Broker or Best Buy search engine?

copperjar

Call me naive and/or daft, but do brokers get any better deals from across the market than I could find myself using an MSE Best Buy search?

So far I've been speaking with London and Country. Have remortgaged with them in the past, liked their service. We're now looking to move and I phoned them for some advice and quotes, a mortgage in principle etc and we talked through the term, % fees and charges and they came up with the best current deal. It didn't take me long to find that same deal on a market search engine and then I could go to the bank/BS direct.

What are the advantages/ disadvantages of both?

In addition, every EA I contact in my search for a new house pushes their "independent" financial advisor onto me. I've resisted so far (it's starting to really irritate me!) but what can they give me that either L&C can't do or I can't find out myself?

ACG

Sometimes brokers get exclusive deals.

If you are looking at a broker as a price comparison service I think you are looking at brokers in the wrong way.

Our job is to find you a good deal of course, but we are there to basically do it all for you.

Typhoon2000

A broker will help you chose a lender that will accept you, save you a 2 hour or more interview with the lender, chase up your application and speak to those looking at your application to help it along. And save you from those Estate agents financial advisors ( just tell them you have a Mortgage broker appointed and financially qualified, and give them your brokers details).

No doubt there will be products available only to brokers but I suspect non specifically for mainstream applicants after the lowest rate with high LTV.
If yours is a straight forward case and your broker is not charging a fee, seem crazy to not to let someone else do all the work for you.

copperjar

Thanks to you both. You are right, I've been looking at a broker just to find me the best deal, forgetting everything else they do! I have already got a solicitor to deal with the sale of my house, would I go with broker conveyancing or stick with my own solicitor for both? Or cheapest of the two?