About Us
Our Story.
Based in Farnborough, Kerr & Watson was founded by Stephen Kerr and Daniel Watson, both driven mortgage professionals with decades of combined experience in financial services.
Stephen’s background is mortgage and insurance broking, whereas, in addition to being a qualified broker, Daniel has been a successful business development manager for multiple specialist lenders. During this period, they regularly worked closely, with Daniel being a key contact to Stephen for specialist mortgage cases that he had needed to place for his clients.
With utmost respect for one another’s abilities and industry reputation, they discussed the idea of opening a brokerage together. With Stephen’s background in arranging complex mortgages and Daniel’s business development expertise, it was clear there was potential for a brilliant firm.
The goal was to offer a quality of service that they would want their own family to receive. This would mean opting for a common sense approach, jargon-free language and the customer journey always being at the centre of everything they do.
Direct authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority was chosen, rather than applying to trade as an appointed representative of a network. The result was a tougher authorisation journey and a longer waiting time for approval, but worth the sacrifice to offer a true independent and whole of market service that they felt was vital.
When choosing their company name, they needed one that would demonstrate full confidence in their service and continue to hold them accountable as the business grows. With this in mind, the natural choice was ‘Kerr & Watson’.
Stephen Kerr
CeMAP, CeRER, CeFA
Director
For over a decade, Stephen has been a whole of market mortgage adviser helping everyone from first time buyers to high net worth individuals.
With a strong understanding of complex incomes and the self employed market, he is a specialist in arranging larger loans that require extra attention.
Like many of his clients, Stephen is a landlord, so is up to date with the hurdles that investors face and the solutions that may be available to them.
In 2023 Stephen was a finalist at the Mortgage Introducer awards for mortgage broker of the year and he has been featured in industry publications such as Mortgage Strategy, Mortgage Introducer and The Intermediary.
Daniel Watson
BA (Hons) Marketing, CeMAP, DipMAP, CeRER, CertPro
Director
With over 15 years experience in Financial Services, Daniel has worked for numerous specialist lenders with roles such as Marketing Executive, Business Development Manager and National Sales Manager.
This background has helped him gain first-hand understanding of how lenders work behind the scenes, useful knowledge to have when placing a mortgage.
He has vast experience with bridging loans, residential and buy to let lending.
Daniel has been featured in industry publications including Financial Reporter, Mortgage Solutions and has been a panellist many times for the Lenders Live podcast.
Outside of work, Daniel is a football coach for both his sons teams and also a marathon runner. Both require discipline and determination making him the perfect broker to have on your side when things get challenging.
Marie Kitchin
CeMAP, CII (R05)
Mortgage & Protection Advisor
With an extensive background in financial services, Marie is a dedicated and knowledgeable Mortgage & Protection Advisor.
Having worked in both B2C and B2B environments, she excels in building strong client relationships and tailoring financial solutions to meet individual needs.
Marie takes pride in understanding her clients’ life plans and empowering them with informed decisions. Her expertise, coupled with a passion for exceeding customer expectations, ensures her clients receive robust, responsible lending solutions.
Outside of work, Marie enjoys keeping fit, traveling, and taking dog walks with her family and their chihuahua.
James Ashworth
Cert CII (MP)
Mortgage & Protection Advisor
With nearly a decade of experience in financial services and estate agency, James brings a relationship-driven approach to mortgage and protection advice.
Having previously worked as both a Business Development Manager and an estate agency negotiator, James has a rare dual perspective of the entire property transaction process, from securing a mortgage to handing over the keys. He is confident discussing complex cases and prides himself on delivering clear, empathetic guidance for clients at every stage of their journey.
James specialises in helping first-time buyers, buy-to-let investors and clients needing tailored protection advice. He’s passionate about ensuring clients feel informed and supported throughout the mortgage process.
Outside of work, James is a qualified Mental Health First Aider, a former Guinness World Record holder for charity fundraising, and enjoys public speaking and mentoring.
Brad Garbutt
Protection Advisor
With over seven years’ experience in fast-paced sales environments, Brad brings a driven, customer-focused approach to protection advice. His background includes working across major corporate partnerships such as GoCompare, Confused.com and the Post Office, where he consistently delivered strong results.
His experience in protection sales, conveyancing support, and recruitment has given him a well-rounded understanding of the challenges clients face during major life decisions.
Brad is passionate about helping customers feel informed and supported, offering clear, tailored advice that reflects their goals.
Outside of work, Brad enjoys keeping active and watching F1.
Matthew Ralph
Trainee Mortgage & Protection Advisor
With a background in retail and a hunger to learn, Matthew has decided to pursue a new career path in finance as a Mortgage & Protection Administrator.
