Mortgage and protection broker firm Access Financial Services has reached the 200-adviser mark, six years after it was founded.
The number of self-employed mortgage and protection advisers grew from 100 in January last year to around 165 in the summer, which Access FS said showed the “business model proved successful”.
In November, the firm said that it had grown broker numbers by 80 per cent in a year to 180 brokers.
The firm added that it aims to grow its adviser numbers by another 100 by the end of the year
The company has doubled the number of head office staff, and hired administrative support for advisers and opened a training manager position to train improve various CeMap skillsets. The total head office and administrative team comes to 25.
Access FS has also launched several broker academies, and announced its first academy of the year around two weeks ago.
Last year, the firm graduated 100 advisers as part of its pledge to bring new people into the industry.
Access FS added that in December, protection advisers’ monthly payments would fall so they could keep more of the money they earned and still benefit from the same level of training and compliance.
New advisers also do not have to pay fees for mortgages or protections in the first four months.
‘Numbers surpassing expectations’
Access FS CEO Karl Wilkinson (pictured) said: “We are incredibly proud to have reached the 200 milestone, the number of advisers wanting to join Access this year has surpassed expectation.
“Our advisers tend to work heavily in their local communities. As we have grown, so has our collaborative culture – our advisers are encouraged to help each other and pass business to one another so they can focus on their individual strengths. This works so well that they then encourage other advisers to join Access to benefit from this unique support system.
He continued: “In its first year, our academy has brought in people from outside the industry which has been responsible for the majority of new people becoming Access FS advisers and starting their own businesses.
“We look forward to continuing our period of growth, while increasing the value that we bring to our brilliant Access FS advisers.”
