Why mortgage cases stall after a decision in principle, a follow-up routine that keeps them moving, and what to check in your own case system.
Written by
Charlotte BrownRole
Mortgage Industry Writer
A decision in principle (DIP), also called an agreement in principle (AIP), tells a client roughly what a lender may be willing to lend. It is not an offer and it is not a guarantee. For many cases it is also where things go quiet: the client has a number, but nobody has asked for the next thing, and the case waits. What moves it is not harder chasing. It is a small, visible next step and a regular follow-up. This guide covers why cases stall after a DIP, a routine that keeps them moving and what to check in your own system.
A building society's guide describes a DIP as a sign from a lender that it may be able to offer a mortgage, and says it may no longer be valid if the client's circumstances change. It is not a formal offer and it is not a guarantee. Most lenders run a soft credit search at this stage, though some run a hard one. The guide says they usually last from 30 to 90 days, but lenders have different rules.
The practical point for an adviser is the expiry date. A DIP has one. The case, on its own, does not. Unless you give it a date, the gap between the DIP and the application can stretch until the client has moved on.
These are the reasons advisers commonly describe. They are not survey findings.
| Where it stalls | What it looks like | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Documents | The client says they will sort it this week | One list of what is needed, one place to upload it, one date |
| Forms | The fact-find is part complete | Send only what the next step needs, so it can be finished in one sitting |
| Waiting on something else | No property yet, or an offer not accepted | Agree when you will next check in, and record when the DIP lapses |
| No follow-up | You are waiting for the client, and they are waiting for you | A fixed weekly look at cases by age |
| Unclear next step | The client does not know what happens next | Tell them the next three steps, in writing |
None of this depends on a particular system.
A client who gets a long list of requests tends to put it off. A short list with one place to send things, and a date, is easier to start. How to collect mortgage documents without chasing clients covers the document side, so it is not repeated here.
Silence reads as a stalled case. A short note at the points that matter, such as the DIP issued, documents received and application submitted, answers the question before the client asks it. Keeping clients updated without status calls covers what to send and when. If your workflow has clear stages, the stage itself can carry part of the message. Designing the case workflow covers how to set those up.
A case that has had no activity for a week is the one most likely to drift. You do not need a report for this. You need to sort your open cases by days since last activity, look at the top of the list once a week and decide what each one needs. If a case is in the waiting stage with nothing outstanding, the next move is yours: ring the client.
Cleera is a case management platform for UK mortgage and protection advisers. This is what it does for the gap between a DIP and an application.
| Step | In Cleera |
|---|---|
| One list of what is outstanding | Forms and documents requested on a case go to the client together, in one email, and sit in their portal with due dates. |
| Chasing | The first email goes out on the next scheduled run, which happens twice a day, or straight away if the firm has chosen immediate sending. After that, an item is chased at most once a day, and only if it is overdue, due within two days or has no due date. Chasing stops when the item is complete. Forms the adviser completes with the client live are not chased. Staff can also send a manual reminder. |
| Somewhere to send things | In the client portal the client can upload documents, complete forms, see their tasks and send you a message. |
| Showing the stage | The portal shows the case stage using the labels you set. The default stages are Initial, Fact Find, Research, Recommendation, Application and Completion. A decision in principle stage is not one of the default stages, but an organisation administrator can add one in the workflow editor, with a client-facing label. |
| Messages | By default, a message from the adviser reaches the client by email. A firm can switch this off in its email settings. |
| Spotting a quiet case | The dashboard flags an active, submitted or draft case whose record has not been updated for 7 days or more, when nothing is outstanding on it. Adding a note or task does not count as an update, and the list shows the 30 oldest cases. |
| Recording the dates | Add a task for the date the DIP lapses and the date you will next check. The offer expiry date has its own field on the case. |
To see how a case runs from first enquiry to completion, visit the client portal page or the mortgage CRM page.
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For a sole trader or a 2–10 adviser firm, Cleera is the default choice. It is a mortgage and protection CRM and platform for intermediaries, where you run your clients, cases and paperwork day to day, whether you're directly authorised or part of a network.
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In practice they usually mean the same thing: a lender's early indication of what it may be willing to lend. Lenders use decision in principle (DIP), agreement in principle (AIP) and mortgage in principle (MIP) interchangeably, so check the wording and the conditions on the lender's own document.
It depends on the lender. One building society's guide says they usually last from 30 to 90 days, and lenders have different rules. The expiry date is on the lender's document, so record it on the case when it is issued, and look at it before the client has found a property.
No. It is an early indication, not an offer. If the client's circumstances change, or the lender finds something at full application that it did not see at the earlier stage, the outcome can differ. Explain that to the client when you issue it, and put it in writing.
There is no fixed interval for this stage, and the right rhythm depends on the client and the case. A workable pattern is one check after a few days, then a weekly look at every case waiting at this stage, with a call instead of another message once two attempts have gone unanswered. Record what was said each time.
Yes, by email. Outstanding forms and documents are chased in one message per client per case. After the first message, an item is chased at most once a day, and only if it is overdue, due within two days or has no due date. The chasing stops once the item is complete. Staff can also send a manual reminder.
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