Financial Services division

The Financial Services division focuses on two products:

• Mortgages
• Insurance

In 2005 we started with a study of service providers in The Netherlands mortgage market, leading to the acquisition of Acadium Bastion in 2006.

Alongside a high-quality vendor of mortgages in the high-end segment and a market leader in the field of ‘golden handshakes’, we have also added a high-quality back-office to this fast-growing division.

Thanks partly to this acquisition, Direct Wonen has created sufficient space in 2007 and 2008 to absorb the forecast growth in production without having to make substantial investments in the service organization.

Around 500,000 mortgages are taken out in The Netherlands every year, and Direct Wonen foresees sufficient room for growth in this segment in the future. Since 2006 there has been a growing amount of legislation and regulation applicable to intermediaries in the financial services sector. Given that it will result in a higher level of transparency and improved quality of service, Direct Wonen applauds this regulation. This development also offers room for new players and consolidation.

Direct Wonen was persuaded to broaden the services it offers by listening to the needs expressed by the target group. In 2007 Direct Wonen will also enter the market for consumer credit. The first stage of this will involve Direct Wonen entering into an alliance in order to guarantee the quality we seek in this sector.