7 Hard Truths Every Finance Broker Must Know About 100% Build Funding, Reviews.io Scores and "Unlimited" Promises

1. Why this list matters: when Loans Engine funds 100% of build costs and online scores shape client choices

If you broker property finance, the market has shifted fast. A lender offering to fund 100% of build costs where clients already own the land sounds like a gift. Online review platforms like Reviews.io now steer customer behaviour, and the word "unlimited" is being tossed around so casually it has lost meaning. Put those three together and you have a mix of opportunity and hazard that will either grow your book or blow it up.

This list cuts straight to the practical checks, negotiation points and sale-process changes you need to implement this week. Expect no fluff, no sales-speak, just the things you can do to protect your clients and your commissions. Each item is aimed at seasoned brokers who want concrete next steps - what to ask underwriters, how to verify review signals, where "unlimited" hides limits, and how to close deals that stand up to due diligence.

Read this and you will know what to stop doing, what to double down on, and how to benchmark a lender's 100% build funding offer against risk. If you leave this thinking it was obvious, good. If you leave with one new checklist item to add to each file, even better.

2. How Loans Engine's 100% build funding when land is owned actually works - and what to verify first

On paper, funding 100% of build costs when the client already owns the land simplifies the cashflow story. In reality, it creates two major verification needs: accurate cost-certainty and clear security structure. Your first questions to the lender should be procedural: how do they value the land, when are drawdowns released, and what build cost definitions do they use?

Don't accept "we fund the build" as sufficient. Ask for a worked example from them showing a typical file - land value, build schedule, staged releases and any retention. Verify whether the lender requires independent QS reports or accepts builder invoices. Insist on seeing the lender's template construction contract requirements and whether they accept homebuyer protections like an NHBC build warranty or equivalent. If the lender is happy with a verbal assurance from a builder, walk away.

Watch for hidden costs: admin fees for each drawdown, inspection fees, required retention percentages and conditions that trigger a final holdback. Also confirm insolvency protections - if the builder goes bust mid-build, who pays for completion and how? Advanced technique: require the lender to detail their completion budget and list preferred reinsurers or completion contractors they will use. That detail reveals how serious they are about the 100% promise.

3. Underwriting traps lenders rarely advertise - protect your client and your own liability

Lenders that offer large funding packages around builds will often attach underwriting clauses that quietly shift risk back to the borrower. Common traps include retrospective cost overruns being counted as borrower debt, valuations tied to "as completed" instead of "as built", and staged release conditions that are impossible to meet on modern builds.

Insist on a copy of the full underwriting policy or at least the relevant clauses. Look for clauses that allow the lender to change drawdown schedules without notice or to demand further personal guarantees post-completion. If a lender uses "subject to final valuation" as a catch-all, push for a capped exposure - for example, final valuation adjustments cannot reduce loan-to-value by more than 5% without explicit renegotiation. That keeps deals from collapsing at the finish line.

Practical step: add a covenant to your client engagement letter that states you will not place business with lenders who require immediate, unconditional top-up loans to cover overruns. That protects you from being forced to recommend risky top-ups after the initial acceptance. Advanced brokers will also request lender CPD evidence - sample completed files that show how claims for overrun were handled. If the lender refuses, treat it as a red flag.

4. Reviews.io scores mean something only when you know what to read between the lines

Online review scores are powerful conversion tools, but they are blunt instruments. A 4.8 rating on Reviews.io looks great on a website, yet the distribution of reviews, the recency and the review categories tell the real story. You need to read the data as a broker if you will recommend that lender to clients.

Check for clustering: are positive reviews concentrated in a single month following a marketing push? Look at negative reviews for common themes - delayed drawdowns, poor communication during construction, disputes about final charges. A lender might have thousands of five-star scores for consumer mortgages while racking up consistent three-star flags on construction loans - that matters for brokers specialising in builds.

Advanced technique: keep a living spreadsheet of lender review signals. Track metrics such as average response time to complaints, percentage of negative reviews mentioning "drawdown" or "retention", and whether the lender responds publicly. Use this data when presenting options to clients: show them an extract of reviews that relate to build finance so they make informed choices. If a lender's reviews are unresponsive or the content looks templated, treat the score with scepticism.