Matthew loves to help people and get them positive outcomes, so he is perfectly placed to assist the team in finding the right financial solution for you.
Matthew’s eagerness to help others stems from coaching a local junior football team and refereeing games from an early age.
Outside of work, Matthew enjoys running and playing golf with friends.
andreea Ionescu
Mortgage & Protection Administrator
Andreea is an organised and customer-focused professional with a background in financial services, customer service, and administration.
With experience in roles such as Client Service Representative and Sales Consultant, she brings communication and organisational skills to her role as a Mortgage Administrator at Kerr & Watson. Andreea ensures that clients receive the support they need throughout their mortgage journey.
Bilingual in English and Romanian, Andreea enjoys working with a diverse range of clients. Outside of work, she loves travelling and discovering new cultures.
The Team
Our Timeline
2023
January 2023
Kerr & Watson Founded. Launched by Stephen Kerr and Daniel Watson, focusing on independent and whole-market mortgage and insurance advice.
December 2023
Finalist for ‘Best Mortgage Broker (Fewer than 8 Advisers)’ at Mortgage Strategy Awards
Shortlisted for ‘Best Newcomer in the Mortgage Space‘ at Money Age Mortgage Awards
2024
January 2024
Office Relocation to Pembroke House, to support business growth.
Celebrated our 1st Anniversary at Kerr & Watson
February 2024
Winner of ‘Best Newcomer‘ at Money Age Mortgage Awards
Kerr & Watson Mortgage App Launched. Get real-time mortgage options on your phone.
March 2024
Shortlisted for ‘Best Industry Newcomer‘ and ‘Best Broker Customer Service‘ at What Mortgage Awards
April 2024
Finalist at Financial Reporter Awards for ‘Broker Firm of the Year (Up to 10 Employees)’.
May 2024
Matthew Ralph joins as Mortgage Administrator adding support and enhancing client service capabilities.
July 2024
Shortlisted for ‘Mortgage Broker of the Year‘ at Money Age Mortgage Awards
Finalist for ‘Best Newcomer in the Mortgage Space‘ at Money Age Mortgage Awards 2024.
September
Highly Comended for ‘Best Mortgage Broker (Up to 39 Advisers)’ at The Personal Finance Awards 2024.
Shortlisted for ‘Broker Firm of the Year (Up to 10 Advisers)’ at The Mortgage Introducer Awards 2024.
October 2024
Finalist at Hampshire Business Awards 2024 for:
‘Hampshire Business of The Year (under 20 employees)’
‘Hampshire New Business of the Year‘December 2024
Finalist at The Mortgage Awards 2025 for:
‘Broker Firm of the Year‘ (up to 10 advisers)
‘Overall Broker of the Year‘
‘Best Innovation in the Mortgage Space‘2025
January 2025
Marie Kitchin joins Kerr & Watson as Mortgage & Protection Advisor
Celebrated our 2nd Anniversary at Kerr & Watson
February 2025
Highly Commended for ‘Broker Firm of the Year‘ (up to 10 advisers) at The Mortgage Awards 2025.
March 2025
Andreea Ionescu joins as a Mortgage Administrator, adding extra support to the team and helping us deliver even better service to our clients.
April 2025
Shortlisted for ‘Best Broker Customer Service‘ at The What Mortgage Awards 2025.
Shortlisted for ‘Mortgage Broker of the Year (up to 10 employees)‘ at The Financial Reporter Awards 2025.
May 2025
Stephen Kerr shortlisted as one of the final three in the ‘Business Leader: Broker (fewer than 10 advisers)‘ category at The British Mortgage Awards 2025.
June 2025
James Ashworth joins as a Mortgage & Protection Advisor, bringing nearly a decade of industry experience to help us deliver clear, tailored advice and an exceptional service to our clients.
September 2025
Finalist at The Mortgage Introducer Awards 2025 for:
‘Broker Firm of the Year‘ (Up to 10 Advisers)
‘Broker of the Year‘ (Individual Award – Stephen Kerr)
Rising Star (Broker – Daniel Watson)October 2025
Finalist for ‘Best use of Social Media 2025‘ at the Financial Reporter Mortgage Marketing Award 2025.
Shortlisted for ‘New Business of the Year‘ at Hampshire Business Awards 2025.
November 2025
Finalist at The Mortgage Awards 2026 for:
‘Broker Firm of the Year‘ (up to 10 advisers)
‘Overall Broker of the Year‘December 2025
Bradley Garbutt joins us as a Protection Advisor, bringing over seven years of industry experience and a proven track record of delivering clear, tailored advice.
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Kerr & Watson | Address: Pembroke House, 8 St Christophers Pl, Farnborough GU14 0NH, UK | Phone: 01252 224620 | Email: info@kerrandwatson.co.uk | Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00–17:30