Sale of Northern Rock mortgages.

Chancellor George Osborne has authorised a record-breaking £13 billion sale of mortgages acquired from the Northern Rock by the government during the financial crisis, this is the largest ever financial asset sale by a government in Europe.

The mortgages, which were originally owned by Northern Rock are being sold by UK Asset Resolution (UKAR) to Cerberus. The proceeds from the sale will be used to pay down the national debt.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne reportedly said: “Today marks another major milestone in clearing up the mess left by the financial crisis, with the sale of former Northern Rock mortgages.

“The sale, which raises £13 billion for the British taxpayer, is the largest ever sale of financial assets by a British government, and we are now clear that taxpayers will get back more money from Northern Rock than they were forced to put in during the financial crisis.

“The highly competitive process, unprecedented scale, and the fact that these mortgages have been sold for almost £300 million more than their book value demonstrates the confidence investors have in the UK, which has only been made possible by the success of our long term plan.

“A key consideration for UKAR in selecting the successful bidder was the treatment of customers. There will be no changes to the terms and conditions of the mortgages sold. Customers do not need to take any action.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Conveyancing causes more stress than property chains

The latest research by Lyons Bowe has found that 42% of recent homebuyers say conveyancing is the biggest barrier to a smooth property transaction, compared with just 19% who point to property chains. The survey of 1,000 recent homebuyers* examined which aspects of the transaction process had presented the biggest barriers to a smooth journey,…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Britain’s most competitive summer rental hotspots

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove has revealed the areas where renters faced the strongest competition this summer, with several North West towns emerging as the toughest places to secure a home Wallasey and Birkenhead in Merseyside were Britain’s joint most competitive rental market during July and August, with an average of…
Read More →
AI in estate agency letting agency property
Letting Agent Talk

The 5 tasks lettings agents won’t trust to AI

AI must make lettings more human, not less, and that requires real rental intelligence. The latest research from Propoly has found that letting industry professionals see a clear role for AI in property management, but are reluctant to let it operate without human oversight, particularly when decisions involve people, complex circumstances or potentially significant consequences. Propoly…
Read More →
Breaking News

Foxtons Lettings Market Index – August 2026

The busiest weeks arrived earlier than usual, with activity spread more evenly across the summer due to implementation of the RRA • Renter registrations eased 3.0% in August. Along with July, it was still the peak of 2026, finishing off the summer rush just below July’s levels. • Competition for available property rose 22.4% in…
Read More →
Breaking News

Three-quarters of homebuyers hunt after 5pm

Britain’s property hotspots where estate agency branches are handling the most sales revealed The latest internal data from Street.co.uk has revealed that estate agency branches using the platform are handling an average of 4.7 property sales per branch each month across Britain’s major cities, some two properties more per branch than the estimated wider market…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 23/9/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Voluntary upfront property information is a tax on conscientiousness estate agents Nobody wants to go first Thought Leadership by Olivier Januiax Founder of Nestlink ‘Picture this, you have invited two estate agents to carry out a market appraisal on your home, because you want…
Read More →