5. "Unlimited" rarely means unlimited - where the fine print bites and how to manage client expectations

You've probably seen "unlimited borrowing" or "unlimited build budget" in marketing copy. Clients hear the word and assume freedom. In practice, unlimited is a headline designed to attract leads. The clause will have caps, triggers and eligibility tests. Your job is to translate that marketing into the operational reality for your client.

Start by asking for the exact legal wording for any "unlimited" claim. Common limitations include: qualification based on income multiples, exclusions for certain build types, maximum LTV percentage on the combined land plus build value, and unopened clauses that allow the lender to require additional security after a certain loan-to-cost threshold is crossed. Also check whether "unlimited" applies only to the drawdown schedule and not to cumulative exposure across multiple products with the same lender.

Client coaching matters. Teach clients to expect limits and to budget contingency. Offer scenarios: if a project overruns by 10, 20 or 30 percent, show how the lender will react in each. That avoids nasty surprises and preserves your credibility. As an extra protection, negotiate a formal contingency facility or an approved-completion budget that caps the lender's ability to demand immediate top-ups.

6. Practical placement tactics that actually get these deals approved and completed

Closing construction deals with full funding requires choreography. Start with a pre-submission pack that includes: a builder CV, fixed-price contract, staged build schedule, detailed materials spec, a QS cost report and evidence of land ownership. Lenders process faster when they have certainty on scope and costs.

Inspections and certificates matter. Agree inspection milestones with the lender in writing before the first drawdown. Where possible, use accredited independent inspectors and require their involvement in the loan offer. This avoids disputes about whether a stage was properly completed. Also secure written confirmation from the builder that they will remediate defects at no cost to the borrower, supported by retention funds.

Negotiation edge: bundle ancillary fees. Lenders are more flexible on admin fees and inspection charges if you bring repeat business. Use your pipeline as leverage - propose a panel agreement for a volume of construction cases in return for capped fees and faster inspection turnarounds. If a lender pushes back, ask for written turnaround SLAs for valuations and drawdown inspections. You can then hold them to these timings when managing client expectations.

Interactive self-assessment: Is this file at risk?

QuestionYesNo Do you have a fixed-price build contract signed by builder and client? Has an independent QS certified the build cost? Is the land valuation recent and held by the lender? Does the lender allow staged drawdowns with independent inspections? Are there clear clauses for builder insolvency/completion?

Scoring guidance: any "No" is a potential file risk. Two or more "No" answers mean you should pause submission, gather propertyinvestortoday missing items, and renegotiate terms before committing the client.

Quick quiz: Spot the red flag (select the best answer)

Which is the most worrying clause in a lender's offer? A. Retention held until final valuation B. Right to require additional security if final costs exceed estimate C. Requirement for NHBC or equivalent When assessing Reviews.io ratings for construction lending, what matters most? A. Total number of reviews B. Distribution and content specific to construction C. Average score across all products

Answers: 1 - B. 2 - B. If you guessed otherwise, revisit sections 3 and 4.

7. Your 30-Day Action Plan: convert these insights into revenue and avoid costly mistakes

Day 1-3: Update your submission checklist. Add QS certificate requirement, fixed-price contract, builder CV, and explicit insurer or warranty evidence. Train your team to reject incomplete files at the first intake.

Day 4-10: Create a lender-review tracker. Pull Reviews.io entries related to construction for every lender you use. Log response rates, recurring complaints, and final-stage problems. Use this tracker in lender-selection meetings with clients.

Day 11-17: Negotiate a sample file and fee deal. Approach two lenders offering 100% build funding and demand a worked example of a completed drawdown and a copy of their construction loan policy. Ask for capped admin fees and written SLAs for valuations and inspections.

Day 18-24: Educate clients. Produce a one-page "What unlimited really means" sheet for clients considering marketing-sold "unlimited" products. Use scenario tables to show how overruns will be handled.

Day 25-30: Run a vulnerability audit on your current pipeline. Use the self-assessment table above for each live file. Pull any files scoring two or more risks back for remediation. For new submissions, ensure every file ticks all essential boxes before sending to a lender.

Final thought: stop treating marketing claims as product spec. Do your homework, demand documentation, and keep a hard line on builder contracts and QS reports. That will keep clients safe and protect your reputation. If you take nothing else from this list, add one concrete check to every file today and stick to it.

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Pub: 13 Feb 2026 19:33 UTC

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