The landscape of mortgage lending is evolving as the nature of income changes, according to Sat Singh, founder of Cleerly, a mortgage advice and brokerage firm. Singh highlights that traditional lending criteria, designed for straightforward salaried employment, often fail to accurately assess borrowers with diverse or flexible income streams, creating barriers for many applicants in today’s labor market.
“As more people work flexibly—as contractors, business owners, or through multiple income sources—standard PAYE (Pay As You Earn) models no longer reflect the financial realities of many households,” Singh explained. Cleerly specializes in assisting borrowers with complex incomes, including earnings from dividends, retained company profits, day rates, and restricted stock units, which can be challenging for automated high street lending systems to evaluate.
Founded six years ago, Cleerly leverages technology alongside expert human advice to create a more comprehensive view of a borrower’s financial situation. The firm’s digital pre-qualification tools assess a range of factors such as contract length, retained profits, and trading history, helping to match borrowers with suitable lenders. Singh underscored the importance of maintaining close industry relationships, as the mortgage market can shift rapidly.
Currently employing 18 staff, Cleerly serves a broad client base including limited company directors, small business owners, contractors, umbrella payroll providers, seafarers with intermittent offshore employment, and professionals holding equity stakes in companies. The company has attracted £600,000 in investment from Singh and private backers, with forecasts projecting £3 million in turnover for 2027-28 and 25% annual growth.
Cleerly’s approach often enables limited company directors to demonstrate their full earning power, as some lenders consider operating profit after corporation tax alongside salary. The firm also offers protection advice and sees demand rising among creatives, solicitors, and traders.
Singh notes that faster and more efficient service delivery is a key focus as the company plans to expand into second charge and later life lending within the coming year. He expressed hopes that the 2026 Budget will include measures to reduce the tax burden on homes, increase housing supply, and provide additional support for private landlords.
Singh shared an example reflecting the practical impact of Cleerly’s approach: a pharmacist working as a locum, caught in a vulnerable financing position on a standard variable mortgage rate, was able to avoid financial distress through Cleerly’s intervention.
The firm’s blend of technology and in-depth market knowledge aims to provide a clearer path to home ownership for individuals whose income structures fall outside traditional categories.