The move follows consultation with existing intermediaries and reflects their desire for a single point of entry to the Group for all the RBS mortgage brands - The One account, First Active, The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest. Each of the four brands will focus on a specific market segment and importantly, intermediaries will benefit from a single point of contact for their sales and service needs rather than four.
This new approach takes effect from 14 February 2006.
The change of approach comes as a direct result of in-depth consultation with intermediaries. Jayne-Anne Gadhia, managing director of RBS Intermediary Partners commented: “We recognise how important our intermediary partners are to the success of our mortgage business and in deciding our new approach. We’ve spent time listening to their requirements and how they’d like us to do things differently.
“As a result, RBS Intermediary Partners will offer intermediaries a simpler and more straightforward way of doing business with us. They will benefit from a single product range, with the role of each brand clearly defined within it, and one sales and service operation to support them.
“Between now and 14 February we will talk to all our intermediary partners, at a national and local level, on what our approach means for them. In the meantime, we look forward to establishing RBS Intermediary Partners as an exciting and influential force in the intermediary marketplace.”
Each brand will focus on specific market segments. First Active will champion remortgaging, The Royal Bank of Scotland brand will focus on mortgages for house purchase, NatWest becomes the brand for specialist lending and The One account retains its positioning in the current account and flexible mortgage sector.