Getting Your First Estate Planning Client as a Mortgage Advisor

You do not need to find new clients to start in estate planning. The clients you already have — particularly those who recently completed on a property — are the perfect starting point. They already trust you. They already know you. And they almost certainly need estate planning services.

Think about it from the client's perspective:

They have just bought a property — likely the biggest asset they will ever own. Their mortgage advisor (you) helped them through a complex, stressful process. They are grateful. They trust your judgement. And now they are sitting in a new home with:

• •No will to say who inherits the property if they die
• •No Lasting Power of Attorney in case they lose mental capacity
• •A joint mortgage but potentially no protection for the surviving partner
• •Life insurance (which you may have arranged) but possibly no trust to keep it outside their estate
• •Children who would have no legal guardian named if the worst happened

Every one of these is an estate planning need. And you are the person best placed to raise these issues because you already understand their financial situation intimately.

The numbers are compelling:

• •70-80% of UK adults do not have a will
• •90%+ do not have Lasting Powers of Attorney
• •Almost no one has put their life insurance in trust (unless their advisor arranged it)
• •Most joint property owners do not understand how their property is held or what happens on death

Your competitive advantage:

You are not cold-calling strangers. You are not trying to convince someone to trust you. You are reaching out to someone who already considers you their trusted financial professional. This is the easiest possible start to an estate planning practice.

The question is not "will they need estate planning?" — virtually all of them do. The question is simply "how do I raise it?" That is what the next section covers.

The biggest barrier for most mortgage advisors is not the knowledge — it is the awkwardness of raising death and incapacity with clients. Here is exactly how to do it naturally, without feeling like you are selling something.

The post-completion follow-up call:

Call your client 2-4 weeks after they have moved in. This is a natural touchpoint that any good advisor would make.

"Hi [Name], it is [Your Name] here. I just wanted to check in and see how the move went. Are you all settled in? ... Great. Listen, now that the dust has settled, there are a couple of things I always flag with clients after they have completed on a property. Have you got two minutes? ... So, you have now got a significant asset in [property address]. I always think it is important for clients to make sure the right protections are in place. Have you and [partner's name] got up-to-date wills? ... And what about Lasting Powers of Attorney — have you got those sorted?"

What happens next (in 90% of cases):

They say no. They might say "we keep meaning to do it" or "we have not got around to it" or "what is an LPA?" This is your moment — not to sell, but to educate.

"That is really common — most people mean to sort it but never quite get around to it. The reason I mention it is that without a will, your property might not go to who you expect. And without LPAs, if either of you had an accident or illness, no one could manage your finances or make decisions about your care — not even your husband/wife. It can get really difficult for families. I have actually started offering estate planning services alongside my mortgage work. Would you like me to pop round and go through it with you? No obligation — I will just explain what you might need and you can decide if you want to go ahead."

Key principles:

• •Lead with concern, not commerce. You are flagging a genuine risk, not pitching a product.
• •Use their specific situation. "Your property at 14 Oak Lane" is more powerful than "your assets."
• •Normalise the gap. "Most people have not done this" removes any embarrassment.
• •Offer a no-obligation visit. This removes pressure and makes them more likely to agree.
• •Do not discuss pricing on the phone. Wait until you are face-to-face and have explained the full value.

For clients you have not spoken to recently:

Send a letter or email:

"Dear [Name], I hope you are enjoying [property address]. As your mortgage advisor, I helped you secure your biggest asset — and I wanted to make sure it is properly protected. I have expanded my services to include wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, and estate planning, and I would love to offer you a free review of your current situation. If you would like to book a no-obligation conversation, please call me on [number] or reply to this email."

This approach generates 15-25% response rates — significantly higher than any cold marketing.

Getting from zero to your first 10 estate planning clients is a specific challenge that requires a specific plan. Here is the roadmap that works for mortgage advisors.

