Lockhart Murphy Sport
Mortgages built for
professional sport.
A professional sportsperson's income structure is not something a standard mortgage lender is designed to assess. Fixed-term contracts. Bonuses that dwarf the salary. Image rights channelled through a company. A career that earns a lifetime's income in a decade.
We know which lenders approach this correctly, how to present the income, and how to plan across the full career arc.
Why It's Different
The challenges — and how they're handled.
Standard mortgage applications assume a salary, a permanent employer and a predictable career. Professional sport rarely fits this model.
Fixed-term contracts
Specialist lenders treat evidenced playing contracts differently from standard employment — remaining contract length, career stage and renewal history are all considered.
Variable and bonus income
Performance bonuses, appearance fees and signing payments can be factored in where properly evidenced, rather than excluded as non-standard.
Short career spans
Peak earning years in sport are finite. We plan mortgage strategy around the full career arc — including how borrowing will be serviced once playing income changes.
Image rights & PSCs
Income paid through personal service companies requires lenders who understand sports financial structures rather than treating it as opaque self-employment.
Overseas income
Foreign-currency salary or earnings from contracts abroad can be assessed for UK lending with the right lender selection and income-presentation approach.
High-value borrowing
Large residential mortgages require lenders with genuine appetite — not just standard multiples applied to a headline salary.
What We Arrange
Across your career.
The right mortgage at each stage of a professional sporting career looks very different. We plan across the full arc — not just for the next transaction.
Our advice is whole-of-market and carried out by a qualified mortgage adviser, not a form or a chatbot.
First purchase
Your first home during your early career — often requiring a lender comfortable with a young professional's income structure.
High-value residential
Prime residential property as your career grows. Lender selection and income presentation are both critical at scale.
Remortgaging
Restructuring at contract renewal, transfer, career transition or life change. Strategy matters as much as the rate.
Portfolio mortgages
Multiple properties assessed together where that suits the overall financial profile and investment structure.
Interest-only mortgages
Where appropriate — often relevant during peak earning years, with a credible repayment strategy in place.
Post-career planning
How the mortgage is serviced when playing income ends. Part of the advice from the first conversation.
How It Works
Straightforward.
01
Initial conversation
We understand your income structure, career stage, financial position and what you are trying to achieve.
02
Income structuring
We organise your income — salary, bonuses, image rights, overseas elements — in the way specialist lenders expect to see it.
03
Lender selection
We approach the right lenders for your profile, privately, so you receive a credit search only when it matters.
04
Application & completion
We manage the application, the lender, solicitors and any other parties from offer through to completion.
Common Questions
Answered.
Can professional athletes get mortgages on fixed-term contracts?
Yes. Specialist lenders will consider fixed-term playing or professional contracts when assessing mortgage affordability, provided the contract is evidenced and the overall financial profile supports the borrowing. Remaining contract length, career stage and wider financial position all influence the approach.
How does a short or unpredictable earning career affect mortgage options?
Standard lenders often struggle with income that compresses a lifetime of earning into a shorter career span. Specialist lenders familiar with professional sport understand this and assess the borrower's overall financial position rather than applying a standard employment template.
Can performance bonuses count toward mortgage affordability?
Some specialist lenders will consider verified performance bonus income alongside base salary, subject to evidencing and individual lender criteria. Whether and how bonus income increases borrowing capacity depends on the specific lender and the overall application.
What about image rights income?
Image rights income paid through a personal service company is typically excluded by high-street lenders. Specialist lenders who work with professional athletes may be able to consider this income where it is properly documented and where the wider application supports it.
Can athletes playing abroad get a UK mortgage?
Yes. UK athletes earning overseas and international athletes working in the UK can both access the UK mortgage market, though lender selection, residency status, income currency and documentation requirements all need careful management.
Is there a maximum amount a sports professional can borrow?
There is no fixed maximum. Borrowing capacity is determined by income, commitments and the specific lender's criteria. For high earners, large-loan lending requires lenders with genuine appetite for high-value residential mortgages, which we can identify and approach on your behalf.
Private Enquiry
Start the conversation.
Enquiries can be made directly, through your agent or management company. All enquiries are handled in strict confidence and reviewed personally by a qualified adviser.
No obligation
An initial conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Agents welcome
We regularly work with agents and management companies on behalf of their clients.
Whole-of-market
Access to specialist lenders across the market — not a panel tied to a single provider.
Lockhart Murphy is a trading name of Mortgage Force Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it. Lockhart Murphy does not guarantee mortgage approval, specific loan terms or lender acceptance. All advice is subject to individual eligibility and circumstances.