A prospective borrower looking at a commercial mortgage broker's website usually wants one reassurance more than any other: has this person dealt with a situation like mine? A well-built case study answers that directly. It shows a real problem, the thinking behind the solution and the outcome, without a single claim about how good you are.

The difficulty is that commercial mortgage work is confidential, every case has its own quirks, and the regulatory position is not straightforward. This guide walks through choosing which cases to write up, getting permission, structuring the story, handling numbers responsibly and getting each case study in front of the right people.

Choose Cases That Answer a Question Your Prospects Already Have

Not every completed deal makes a useful case study. The strongest candidates are the ones where a prospective client would recognise their own circumstances: a limited company buying its first premises, an owner-occupier refinancing a workshop, a landlord restructuring borrowing across a small portfolio, a business buying out a partner's share of a property.

Look back through the last 12 months of completions and ask three questions of each file. Was there a problem that was not obvious at the start, such as a valuation that came in lower than expected or a lender that withdrew from the case? Did the solution involve a decision a client might reasonably ask about, such as choosing a longer term for lower monthly payments? And is the client likely to agree to take part? A straightforward case with a cooperative client often makes a better story than a dramatic one the client would rather forget.

Aim for a first batch of three to five. That is enough to cover your main areas of work and to see how readers respond before you invest further.

Get Permission Before You Write a Word

Client confidentiality is the first obstacle, and it needs handling before drafting starts, not after. Ask for written consent that states what you may publish: the client's name or a description only, the property type and location, the loan size, the lender, and any quotes or photographs. Many clients are happy to appear if the details are broad. Others prefer a fully anonymised version, such as "a family-run manufacturing company in the Midlands", and that works perfectly well.

Keep a copy of every consent alongside the client file, and tell the client they can withdraw approval later. If a case involves a lender, check whether your network, principal firm or the lender's broker agreement places any limits on naming them. Where in doubt, describe the lender in general terms or leave them out. Nothing is lost, since readers care more about the situation and the reasoning than the lender's name.

Build the Story in a Clear Sequence

A case study works best when it follows the order a reader would naturally ask questions: who was the client, what did they need, what stood in the way, what did you do, and what happened. Each of those can be a short section, and the whole piece rarely needs more than 500 to 800 words.

Begin with a brief client profile that gives enough context without breaching confidentiality, for example the sector, the size of the business and the purpose of the borrowing. Then set out the objective in the client's terms: buying a warehouse near an existing site, releasing capital for expansion, or replacing an expensive short-term loan. Describe the obstacle honestly. If the business had only 18 months of trading accounts, or the property needed refurbishment, say so, because this is exactly where the reader's own concerns will sit.

The solution section is where your expertise shows. Explain what you looked at, why certain routes were set aside and what the client chose. Keep it concrete without turning it into a lender recommendation. The outcome comes last, and it should be described in the client's own circumstances: the purchase completed, the monthly commitment fell, the refinance finished before a deadline.

Use Numbers Carefully

Specific figures make a case study believable, but they also carry risk. A loan of £850,000 against a property valued at £1.2 million is clear and useful, and a loan-to-value of about 71% follows from it. A reader can picture that. What they should not take from it is a promise of what they will be offered.

Every figure should be accurate to the file and approved by the client. Rates, terms and loan-to-value limits depend on the lender, the borrower and the property at the time, so state the date of the deal and say that current terms will vary. Avoid sweeping claims such as "we always achieve" or "typically saves clients", unless you can evidence them from your own records, and even then phrase them cautiously. If you do quote a result like a faster completion, say what it was compared with.

Where the client agrees, a short quote in their own words adds credibility. Use only what they actually said or approved, and never edit it to sound more enthusiastic.

Check Compliance Before Publishing

Commercial mortgage activity sits across two regulatory positions. Some lending is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and some is not, depending on the borrower and the property. Rules on financial promotions may apply to marketing material, and a case study can easily be read as an invitation to take out a product. It is sensible to have your principal firm, network or compliance adviser review each piece before it goes live, and to ask them about wording around results and rates.

A few habits help. Describe what happened in one client's circumstances rather than suggesting a general rule. Avoid implying a particular lender will accept a similar case. Include a short, plain statement that outcomes depend on individual circumstances and lender criteria. Keep a record of the compliance approval with the final text.

Make It Easy to Read and Easy to Find

Most readers skim, so the layout matters. Use a clear headline that states the situation, for instance "Refinancing a mixed-use property for a growing café business", followed by a short summary box showing the client's sector, the borrowing purpose and the loan size. Break the story into the sections described above and add one photograph if the client is happy for you to use it. A property image, with permission, is often more effective than a stock picture.

For discoverability, give each case study its own page on your website with a descriptive title and a short introductory paragraph. Terms people actually search for, such as the property type, the purpose of the loan and the region, belong in the headline and opening lines, though only where they fit naturally. Adding a simple form or phone number at the foot of the page gives interested readers somewhere to go.

A library of case studies also feeds your wider content. Guidance on mortgage broker blogging explains how articles, client stories and enquiry pages can support one another so each piece brings readers on to the next.

Show the Person Behind the Process

Some clients read a case study mainly to judge whether they would be comfortable working with you. A line or two about how you handled the relationship, such as explaining each stage in plain language or keeping them updated while the lender worked through the valuation, tells them more than a list of credentials.

It also helps to explain your role early in the story. Many first-time commercial borrowers are not entirely sure what a broker does, and a short passage answering What Is a Mortgage Broker in the context of the case, such as searching the market, preparing the application and liaising with the lender, gives them a frame for everything that follows.

Handle Sensitive and Awkward Cases Sensibly

Not every case ends neatly, and the awkward ones can be the most instructive. A deal that took longer than planned, or required a second lender after the first declined, can be written up honestly as long as the client is comfortable and no confidential reasons for the decline are exposed. Readers tend to trust a broker who admits the process is not always smooth.

Be cautious about anything touching on a client's credit history, personal finances or health. Leave out detail that is not essential to the story, and never include information that could identify an individual without explicit written permission.

Misunderstandings can also make a useful angle. If a client came to you believing a fixed deposit percentage applied to every lender, a case study showing how the actual route differed can quietly address the belief. Looking at how Mortgage Myths are usually explained will help you pitch that tone: factual, calm and free of lecture.

Share Each Case Study Where Your Audience Already Is

Publishing on your website is only the first step. Post a short summary on LinkedIn, where business owners and property investors are likely to see it, linking back to the full page. A condensed version in your email newsletter reaches existing contacts, including accountants and solicitors who might recommend you. Some clients also like to share the story themselves, which helps it reach people in their own network.

If you work with a mix of clients, make the audience obvious in the opening line. A case study aimed at a business owner buying premises should not read like a piece offering First-time buyer mortgage advice, and the reverse is also true, so each story reaches the person it was written for.

Track what happens. Page views, time on page, enquiry form submissions and calls that mention the story all indicate whether it is working. After two or three months, compare which case studies drew the most response and consider why. The answer usually points to the kind of situation your audience most wants help with.

A Practical Starting Point This Week

Pick one completed case from the last year that you would be comfortable describing. Contact the client and ask for written consent covering exactly what you plan to publish. While you wait for a reply, draft the five sections (client, objective, obstacle, solution, outcome) in around 600 words, then send the draft to your compliance contact. With approval in hand, publish it on its own page and share a summary on LinkedIn. One finished, approved case study will teach you more about the process than any amount of planning.