How many brokers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I currently support seven key accounts that include a mix of packagers and large direct accounts. My accounts support the bank via a mix of in-house advisers and business flowing from their introducers, so the variety of enquiries varies tremendously from vanilla buy to let through to complex specialist enquiries.
How do you successfully organise and deal with business on a daily basis?
Before joining the bank I was a broker myself for 17 years. I understand the pressures brokers face and the frustrations they experience when trying to get cases through to completion. As part of my daily routine, I endeavour to touch every enquiry before close of play each day. Brokers appreciate that you are actively working toward solving issues that arise and the key component, for me, is contact. Keeping detailed notes on enquiries, and checking they are all dealt with each day keeps me ahead of the game.
What issues come up time and time again?
While I deal with the standard enquiries that all BDMs deal with – system questions, solicitor chases, case updates, and so forth – a reoccurring question is around our underwriting flexibility. We lend on multi-unit freehold blocks and leasehold properties, and the bank’s policy for the latter requires that there is a separate legal entity between the freeholder and leaseholder in cases where the leaseholder holds an interest in the freehold.
What do you wish brokers understood about your job?
That my focus is on all of my accounts. If I’m doing my job properly each of my accounts should feel like they are my only account, the problem that this creates is that when I’m on a visit I’m wholly invested in that visit and will not answer calls or emails. This can be frustrating for a broker that needs a quick response to their enquiry which is why I always deal with all enquiries before the close of the business day. We have an excellent support team at the office that often pick up these enquiries for me also, which can help on longer visits.
What do you think is the most important attribute in a good BDM?
The ability to problem solve. All enquiries, whether they are criteria-related or case in progress-related, require the ability to problem solve. Knowing and trusting that your development manager can solve the day-to-day issues and problems that arise in your brokerage and is willing to roll up their sleeves to take ownership of those issues is invaluable.
When you’re unavailable to contact via telephone, what’s the second-best way for brokers to get in touch?
My accounts all know that a voicemail or email will get them a same day response. Alternatively, if a case is urgent, they have the contact details of the support team at our head office.
If you were head of the FCA for the day, what would you change about regulation in the mortgage industry?
This is a difficult one for me. I have watched regulation grow from the days of the MCCB [Mortgage Code Compliance Board] and have held the role of compliance officer. I have always embraced regulation, and accept and agree that it is a part of daily life in our industry and a necessary requirement to increase and improve the integrity of our profession. I appreciate that the regulator has a difficult job and overall feel they do it fairly well.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
I’ve been a broker for a long time and have worked with good and bad business development managers over the years. I have coached and mentored many brokers and the role seemed a natural career progression. I was also keen to experience the other side of lending.
How do you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers?
By listening, doing what I say, saying what I’ll do and bringing fun to the relationship. Brokers expect to not always get what they want, provided you give them a definitive answer and respond quickly to their questions and requirements, they’ll trust your judgement and rely on the relationship as one of honesty and integrity.
And how do you establish and maintain good relationships internally?
The key to success is to understand your colleagues’ roles and the difficulties they encounter daily. Offering support, where needed, and accepting it, when offered, enables the team to gel and be greater than the sum of its parts.
What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Do these stairs just go up?
And finally, what did you want to be growing up?
A portrait artist – and still do!
