How Mortgage Advisors Can Start Their Own Estate Planning Business

The mortgage industry has changed. Networks take bigger cuts, compliance costs spiral, and you're working harder for less. Meanwhile, you're building someone else's brand and client bank. Sound familiar?

Common frustrations we hear from mortgage advisors:

• •Network fees eating 30-50% of your gross commission
• •Compliance costs and PI insurance premiums rising every year
• •Lender criteria changes making cases harder to place
• •Pipeline anxiety when the housing market slows
• •Feeling like you're building the network's business, not your own
• •Limited control over your client relationships
• •Pressure to sell add-ons and products you don't believe in

What estate planning offers instead:

• •100% of every fee you charge goes to you
• •No network fees, no compliance levies, no lender panel costs
• •Work isn't dependent on interest rates or housing market conditions
• •You build YOUR brand and YOUR client bank from day one
• •Simple compliance — no FCA authorisation needed
• •Freedom to work when, where, and how you choose
• •A service people genuinely need and appreciate

The mortgage advisors who've made this transition tell us the same thing: "I wish I'd done it years ago."

One of the biggest advantages of estate planning over mortgage advice is the dramatically lower cost to set up independently.

Starting an independent mortgage brokerage:

• •FCA authorisation: £1,500-£5,000+
• •Network membership: £200-£500/month ongoing
• •Sourcing systems: £50-£200/month
• •PI insurance: £1,500-£5,000+/year
• •Compliance support: £200-£500/month
• •CRM/back office: £100-£300/month
• •Total first year: £10,000-£20,000+

Starting an estate planning practice:

• •Training: FREE (with Become an Estate Planner)
• •WILLO software: Purpose-built, affordable
• •PI insurance: £300-£600/year
• •Professional body membership (optional): £200-£400/year
• •Basic website: £0-£500
• •Business cards/marketing: £100-£300
• •Total first year: £600-£1,500

That's a difference of £8,000-£18,000+ in your first year alone. With estate planning, you're profitable from your very first case. No months of setup costs before you can earn.

And with our free training programme, you're not paying thousands for a course before you even know if this career suits you. Complete the training, try the work, and only invest in insurance and setup when you're ready to take clients.

Here's exactly how to go from mortgage advisor to practising estate planner:

Week 1-6: Training (while still doing mortgages)

1. Register for our free training at Become an Estate Planner

2. Complete 8 modules covering wills, LPAs, trusts, and business skills

3. Work through case studies and practical exercises

4. Study in evenings/weekends — most people need 20 hours total

Week 6-7: Business Setup

1. Decide your business structure (sole trader is fine to start)

2. Register with HMRC for self-assessment

3. Get professional indemnity insurance

4. Set up WILLO — our purpose-built estate planning software

5. Create a simple website or social media presence

6. Order business cards and basic marketing materials

Week 7-8: Launch

1. Announce your new service to existing mortgage clients

2. Contact past clients who need estate planning

3. Set up referral arrangements with other professionals

4. Book your first appointments

5. Draft your first documents using WILLO

Month 3+: Growth

1. Build referral partnerships (solicitors, accountants, funeral directors)

2. Develop your online presence and local marketing

3. Consider joining IPW or SWW for professional credibility

4. Attend local networking events

5. Ask every happy client for referrals

The beauty of this timeline is that you can do everything alongside your existing mortgage work. No need to quit your job and hope for the best.

Unlike starting a mortgage business from scratch, you have a massive advantage: an existing network of people who already trust you with financial decisions.

Your immediate warm market:

1. Past mortgage clients — Every homeowner needs a will. Send a simple letter or email:

"As well as helping with mortgages, I now offer professional will writing and estate planning. Given that you own property, this is something worth considering. I'd love to have a no-obligation chat."

2. Current clients in the pipeline — Add estate planning to your mortgage conversation naturally

3. Other professionals you know:

• •Solicitors (who don't do private client work)
• •Accountants (who have clients with assets to protect)
• •Insurance brokers
• •Financial advisors who don't offer estate planning
• •Funeral directors
• •Care home managers

4. Local community:

• •Parish council noticeboards
• •Local Facebook groups
• •Community centres and libraries
• •Rotary clubs and similar organisations

First-month target: 5-10 cases is realistic for a mortgage advisor with an existing network. At an average of £500-£800 per case, that's £2,500-£8,000 in your first month — with zero marketing spend.

Coming from the mortgage world, you're used to complex sourcing systems and back-office software that costs a fortune. WILLO is different — it's purpose-built for estate planners and designed to be simple, efficient, and affordable.

What WILLO does for you:

• •Document drafting — Create professional wills, LPAs, and trust deeds with guided templates
• •Client management — Track cases, store client information, and manage your pipeline
• •Fact-find system — Comprehensive client questionnaires that capture everything you need
• •Compliance — Built-in audit trails and record-keeping
• •Scheduling — Manage appointments and follow-ups
• •Document storage — Secure cloud storage for all client files

Why mortgage advisors love WILLO:

• •It's intuitive — if you can use a sourcing system, you can use WILLO
• •Works on any device — perfect for home visits with a tablet or laptop
• •Professional output — documents look like they came from a solicitor's office
• •No complex setup — get started within minutes of registering
• •Built by estate planners for estate planners

Compared to mortgage software:

• •No monthly £200+ fees for basic functionality
• •No separate CRM subscription needed
• •No integration headaches between multiple systems
• •Everything in one place: client data, documents, compliance, and scheduling

WILLO is available at £150/month as part of the Become an Estate Planner ecosystem, designed specifically for professionals transitioning into estate planning.

You don't have to choose between mortgages and estate planning overnight. Most mortgage advisors we work with take one of three approaches:

Option 1: Gradual transition (most popular)

• •Keep doing mortgages while building estate planning on the side
• •Add estate planning to every mortgage conversation
• •Gradually reduce mortgage work as EP income grows
• •Fully transition when estate planning income matches or exceeds mortgage income
• •Timeline: 6-18 months

Option 2: Full switch

• •Complete training, set up business, and go all-in
• •Best if you have 3-6 months of savings as a buffer
• •Fastest path to building a full estate planning practice
• •Timeline: 2-3 months from training to earning

Option 3: Permanent hybrid

• •Keep both services permanently
• •Offer mortgage clients estate planning, and estate planning clients mortgage reviews
• •Maximise revenue per client
• •Become a true "one-stop shop" for property and estate matters
• •Timeline: Ongoing

Which is right for you?

Most mortgage advisors choose Option 1 because it's lowest risk. You don't give up any income while you build. If estate planning isn't for you (rare, but possible), you haven't burned any bridges. But if it takes off (which it usually does), you have a clear path to full independence.

Register for our free training today and start exploring whether estate planning could be your route to true business independence.