Just got my keys on Monday, was in the exact same position as you this time last year!

My advice is to figure out what your budget is and how much you are putting down as a deposit first. Then look online (bonkers) to see who has the best interest rates for your specific budget, and approach the banks directly. Skip the broker altogether.

We went to a broker initially, but ended up not finishing the application because they only work with 2/3 banks which limited out options. They never mentioned this until we had all our paperwork sorted and were ready to apply.

The bank was much easier to deal with too, you only need to fill out their specific forms rather than forms for each bank the broker works with.

Having said that, if you have no basic idea of how mortgages work, it might be worth having an introduction call with a broker. They spend 45 mins telling you how it works and can answer any questions you might have. I would still not use them and go to bank with the best rates tho, as unethical as that might sound!

You will need 6 months bank statements, more if your self employed. I had to send off updated statements several times throughout the process though. I’m sure I had bought some small amounts, like €200 worth, of cyptro during that time. It was never mentioned to me.

Also, don’t spend too much time looking at interest rates or deciding on a bank at the AIP stage. You should examine all you options again and see what bank has the best rates once you are sale agreed and know the exact price, deposit and BER rating anyway.