Best bank 2025: ING
ING’s Dutch franchise has pivoted decisively toward retail expansion, mirroring the group-wide ambition to lift the retail share of capital to 55% by 2027. While capital is still roughly evenly split between retail and wholesale, the Netherlands is already seeing buoyant growth thanks to strong household demand for housing finance.
Over the last four years ING has lifted its Dutch mortgage market share from about 10% to 17%, a gain achieved without adding branches. Instead, the bank invested in technology that links seamlessly with mortgage intermediaries – vital in a market where brokers originate roughly 80% of loans. The upgraded platform has kept application turnaround times low and pricing competitive, allowing ING to grow balances even as macroeconomic uncertainty persists. Rising house prices, record low unemployment and benign credit performance have underpinned this expansion, keeping risk costs contained.
Strong deposit inflows have provided the funding to match that lending growth. The bank recorded another quarter of record deposit growth in the Netherlands, helping to defend net-interest margins while still rewarding savers.
“We have shown we are able to manage our margins on the net-interest income, both on the liability side and on the lending side, while still growing our volumes,” says head of investor relations Sjoerd Miltenburg. Together, higher volumes on both sides of the balance sheet and disciplined pricing explain why Dutch earnings featured prominently in the group’s better than expected first-quarter results and supported an additional share buyback announcement. “We are continuously reinventing ourselves to maintain profitability and growth,” Miltenburg notes.
ING is also broadening the product set offered to Dutch customers. Investment accounts have become the next growth engine as savers accumulate wealth. Across the group, 4.8 million clients (12% of the total) now hold investment products and retail fee income rose 18% year on year.
The Dutch arm is leveraging the same digital infrastructure used in Germany and Belgium to roll out in-house funds and third-party solutions, aiming to capture a bigger share of mass-affluent wallets. At the same time, sharply targeted digital campaigns, such as Black Friday promotions, are drawing Gen-Z payment customers who represent tomorrow’s mortgage borrowers. According to Miltenburg the bank has “gained a lot of experience over the last decades in targeting our clients with relevant marketing through digital channels.”
Customer advocacy remains a competitive strength. While ING ranks third on net promoter score (NPS) in its home market, the gap to the leader is reported to be a single point, and the group’s wholesale operation reached a record NPS in the review period. The Dutch experience reflects the broader strategy: deepening relationships through friction-free digital service, then cross-selling into investment and daily banking propositions without sacrificing cost efficiency.
Continued momentum in mortgages, sustained deposit growth and an expanding wealth offering together signal that ING’s Dutch franchise is delivering on its strategic blueprint ahead of schedule.
Best bank for homeowners 2025: ING
ING has made waves in the Dutch mortgage space by advancing its commitment to sustainable homeownership. The bank’s new approach, launched in December 2024, encompasses a range of innovative services designed to facilitate sustainable home renovations and retrofitting for both new and existing Dutch mortgage customers. Notably, ING’s initiative stands out through various elements of its end-to-end customer enablement strategy.
Key aspects of this strategy include the mandatory integration of sustainable renovation discussions in advisory conversations, promoting awareness around future home value protection against declining energy efficiency standards. The bank introduced the ING Upgrade Check – a dynamic digital tool within the ING app for customers to explore cost-effective and beneficial sustainable renovation measures. Additionally, ING’s Upgrader services provide a seamless sequence from consultancy to the execution of energy-saving installations, backed by trusted partners and easy access to government subsidies.
Financial incentives further encourage sustainable practices, with ING offering supplementary lending options above standard loan-to-value rates for sustainability projects, alongside mortgage rate discounts for homes achieving high energy efficiency labels.
The unique marketing strategies employed by ING have also proved effective. The bank’s collaboration with Dutch interior design influencer Daan Alferink has heightened customer engagement around sustainability, illustrating the financial prudence of home upgrades rather than focusing solely on environmental impacts.
Overall, ING’s integrated approach and distinct marketing campaigns have set a new benchmark in supporting homeowners through the energy transition, aiming to inspire broader industry uptake towards sustainable living solutions.
