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About us

Professional advice rooted in personal experience

The mortgage direct story

In 2006 we, Katherine and Kevin, founded Mortgage Direct after having experienced the complexity of the Spanish mortgage and real estate market. With a combined 50 years of experience in the financial industry, we identified the need to provide international property buyers with transparent and quality mortgage advice. Today we can proudly say that not only have we achieved that, we can also offer exclusive mortgage conditions not available at any branches due to the strong relationships we have established over the years with the banks.

  • Founding story
  • Business model
  • Company culture

In 2006 Katherine and Kevin founded Mortgage Direct SLU after having experienced the complexity of the Spanish mortgage and real estate market. Since then, we have been adapting our model to meet the needs of international property buyers and provide personalised mortgage advice.

Today Mortgage Direct and our team of internationally qualified mortgage advisers are devoted to achieving exclusive mortgage conditions and easing the mortgage process for international property buyers ensuring profitable and safe investments. We highly value your questions and feedback.

Since we established Mortgage Direct in 2006, we have learned a lot about doing business in Spain and adapted our business model accordingly. Our core focus has always been to provide easily-accessible, transparent and quality mortgage advice to international property buyers. Over the years we have developed very strong relationships with the banks, which means that we can now also offer exclusive mortgage conditions not available at any bank branches.

We work as the bridge between internationally property buyers, the mortgage lenders and often also estate agents, as they often speak very different languages and may have very different interests. We guide the property buyer in advance of the property purchase and the mortgage application to save both time and money for all parties. We closely assess the borrower's profile at the start of the process to avoid barriers later on.

We offer initial mortgage advice and up to two no-obligation mortgage quotes to property buyers without any charges, as we believe every buyer should have free access to quality advice. When the property buyers proceed to formal approval, we charge an administration fee which comes with a money-back guarantee in case the mortgage quoted cannot be achieved. This demonstrates to both the banks and the property buyer that we only submit cases we are certain can be completed. We receive an income from bank commissions once a mortgage is completed; this allows us to keep the fees to property buyers to a minimum.

We have fostered a company culture that values the ability to adapt, freedom of choice and strong relationships with space for diverse personalities and forward-thinking staff members.

The ability to adapt is the key to success in the Spanish mortgage market, as conditions can change from one day to the next. This is also the case for our company; we are an international team with headquarters in Spain but often on the road with a need to communicate with both clients, collaborators and each other in different time zones and languages.

We strongly believe in freedom of choice for every individual and every property buyer. We consider all our bank contacts and approach several lenders every time a mortgage quote is requested. Likewise, every member of our team chooses their working hours, their working location and their schedule.

Fostering strong relationships is crucial as a mortgage broker and in the modern society. We are in daily contact with property buyers, estate agents, lawyers and lenders. We acknowledge that every participant has their unique needs, each of which we listen to and strive to fulfil. We also practice strong relationships within the team and meet up regularly. . We trust each other in spite of geographical and cultural differences.

The Mortgage Direct Team

Mortgage Experts at your disposal

Any questions? Call +34 963156011
Experienced and Internationally qualified

Our team with diverse expertise

We are a diverse international team of professionals and advisers with international qualifications, based in Spain to be able to deal directly with the banks. We speak a wide range of languages including Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, English, Polish and Danish. Our team is here to assist you with any questions you may have about mortgages in Spain or our services.

Katherine Walkerdine

Founding Partner / Business Developer

Living in Spain since founding Mortgage Direct in 2006. Prior to that, she had her own practice in London for fifteen years advising high-net-worth clients on their investment and taxation planning. An array of UK and Spanish qualifications.

Kevin Monger

Founding Partner / Mortgage Adviser

Co-founder and a leading expert on Spanish mortgages, holding the credit intermediaries in Spain qualification. Kevin meets regularly with bank commercial directors and previously spent eleven years working for the world's leading actuarial firms.

