Cleerly Ltd

Cleerly is a specialist mortgage brokerage founded by former contractors, dedicated to serving the unique financial needs of independent professionals. We understand that working through an umbrella company can often lead to traditional lenders misinterpreting your true earning potential. Our mission is to ensure that those with non-typical incomes are never penalised for the way they work.

With over 20 years of experience, we have pioneered bespoke underwriting relationships with a wide network of lenders. This allows us to secure mortgages based on your contract rate rather than just payslip history, often unlocking higher borrowing limits and exclusive rates. Whether you are a first-time buyer, looking to remortgage, or expanding a buy-to-let portfolio, our expert consultants provide jargon-free guidance tailored to your circumstances. We bridge the gap between complex contractor incomes and mainstream lending to make your property goals a reality.

The client’s challenge: George had recently started a new role as a contractor. He was concerned that his status as a newly hired contractor with a limited trading history would make securing a mortgage difficult, as many traditional lenders require at least two years of accounts or a long-standing contract history.

The approach Cleerly took: Our consultants, Alasdair and Niamh, focused on George’s current contract rate and professional background rather than just his length of time in the new role. By leveraging our specialist lender relationships, we identified a provider comfortable with "day one" or short-term contract history, ensuring the application was positioned correctly from the start.

Measurable results: We managed to streamline the entire process, making it both straightforward and fast. George successfully received a mortgage offer that he was very happy with, despite his initial worries about his employment status. We removed the stress of the "new starter" stigma often found on the high street.

Client feedback: "I was worried that my status as a newly hired contractor would make getting a mortgage tricky, but Alasdair and Niamh made the process extremely straightforward (and fast!), and I received an offer that I'm very happy with."

At Cleerly, our mission is rooted in a fundamental belief that the UK’s independent workforce deserves financial products that reflect their hard work and professional standing. We founded this organisation because we saw a recurring problem: contractors and freelancers, the very people driving innovation across the economy, were being penalised by an outdated mortgage market. Traditional lending criteria often fail to grasp the reality of umbrella company income, viewing it through a lens of instability rather than the high-value professional output it represents. Our goal is to bridge that gap, ensuring that your choice of career path never stands in the way of your property aspirations.

Compliance and trust are the cornerstones of everything we do. In the mortgage industry, trust is earned by being right the first time. We understand that for a contractor, a mortgage application is not just a financial transaction; it is a significant life milestone. Our philosophy is built on absolute transparency and the highest standards of regulatory compliance. By maintaining deep, bespoke underwriting relationships with our lending partners, we ensure that every application is grounded in factual, verifiable data. This rigorous approach to compliance provides our clients with the peace of permission to dream big, knowing their finances are in expert hands.

Innovation is also central to our identity. We do not just accept the market as it is; we actively work to change it. Whether it is through pioneering new ways to assess contract income or utilizing technology to streamline the document gathering process, we are constantly looking for ways to make the complex uncomplicated. We want to remove the "contractor tax" of higher rates and administrative hurdles, replacing them with a seamless, digital-first experience that respects our clients' time.

Our partnership with SafeRec is a natural extension of these values. SafeRec has set the gold standard for transparency and compliance within the umbrella and recruitment sectors. By aligning our specialist mortgage services with their ecosystem, we are creating a circle of protection for the contractor. When a freelancer uses a SafeRec-certified umbrella company and then comes to Cleerly for a mortgage, they are benefitting from a chain of integrity. Both organisations share a common goal: to protect the interests of the worker and ensure they have access to the very best services without fear of hidden risks or ethical compromises.

Looking ahead, my aspirations for the industry are ambitious. I want to see a financial landscape where "non-typical income" is no longer a barrier but a celebrated part of a flexible economy. We are working toward a future where every contractor, from those on their first day of a new assignment to those with decades of experience, can access the same competitive rates as any permanent employee.

For our clients, my promise is simple. We will continue to be your advocates, your experts, and your partners. We will keep pushing boundaries and challenging lenders to see the true value of your work. Together with SafeRec, we are building a more inclusive and transparent future for the entire flexible workforce, ensuring that your professional freedom is matched by financial security and opportunity.