IMLA represents the views and interests of UK mortgage lenders involved in the generation of mortgage business via professional financial intermediaries.

IMLA fosters discussion and debate between members through regular bi-monthly meetings of its Executive Committee to which all members are invited. These meetings are focussed around the key business issues facing intermediary based mortgage lenders and decisions taken there are then implemented by IMLA’s Directors and Executive Chairman.

IMLA has developed close working relationships with the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries and the Council of Mortgage Lenders. IMLA has a joint steering group in place with AMI where issues around the operations of the intermediary business channel are considered with respect to arriving at changes in practice or policy.

IMLA is a regular commentator on mortgage market related issues in the national and trade press and at conferences and seminars. IMLA has recently sponsored the creation of a Mortgage Funding Group (MFG) - an industry-wide common interest forum aimed at helping restore liquidity in the mortgage market and through that competition and choice.

The MFG organised a major industry conference on 24th March 2010 with over 150 attending. A steering group of key industry players is now in place and a website is in operation - www.mortgagefunding.org.uk

IMLA was instrumental in setting up the CML in 1989. Until 2009, IMLA nominated four of its members to the CML Executive Committee. Under the new arrangements IMLA along with ABI, the BSA, the BBA and the FLA will cease to nominate. However the spectrum of IMLA’s membership is fully represented on the CML Executive Committee and one of IMLA’s directors Colin Shave (GE) is now Deputy Chairman of the CML and CML issues remain firmly on the IMLA agenda. In addition there are close working relationships with the CML Secretariat.

IMLA currently has 16 members. New members are always welcome and firms who wish to consider membership are invited to attend a meeting of the IMLA Executive Committee before deciding to join.

Membership of the Association is available to any lender actively involved in the intermediary mortgage market, which has a separate and clearly defined operating structure dedicated to processing intermediary introduced mortgage business.

Aside from meetings of the Executive Committee every other month and informal working groups, any member may stand for election as a Director of IMLA. Elections are held annually. As this indicates, IMLA is very much a member driven organisation.

Membership currently costs £3,000 per annum (July to June).