gilchrist.

Hundreds of thousands of people who are still paying the Standard Variable Rates of high street mortgage lenders could save thousands by switching to better deals. This remains the single simplest way to improve your family finances. I keep writing about it because we keep hearing from people who have saved money this way and I know there are lots more who could also benefit.
I explained recently how mortgage lenders exploit borrowers through the use of Standard Variable Rates, which they can change to suit themselves. But there are scores of mortgage lenders offering literally hundreds of different mortgage deals at lower rates. The bottom line is that hundreds of thousands of people could easily save 2% a year on their mortgages - £2,000 a year on a £100,000 mortgage. And that understates the value of the saving since you pay mortgage interest out of your net income. As a standard rate taxpayer, you'd need a pay rise of nearly £3,000 a year to equal the net benefit of saving £2,000 on your mortgage outgoings.
Many people are put off the idea of switching mortgages because it seems complicated. Well, selecting the best mortgage deal certainly isn't easy. Our Best Buy mortgage tables only give brief summaries of the offers available, and things like lending and valuation criteria vary widely. So either you need to devote quite a bit of time to your own research, or use a reputable mortgage broker.