Howard Steel

MD Premier Mortgage Consultant

Fluent in Spanish and English, and holding UK and Spanish regulatory qualifications for mortgage advice. He spent several years at a large Spanish bank. He now advises MD Premier's HNW & UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) clients. Expert in large transactions requiring bespoke solutions for complex borrower structures.


Complete bio & contacts

Bozena Brunowska CeFa | CeMap | AAT

Senior Mortgage Adviser

I started with Mortgage Direct in 2016 and permanently relocated to Spain in 2017. I previously worked in the UK for well over 20 years as a Financial Adviser, Mortgage Broker, and Accountant. Bozena is a fully qualified Financial Adviser (CeFa & CeMap) and AAT Accountant.

Simon Staples

Mortgage Adviser

Simon has been working in the financial services industry for over twenty years. First as a mortgage adviser at Halifax Bank for twelve years in London and then as a regulated financial adviser for three years at the Lloyds banking group.

Stuart Payne CeMap

Mortgage Adviser

Barcelona based, Stuart previously workled as a mortgage adviser at one of the UK's largest brokers where he recommended products and insurance from the whole of the UK market. He holds the regulatory CeMAP qualification and more.

Steve Kennedy

Mortgage Adviser

Steve spent many years in Spain, working first in teaching English for business in Barcelona, then in property sales in the northern Costa Blanca. He then moved to the UK where he worked for HSBC bank for twelve years as a fully qualified mortgage adviser. He has returned to Spain to work with Mortgage Direct

Martine Newman

Mortgage Adviser

Martine has worked in financial services for over twenty years for finance houses such as Lloyds, Merrill Lynch and Deutsche bank. She took a break to work as an Executive Assistant to the VP of a helicopter air ambulance service in Canada for five years!

Stevan Paul CeMap

Mortgage Adviser

Over thirty years financial services industry experience in the UK, performing Advisory and Management roles with leading UK Institutions including Nat West Bank and Britannia. More recently, he has been working as a self-employed Mortgage and Protection Advisor. He holds the UK Financial Planning Certificate and CEMAP qualifications.

Vera Simão

Mortgage Adviser

Although originally from the Algarve, as a youth Vera lived and studied finance and management in Switzerland. After graduation she worked in luxury hotels around the world, developing extensive language skills. She now brings her high standard of customer service to assist Mortgage Direct's customers in French, Spanish, English, Portuguese or Italian.

Erik Gort

Mortgage Adviser

Originally from the Netherlands, Erik moved to Germany qualifing as a financial adviser to the self-employed and small businesses. After more than 20 years in Germany he relocated to the UK and then Andalucía. Fluent in Dutch, German & English, he is now learning Spanish and is using his skills to further develop MD's German market.

Sérgio Fagundes

Mortgage Adviser (Portugal)

Born in Germany and raised in Portugal, Sérgio has more than 20 years' experience in diverse areas of the Portuguese financial world. Now a qualified mortgage broker in Portugal, he can expertly guide you to the right mortgage product. Sérgio lives in the Algarve, speaks English, German and is fluent in Portuguese.

Will Roberts

Mortgage Adviser

Originally from the UK, Will has been based in Barcelona since 2019. He holds a diverse range of financial qualifications and has experience in numerous international roles in the financial sector, along with a managerial position in a FTSE 100 organisation. Fluent in English & Spanish.


Complete bio & contacts

Bert van Daalen MSc

Mortgage Adviser

Bert has been working in the financial services industry for more than two decades. He gained extensive experience at large (international) banks and mortgage brokers. He holds a Masters degree in General Management and has a corporate background in marketing and business development. He is originally from the Netherlands and speaks Dutch, English and German.

Martin Macri

Mortgage Adviser

Solid professional with over 20 years of experience in the Finance area of multinational companies & dedicated to navigating financial growth through extensive planning, research, and cost-cutting initiatives.

