Switch to CoreFi from another broker network
You can move to CoreFi as a self-employed commercial finance broker operating under your own limited company. You keep a split of the commission CoreFi earns from the lender, starting at 55% on self-sourced deals and rising with lifetime commission earned. Before switching, check your current network or franchise agreement for notice and restrictive covenants. Income is variable and not guaranteed.
If you already broker commercial finance through a network, franchise or master broker and you are weighing up a move, this guide is for you. CoreFi is a platform for self-employed brokers who run their own limited company and place unregulated commercial finance for limited-company borrowers. It is not an employer, and this is not a job with a salary or guaranteed hours; it is a business-to-business arrangement where you keep a share of the commission CoreFi earns from the lender on the deals you place.
Moving networks is a commercial decision, and the terms of your existing agreement matter. Before you do anything, read this alongside your current contract. The sections below cover how the CoreFi model differs, how the commission split works, and the checks to run on your existing network or franchise agreement so you switch cleanly and without breaching it.
- 1
Read your current agreement first
Before contacting CoreFi, review your existing network, franchise or master broker agreement. Note your notice period, any restrictive covenants, client non-solicitation clauses and any restrictions on lender relationships or in-progress deals. Take legal advice if anything is unclear. Do not plan to move contractually restricted clients or lender relationships.
- 2
Apply to CoreFi and go through onboarding
Complete the CoreFi broker application. You will go through identity verification, a compliance review and the onboarding steps that cover your background, the products you place and your target market. This is a self-employed arrangement under your own limited company, not employment.
- 3
Complete broker training and sign the agreement
Work through CoreFi's broker training, then sign the introducer agreement, which sets out your commission split, your compliance obligations and how you represent lenders and CoreFi to borrowers. This is the point at which you are cleared to place deals on the panel.
- 4
Build your pipeline from relationships you are free to bring
Serve out or agree your notice with your current network and honour your covenants. Bring new enquiries and relationships you are not restricted from approaching into the deal CRM, run the matching engine and start placing deals on the CoreFi panel.
How the CoreFi model differs from a network or franchise
Many broker networks and franchises charge a joining fee, a territory licence or an ongoing royalty, and some take a fixed cut or impose monthly minimums. CoreFi is not a franchise. There is no joining fee and no territory licence.
You operate as your own limited company. CoreFi provides the platform: a curated panel of specialist lenders with direct BDM contacts, a deal CRM, a lender-matching engine, document handling and structured broker training. You bring the deals and the client relationships; the platform handles the operational infrastructure that would otherwise take years and significant capital to build.
This is a self-employed business-to-business arrangement. You are not an employee, there is no salary, no guaranteed hours and no employee benefits. What you earn depends entirely on the deals you place, so income is variable and is not guaranteed.
How you get paid: a split of the lender commission
On each funded deal, CoreFi earns a commission from the lender. You keep a share of that commission. Your share is a split, not a percentage of the loan and not a fixed fee.
The split starts at 55% on deals you source yourself and rises with the total commission you have earned over your time on the platform: 60% once you reach £50,000 of lifetime commission, 65% at £1,000,000 and 70% at £2,500,000. There is no cap. On deals where CoreFi provides the lead rather than you sourcing it, the starting split is lower, from around 45%, and lower again on fully organic platform-provided leads, from around 35%. This split model is different from CoreFi's separate introducer arrangement, which pays a smaller referral share; as a broker placing deals, you are on the agent split described here.
An illustrative example
The figures here are illustrative only and are not a forecast or a promise of earnings. What you actually earn depends on the deals you place, the lenders involved and the commission each deal generates.
Take a bridging deal that generates roughly £7,500 of gross commission to CoreFi from the lender. At the entry split of 55% on a self-sourced deal, your share of that single deal would be about £4,125. A different deal, a different lender or a different product would produce a different figure. Some deals will be smaller, some larger, and there is no guaranteed number of deals. Use this only to understand how the split works, not as an expectation of income.
Before you switch: check your existing agreement
This is the most important step, and it comes before anything else. Your current network, franchise or master broker agreement almost certainly contains terms that govern how and when you can leave. Read it carefully, and take your own legal advice if you are unsure.
Look specifically for: the notice period you must give; any restrictive covenants or non-compete clauses; client non-solicitation terms that restrict approaching clients you worked with; and any restrictions on the lender relationships or panel access you built up under that agreement. Some agreements also restrict what you can do with pipeline deals that are already in progress.
CoreFi does not encourage anyone to breach an existing agreement. Do not move clients you are contractually restricted from soliciting, and do not try to carry over lender relationships that belong to your current network. The clean approach is to serve out or agree your notice, honour your covenants, and build your CoreFi pipeline from relationships and deals you are free to bring. If in doubt about a specific clause, get it checked before you act on it.
The regulatory position
Broking unregulated commercial finance to limited companies does not require FCA authorisation. That covers the core commercial lending products most SMEs need. CoreFi is not FCA-authorised or regulated, and it does not need to be for this model.
Where authorisation can apply: broking to sole traders or partnerships can require FCA permission even for otherwise-exempt business loans, under Article 36A(4) of the Regulated Activities Order. Regulated products, including consumer credit and residential mortgages, always require FCA authorisation or an appointed representative arrangement, whatever the borrower type. CoreFi's training helps you tell which deals fall where so you stay on the right side of that line.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just move my existing clients to CoreFi?
Only clients you are contractually free to approach. Your current network or franchise agreement may contain non-solicitation or restrictive covenant clauses that limit which clients you can take. Check your agreement, take legal advice if needed, and do not move clients you are restricted from soliciting. CoreFi does not encourage breaching an existing agreement.
Is this a job with a salary?
No. This is a self-employed business-to-business arrangement. You operate under your own limited company. There is no salary, no guaranteed hours and no employee benefits. What you earn depends on the deals you place, so income is variable and is not guaranteed.
How does the commission split work?
You keep a share of the commission CoreFi earns from the lender on each funded deal. The split starts at 55% on self-sourced deals and rises with your lifetime commission earned to 60% (£50,000), 65% (£1,000,000) and 70% (£2,500,000), with no cap. Splits are lower on leads CoreFi provides. It is a split of the lender commission, not a percentage of the loan and not a fixed fee.
Do I need FCA authorisation to switch?
Not for the core model. Broking unregulated commercial finance to limited companies does not require FCA authorisation. CoreFi is not FCA-authorised. If you serve sole traders or partnerships, or place regulated products such as consumer credit or residential mortgages, additional permissions can apply. CoreFi's training covers the boundary.
What about the notice period on my current agreement?
You must honour it. Most network and franchise agreements specify a notice period and may include restrictive covenants that continue after you leave. Read your agreement, give proper notice and observe any covenants. The clean way to switch is to build your CoreFi pipeline from deals and relationships you are free to bring, not to breach your existing terms.
How much can I earn after switching?
There is no set or guaranteed figure. Your income depends on how many deals you place and the commission each generates. As an illustration only, a bridging deal generating roughly £7,500 of gross lender commission would pay about £4,125 at the 55% self-sourced split. That is one example, not a forecast, and results vary deal to deal.
Considering a move to CoreFi?
Check your current network or franchise agreement first, then apply to join CoreFi as a self-employed broker under your own limited company. Keep a growing split of the lender commission on the deals you place, with the platform, panel and training behind you. Income depends on deals placed and is not guaranteed.
Apply to CoreFi