02/10/2026
The DIP is where cases quietly die.
A decision in principle feels like progress. It tells you a lender is interested. But the real underwriting hasn't happened yet. The valuation still has to come in. The file still has to hold up.
Plenty of cases clear the DIP and fall over weeks later. After you've told your client it's happening. After you've turned down other options. After the clock has run down.
Credit-backed loans flip the order. Underwriting happens first. What you receive is a fully underwritten offer, with the valuation already factored in, subject only to standard legal completion. The hard questions are already asked and answered before you commit.
A decision in principle is a promise to decide later.
A credit-backed offer is the decision, already made.
If you've ever had a case die in underwriting after the DIP came through, this is the part of Broka worth paying attention to.
broka.uk/a-decision-in-principle-is-not-an-offer-2/