Susanne Gonzalez

Mortgage Adviser

Susanne, originally from Switzerland and with Spanish origins, is a seasoned banking professional with over 18 years of experience in financial services in the Spanish banking industry. She holds a degree in finance, commerce and administration and has worked with leading banks in Spain and Switzerland.

Wilfred van Opstal

Mortgage Adviser

Wilfred has a strong background in expatriate mortgages and project finance. Born in the Netherlands, Wilfred spent several years abroad working in the financial industry in China, Uruguay, Taiwan, Cyprus, Malta and other countries before settling in Spain. His experience makes him a reliable partner for your financial requests.

Julia Lehto MBA

Mortgage Adviser

An experienced consultant over five years of expertise in sales, marketing, customer success, and growth roles. Core competencies include sales, financial writing, CRM, lead generation, and transaction monitoring. Passionate about RE, investments, corporate dynamics, and sustainability. Providing innovative and impactful solutions to clients and stakeholders. Fluent in Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Finnish.

Amanda Wayne CeMap

Mortgage Adviser

Amanda is a UK native now based in Valencia, embracing its culture, language, and sunny weather. With a career in financial services since 2004 and extensive experience in mortgage advising within the UK's largest corporate networks, she is CeMap qualified and is also an Accredited Real Estate Loan Assessor in Spain.

Peter van der Ploeg

Mortgage Adviser

Peter is a experienced Personal Financial Planner with a demonstrated history of more then 20 years working in the real estate and financial services industry in Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, and now of course in Spain. An extremely wide range of financial and mortgage skills.


Complete bio & contacts

Laura Spencer ACA

Mortgage Adviser

Laura holds a Bachelor degree in Economics and German, is a Chartered Accountant and has over 10 years corporate experience in Finance Consulting having worked for professional services firms including Ernst & Young and Accenture. She is from the UK, but has lived and worked extensively internationally, including seven years in Germany and over six years here in Spain.

Jordi Pérez

Mortgage Adviser

Jordi Pholds a Bachelor's degree in Law and a Master's degree in Legal Practice. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalan. Jordi has over three years of experience working as a mortgage advisor and more than twelve years in the real estate sector. His professional background includes working in a notary office, the property registry, and the banking sector. Jordi's extensive experience and deep understanding of the real estate market enable him to provide clients with tailored advice on their mortgage needs.


Complete bio & contacts

Verónica Vaccarezza Cruz

Mortgage Adviser

Based in Tenerife, Verónica is an economist with 20 years of experience in the banking industry. In 2019, she transitioned to a role as a mortgage risk analyst and financial consultant at a prominent financial institution in Spain. Specializing in assisting non-resident customers in purchasing homes in Spain, she has earned a strong reputation as a highly respected and recommended consultant in her field.


Complete bio & contacts

Antonio Berdonces

Mortgage Adviser

I have built and keep up good relationships with diverse stakeholders, from clients to financial institutions, notary offices and land registries. I live and have an office at La Zenia – Orihuela Costa, South Alicante. Having a Bachelor's in Law, and MBA, I also have more than 10 years of experience in banking. Proficiency in English and native Spanish. IT user expert and solid negotiation skills.

Peter van Dijk

Mortgage Adviser

I am Peter, moved to Málaga 6 six years ago for a sabbatical but ran into my wife (-to be) and now we live together with our two small daughters, 1 and 4, and we love it. Previously worked at a major bank in the Netherlands as a mortgage/financial advisor for almost 15 years

Maaike Van Ruitenbeek

Mortgage Adviser

Maaike holds a Bachelor degree in Business Economics and has a corporate background in finance and marketing. She previously worked for a well-known international company in the Netherlands and fulfilled a leading role in client acquisition and retention marketing. She has a strong understanding of client needs which helps to give clients tailor-made advice on their mortgage needs. She is originally from the Netherlands and is fluent in Dutch and English and studying German and Spanish.


Complete bio & contacts

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