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Commercial Finance Launch Programme · Stage 5 of 10
Your Software Stack
Stand up the software a new brokerage runs on: the CRM that tracks every case, the tools that source a deal across lenders, and the secure way you collect and sign documents.
How long
~2–3 days
You’ll have
A CRM with a deal pipeline, sourcing tools that cover your product lines, and secure document management with e-signature
Steps
3 steps
Resources
2 resources
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01 Step 01
Step 01
Choose a CRM and case-management system
Commercial deals are multi-party and slow, so without a system to track every case, lender, document and deadline, deals fall through the cracks and commission gets lost.
Do it yourself
- Choose between a broking-specific system (for example FundingSearch and similar commercial-finance CRMs) and a general CRM (for example Pipedrive or HubSpot) configured for cases.
- Define your pipeline stages: enquiry, fact-find, sourcing, packaging, lender submission, offer, completion, paid.
- Set reminders for lender deadlines and client chases.
Common mistake · Running early cases in a spreadsheet and an inbox, then losing track of who is waiting on what across five open deals.
Time~1–2 days to set up CostIndicative £0 to low-tens per user per month (get current pricing) DifficultyMediumResource for this step
PDFDeal pipeline template
A ready-made stage map with the fields and reminders a commercial case needs.
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02 Step 02
Step 02
Set up sourcing and criteria-search tools
You need to match a deal to lenders fast and evidence why, and sourcing platforms let you model a deal and search lender criteria across the market.
Do it yourself
- Evaluate a specialist sourcing platform such as Brickflow (which models a deal and searches across many lenders in bridging, development, specialist buy-to-let and commercial mortgages) and any panel your trade body offers.
- Choose tools that cover your product lines from Choose Your Model & Niche.
- Learn to produce a defensible sourcing rationale you can show the client and file.
Common mistake · Placing deals by habit with the one lender you know, rather than searching the market, which is weak for the client and weak for your file if it is ever questioned.
Time~1 day to trial CostIndicative: some tools free to the broker, others a subscription (get current pricing) DifficultyMediumResource for this step
PDFSourcing tool selection grid
Tools scored by which of your product lines they cover and how they evidence the search.
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03 Step 03
Step 03
Set up document management and e-signature
Deals generate sensitive documents (accounts, bank statements, IDs) that must be collected, stored securely and signed, professionally and compliantly.
Do it yourself
- Set up secure document storage with sensible retention that ties to your data-protection duties.
- Add an e-signature tool (for example DocuSign or an equivalent) for your Terms of Business and fact-finds.
- Create a standard document-request list per product line so clients know exactly what to send.
Common mistake · Collecting financial documents over email and consumer file-shares, a data-protection and security problem waiting to happen.
Time~half a day CostIndicative low-tens per month (verify current pricing) DifficultyEasy
What you’ll have after this stage
- A CRM with a defined deal pipeline and reminders
- Sourcing tools that cover your product lines and evidence the search
- Secure document storage and e-signature with a request list per product line