Clients 1-3: Your warmest contacts

Start with people you have the strongest relationships with. These might be:

• •A family member or close friend (offer them a discounted "friends and family" rate)
• •Your most recent mortgage client who you have a great rapport with
• •A long-standing client you have helped with multiple remortgages

These first 1-3 cases are not about profit. They are about:

• •Practising your consultation process
• •Getting comfortable with the software (WILLO)
• •Building confidence in explaining estate planning concepts
• •Getting your first testimonials and Google reviews

Clients 4-7: Recent completions

Go through your last 12 months of completed mortgage cases. Identify couples aged 30-65 who bought a property — especially:

• •First-time buyers (almost certainly have no wills)
• •Families with children (urgently need guardianship provisions and LPAs)
• •People who took out life insurance through you (perfect segue: "is that insurance in trust?")
• •Couples with one higher earner (estate planning conversations are very relevant)

Call 20 of these clients. Expect 5-8 to book a consultation. Expect 4-6 of those to proceed. You now have 4-6 paying clients plus the 1-3 discounted ones.

Clients 8-10: Referrals from the first seven

If you have delivered excellent service to your first 7 clients, ask each one: "Do you know anyone else who might benefit from sorting their wills and LPAs? I am building my estate planning practice and referrals really help."

Even if only 3-4 of your first 7 clients refer one person each, that gives you clients 8-10.

Timeline:

• •Week 1-2: Complete your free training and practise with WILLO
• •Week 3: Do your first 1-2 cases (friends/family)
• •Week 4-6: Call 20 recent mortgage clients and book consultations
• •Week 6-10: Complete those consultations and cases
• •Week 8-12: Follow up for referrals

By week 12, you should have 8-12 completed cases. That is roughly £3,500-£7,000 in additional revenue alongside your mortgage work — from a standing start.

Pricing is one of the biggest sources of anxiety for mortgage advisors entering estate planning. You are used to being paid by lenders and providers — now you are charging the client directly. Here is how to get pricing right from the start.

Standard market rates for estate planning (2026):

• •Single will: £200-£350
• •Mirror wills (couple): £350-£500
• •Single LPA: £200-£300 (plus OPG registration fee of £92)
• •Pair of LPAs (one person): £350-£500 (plus £184 OPG fees)
• •LPAs for a couple (4 documents): £600-£900 (plus £368 OPG fees)
• •Property protection trust: £300-£500 (often included in will price)
• •Comprehensive package (mirror wills + 4 LPAs + trusts): £1,200-£2,000

Pricing strategy for your first cases:

• •Cases 1-3 (friends and family): Offer a 30-50% discount. Be transparent: "I am building my estate planning practice and I would like to offer you a reduced rate in exchange for honest feedback and a Google review." Typical: £150-£250 for mirror wills, £500-£800 for a full package.
• •Cases 4-7 (existing mortgage clients): Offer a 10-20% "existing client" discount. This rewards their loyalty and makes the yes decision easier. Typical: £300-£400 for mirror wills, £900-£1,400 for a full package.
• •Cases 8+: Charge full rates. You now have experience, testimonials, and confidence.

How to present pricing:

Never discuss price before explaining value. In your consultation, first go through everything they need and why. Then present the price as an investment:

"Based on everything we have discussed, I recommend mirror wills with property protection trusts and LPAs for both of you. This covers all the bases — your property is protected, your children are provided for, and if anything happens health-wise, [partner] can manage things without the courts getting involved. The total for everything is £1,400, and that includes me handling all the paperwork, the signing meeting, and your LPA registrations. The only additional cost is the Office of the Public Guardian fee of £92 per LPA — that is a government charge I cannot waive."

Do not undercharge:

New estate planners often undercharge out of insecurity. Resist this. Your clients just paid £1,500+ in mortgage arrangement fees without blinking. Estate planning is protecting everything they have worked for — it is worth paying a professional rate for. If you undercharge, clients actually trust you less because they assume you must be inexperienced.

Every mortgage advisor who adds estate planning feels like a fraud at the beginning. You will sit in front of your first client thinking: "Who am I to be giving estate planning advice? I was doing mortgages last month." This feeling is completely normal — and completely wrong.

