The survey of 2,000 people, carried out by the Alliance & Leicester, found 6% naming the internet and 6% naming the telephone their preferred method of applying for a mortgage, and this figure increases to a combined total of 23% among those who are remortgaging or buying their next home.
First time buyers prefer face-to-face meetings, with only 9% looking to apply for their mortgage via the telephone or internet.
Consumers' appetites for shopping for personal finance products over the internet has grown markedly over recent years, says Alliance & Leicester, notably for current accounts, credit cards, share dealing and ISAs.
Of those looking to apply for a mortgage over the internet, the key reasons for their preference were convenience (52%), time-saving (33%) simplicity (23%) and the belief that cheaper deals can be secured that way (18%).
Those who preferred the telephone said this was because it is more convenient (42%), saves time (31%) and is simpler (16%). However, only 2% thought the telephone would enable them to get a better deal.
Only 3% of those who prefer applying for a home loan face-to-face say it is because they don't like using the telephone, with the same proportion not using the internet because they don't trust it, indicating that it is not a fear of technology or security concerns that are stopping some people exploiting direct channels.