Mortgage brokers have rated Godiva Mortgages – Coventry Building Society’s buy-to-let brand – as the top buy-to-let lender and building society. Godiva was praised for the ease of determining the maximum loan amount and product eligibility, as well as satisfaction with dealing with relationship managers.

Four of the five highest rated buy-to-let lenders were building societies, according to the research, which came from Smart Money People, a hub for financial services reviews. Halifax was rated the best UK bank by brokers, with Metro Bank being ranked the worst. Halifax was praised for its ease of application and speed, while Metro Bank was criticized for its underwriting and lack of flexibility.

Broker satisfaction with mortgage lenders has increased from 81.1% in the second half of 2019 to 82.7% in the first half of 2020. Michael Fotis, managing director at Smart Money People, said: “Overall brokers are more satisfied with the performance of relationship managers, customer service and the speed offered by lenders in particular.”