Why you are more qualified than you think:

• •You already understand property ownership, joint tenancies, and financial products better than most will writers
• •You are trained in regulated advice-giving — compliance, suitability, fact-finding
• •You understand client vulnerability and the importance of clear communication
• •You know how to run a consultation, ask probing questions, and recommend appropriate solutions
• •The free training at Become an Estate Planner gives you the specific estate planning knowledge — your existing skills provide everything else

Practical confidence builders:

• •Role-play consultations. Before your first real client, practise with a friend or family member. Go through the entire process: fact-find, explanation, document discussion, pricing. Do this 2-3 times until it feels natural.
• •Master WILLO. Complete at least 3 practice cases on the software before seeing a real client. Knowing the software inside out eliminates 80% of the anxiety — you will not be fumbling with technology while trying to appear competent.
• •Prepare a fact-find script. Write down every question you will ask, in order. In your first few consultations, having this in front of you is not unprofessional — it is thorough. Clients appreciate that you are being systematic.
• •Accept imperfection. Your first case will not be flawless. You might take longer than experienced practitioners, you might need to check something afterwards, and you might stumble over an explanation. This is fine. What matters is accuracy (the software ensures this) and client care (this is your natural strength).

What clients actually care about:

Clients are not comparing you to a solicitor with 30 years of experience. They are comparing you to doing nothing — which is what 80% of people do. They want someone who:

• •Takes the time to understand their situation
• •Explains things clearly without jargon
• •Is friendly, approachable, and not intimidating
• •Produces professional documents
• •Is available and responsive

You already tick all of these boxes from your mortgage experience. The estate planning knowledge layer on top is what the training provides.

The confidence tipping point:

Most mortgage advisors report that confidence arrives after case 3-5. By then, you have heard similar client situations multiple times, you know the software, and you can explain the concepts without thinking. By case 10, estate planning feels as natural as arranging a mortgage. By case 20, you wonder why you did not start sooner.

Getting your first client is one thing. Building a consistent estate planning income alongside (or instead of) your mortgage work is the real goal. Here is how to scale from occasional to regular.

Phase 1: Alongside mortgage work (months 1-6)

• •Raise estate planning with every mortgage client at the protection stage
• •Add an estate planning section to your post-completion follow-up process
• •Aim for 3-5 estate planning cases per month alongside your mortgage work
• •Revenue target: £1,500-£3,000/month extra income
• •Time investment: 1-2 days per week (consultations and document preparation)

Phase 2: Growing the estate planning side (months 6-12)

• •Build referral partnerships with 2-3 accountants and other local professionals
• •Start collecting Google reviews (aim for 15+ by month 12)
• •Create a simple website or add an estate planning page to your existing site
• •Give 1-2 community talks to local groups
• •Aim for 6-10 estate planning cases per month
• •Revenue target: £3,000-£6,000/month from estate planning alone
• •Time investment: 2-3 days per week

Phase 3: Making the decision (month 12+)

By month 12, you have the data to make a clear decision:

• •If estate planning is generating more per hour than mortgages, consider shifting more time towards it
• •If you enjoy estate planning more than mortgages (most people do — less compliance, no last-minute collapses, grateful clients), consider going full-time
• •If you want to keep both, systemise the estate planning side so it runs efficiently alongside your mortgage work

The maths that matter:

Mortgage income: Typical proc fee £500-£1,500 per case, 3-5 cases per month = £1,500-£7,500/month. But mortgages require sourcing, compliance, and the risk of cases falling through.

Estate planning income: Average case £500-£900, 8-12 cases per month = £4,000-£10,800/month. No cases fall through, no compliance rework, no sourcing time, and clients pay at point of service.

Many mortgage advisors find that estate planning delivers equal or higher income with significantly less stress. The free training at Become an Estate Planner gives you everything you need to get started — and the transition can be as gradual or as rapid as you choose.

The key insight:

You do not need to commit to anything permanent. Start by offering estate planning to your existing mortgage clients. If it works (and it almost always does), grow it. If you love it (and most advisors do), you can gradually shift your whole practice. There is no risk — only upside.