The difference between the best and worst rate offered to the same borrower for a mortgage loan can reach a percentage point depending on the banks contacted. A simple point which represents several thousand euros in interest more or less. Therefore, obtaining a good mortgage rate does not only depend on your negotiating skills with the bank advisor. Since the rise in borrowing rates in 2026, we must put all the chances on our side: accessing a better rate depends on elements that are often poorly understood by borrowers.
Comparing bank rates is not enough. Three specific criteria actually determine the rate that we will offer you, and you can improve your file well before the discussion in the agency. Personal contribution matters a lot, but so do your income profile, your savings and your assets – that is, what you can contribute to the bank.
The contribution, an entry passport
“A minimum contribution covering additional costs, notary and guarantee, allows access to the offer of all banks”explains Pierre Chapon, co-founder of the online broker Pretto. “If we do not have enough funding to cover these costs, we can still find financingbut we do not have access to the offer of all the banks »he adds. And when you aim for the best rate, you have to open all doors.
In practice, notary and guarantee fees generally represent approximately 10% of the amount borrowed in the olda threshold that many brokers consider to be the minimum contribution to be made before any request, if we are aiming for the best possible rate.
The income profile, the second determining filter
Second decisive criterion: household income level. “What matters is the profile, and mainly the household income level: bank scales are most often built around income levels”explains Pierre Chapon. It gives a numerical reference: “The best rates are above 100,000 euros net per year for a household in Île-de-France. From 80,000 euros net per year, you have access to the best rates outside Île-de-France ». Of course, a household with more modest incomes is not excluded from credit, but may not have the most excellent rate.
The figure itself is not the only determining point: above all, income must be sustainable. This means that yes, the permanent employee is favored, but business leaders, freelancers, liberals – if they justify three years of regular income and even increasingwith missions that follow one another without interruption – are also very good clients for banks. “The most important thing is that the income is sustainable, so that the bank projects itself with serenityand that the monthly payment does not exceed 35 % of revenue »specifies Pierre Chapon. However, he adds a nuance to this 35% debt: “If the project exceeds this threshold, we can always discuss it”.
Transferred savings, negotiation leverage
The last criterion should not be neglected either to put all the chances on your side: what the bank can hope for capture in the commercial relationship. This is how we talk about savings. “The bank will look for a client who will really get involved, by domiciling their income”explains Pierre Chapon. But according to him, one gesture weighs more than the others: “What makes the difference is transferring savings from another bank to your own. We then become a very interesting customer ».
Of course, this approach remains optional. You are never obliged to domicile your income or your capital. “It’s to optimize the rate”recalls Pierre Chapon.
