The key to more sustainable homes? Listening to your clients

Florius is an ABN AMRO brand that offers mortgage products through independent intermediaries. “With a portfolio of more than EUR 56 billion and 300,000 clients, we have a major impact on the Dutch housing market,” says Karin Polman, general manager of Florius. “One in ten owner-occupied homes is financed by Florius. In addition, we have granted over 3,100 sustainability loans in 2023 alone. This means that for every six mortgage loans, an owner has specifically applied for a portion to make their home more sustainable.”

Leading the way in sustainability

Florius clients have plenty of questions about sustainability as it relates to their homes. “Double glazing, heat pumps, insulation and solar panels are on many people’s minds at the moment,” Karin continues. “At Florius, we want to lead the way while keeping a close eye on developments in society. At the same time, our approach to sustainability is inclusive – we want to help as many clients as possible make the transition to sustainability in order to reduce carbon emissions in line with the targets set out in ABN AMRO’s climate plan. By helping others make the transition to a more sustainable home, we’re making a difference together.”

Florius sustainability mortgage

At the forefront of this sustainable mission is the Florius Verduurzaam Hypotheek (in Dutch), which was developed in 2019 to meet clients’ demand for sustainability products. One of the first products of its kind, this part of a mortgage loan allows clients to make their homes more sustainable by financing things like insulation, a heat pump and solar panels.

Lower interest rate

With the Florius Verduurzaam Hypotheek, clients can borrow up to EUR 25,000 to make their home more sustainable. This part of the mortgage loan doesn’t count towards the home’s rating category (the ratio between the amount of the mortgage and the market value of the home). Clients also benefit from a lower interest rate on this part of their mortgage loan.

A longer fixed term and more fixed interest rates to choose from

Florius never loses sight of its clients’ needs, and on 5 October introduced a number of improvements to this mortgage product. “Lower monthly costs are the number-one reason clients choose to make their homes more sustainable, followed by greater home comfort, adding value to the property and contributing to the environment,” says Patrick Wijsman, lead product owner sustainability. “The first iteration of the Florius Verduurzaam Hypotheek had a maximum fixed term of fifteen years. We’ve now extended this to thirty years, which means that the cost of the measures clients take to make their homes more sustainable can be spread over a longer period of time. And that reduces their monthly expenses. Plus clients can now choose from a range of fixed-interest periods for even greater flexibility.”

Free energy label

In addition to these new product improvements, all clients who apply for a sustainability loan before the end of 2023 will receive a free energy label. They can register their energy label via Woninglatenkeuren.nl using a voucher from Florius, which is valid for two years, the same time frame allotted to making their sustainable home improvements. If the house has at least an energy label A, clients will receive a 0.1 percent interest rate reduction on their mortgage.

Inspiration and help with sustainability

Like ABN AMRO, Florius offers a wide range of products and services to inspire clients and help them on their way to a more sustainable home. Patrick says, “Our partner De Energiebespaarders (The Energy Savers) allows our clients to do an online energy savings check, which tells them what their best options are to make their home more sustainable. De Energiebespaarders also provide free, tailored sustainability advice to all Florius clients, looking carefully at the client’s personal situation and even making a home visit if necessary.”

Mortgage advisers

“We see mortgage advisers as the ultimate driving force behind sustainability,” Karin concludes. “They sit down with clients to discuss options, give advice and arrange financing. From there, we can continue to improve our products and services, which is vital – after all, more sustainable buildings are key to making the whole country sustainable. At Florius, we’re constantly innovating to make sustainability as easy and attractive as we can.”