How Mortgage Brokers Can Earn Extra Income with Estate Planning

If you're a mortgage broker, you already have the most valuable asset in estate planning: a steady stream of clients who need wills and LPAs.

Think about it — every client who completes a mortgage purchase has just made the biggest financial commitment of their life. They've bought a property, probably have a partner or family, and they need to protect that investment. Yet most walk away without a will in place.

The natural connection:

• •Every mortgage client owns property that needs protecting
• •They've already trusted you with their finances
• •The conversation flows naturally: "Now you own this home, have you thought about what happens to it if something happens to you?"
• •You're already sat at their kitchen table — the hard part is done

Why it works as a side income:

• •You don't need to leave mortgage broking
• •Estate planning appointments can fill gaps in your diary
• •No FCA regulation (unlike mortgages) — lighter compliance burden
• •Cases can be completed in 1-2 appointments
• •You keep 100% of the fee — no network splits, no proc fee sharing

Let's talk numbers. Estate planning won't replace your mortgage income overnight, but it can provide a significant and consistent secondary revenue stream.

Typical fees per service:

• •Single will: £200–£350
• •Mirror wills (couples): £300–£500
• •Lasting Powers of Attorney (pair): £300–£600
• •Property protection trust: £500–£1,200
• •Comprehensive estate plan (wills + LPAs + trust): £800–£2,000+

Realistic side income scenarios:

| Cases per week | Avg case value | Monthly income | Annual income |

|---|---|---|---|

| 1 case | £400 | £1,600 | £19,200 |

| 2 cases | £500 | £4,000 | £48,000 |

| 3 cases | £600 | £7,200 | £86,400 |

The key advantage: Even just one estate planning case per week — easily achievable from your existing mortgage pipeline — adds nearly £20,000 to your annual income. Two cases per week and you're looking at a serious second income that rivals many full-time salaries.

Most mortgage brokers find that once they start offering estate planning, referrals and repeat business build quickly. Your mortgage clients tell their parents, their friends, their colleagues.

The biggest fear mortgage brokers have is: "Won't it feel awkward bringing up wills?" The answer is no — if you do it right, it feels completely natural.

The best moments to raise estate planning:

1. At mortgage completion — "Congratulations on the new home. One thing I always recommend to my clients: now you own property, it's worth making sure you have a will and LPAs in place. Would you like me to help with that?"

2. During protection conversations — If you already discuss life insurance, critical illness cover, or income protection, estate planning is the logical next step

3. At annual reviews — "Has anything changed in your family situation? Have you reviewed your will recently?"

4. When clients have children — "Now you've got little ones, it's really important to have guardianship wishes documented in a will"

What NOT to do:

• •Don't hard-sell — position it as helpful advice, not a sales pitch
• •Don't bring it up during a stressful mortgage negotiation
• •Don't assume clients already have wills — over 50% of UK adults don't
• •Don't apologise for raising it — you're providing a genuinely valuable service

A simple script that works:

"I work with a lot of homeowners, and one thing I've noticed is that most people don't have their estate planning sorted. I've trained in will writing and LPAs — would it be helpful if I put something together for you?"

The good news: you don't need years of study or expensive qualifications. Estate planning training is much more accessible than the mortgage qualifications you've already completed.

What's required:

• •No formal qualifications are legally required to write wills in England and Wales (unlike mortgages, will writing isn't FCA regulated)
• •Practical training is essential for competence and credibility
• •Professional indemnity insurance is needed before you take on clients
• •Membership of a professional body (like IPW or SWW) adds credibility

The Become an Estate Planner free course covers:

• •Will drafting — from simple to complex
• •Lasting Powers of Attorney — property/financial and health/welfare
• •Trust creation — property protection, discretionary, life interest
• •Client consultation skills
• •Compliance and data protection
• •Using professional drafting software (WILLO)
• •Business setup and marketing

Timeline: Most mortgage brokers complete the training in 4–8 weeks alongside their existing work. You can start taking estate planning clients within 2 months of beginning training.

The advantage you have: As a mortgage broker, you already understand financial products, compliance frameworks, and client consultations. You're not starting from zero — you're adding a complementary skill to an existing toolkit.

One of the best things about estate planning is how seamlessly it fits alongside mortgage broking.

Diary management:

• •Estate planning appointments take 60–90 minutes
• •You can schedule them between mortgage meetings or on quieter days
• •Evening appointments work well (many clients prefer them)
• •No waiting on lenders, valuers, or solicitors — you control the timeline

Practical setup:

• •Software: WILLO handles all document drafting — wills, LPAs, trusts
• •Insurance: Separate PI insurance for estate planning (typically £300–£500/year)
• •Compliance: Join a professional body like IPW (£200–£300/year)
• •Marketing: Your existing mortgage client database is your goldmine

How to keep things simple:

• •Start by offering estate planning to your existing mortgage clients only
• •Don't try to build a separate brand immediately — just add it to your service offering
• •Use your existing business structure (most brokers add it as an additional service)
• •Keep your mortgage CRM and estate planning records separate for compliance

Common concern: "Will my network mind?"

Most mortgage networks have no issue with brokers offering non-regulated services like estate planning alongside their mortgage work. Check your network agreement, but in most cases, estate planning sits outside your mortgage compliance scope entirely.

Ready to add estate planning to your mortgage business? Here's your action plan:

Week 1–2: Learn the basics

• •Sign up for the free Become an Estate Planner training course
• •Start working through the modules alongside your normal mortgage work
• •Get familiar with the types of documents you'll be drafting

Week 3–6: Complete training

• •Finish the training programme
• •Practice with case studies and example scenarios
• •Learn the WILLO software for document drafting

Week 6–8: Set up your practice

• •Arrange professional indemnity insurance
• •Join a professional body (IPW recommended for new practitioners)
• •Set up your client engagement letters and terms of business
• •Update your marketing materials to mention estate planning

Week 8+: Start taking clients

• •Contact your last 20 mortgage completions — offer a free estate planning review
• •Add an estate planning conversation to every new mortgage meeting
• •Ask satisfied clients for referrals
• •Watch your pipeline build naturally

The investment is minimal: Free training, approximately £500–£800 for insurance and professional membership, and the time to learn. Compare that to what you spent getting your CeMAP qualification — estate planning training is far simpler and faster.

Start the free training today and add a valuable new income stream to your mortgage business.