How many brokers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I cover a wide selection of postcodes in the north of England including the M62 & M61 corridors as well as Newcastle.
How do you successfully organise and deal with business on a daily basis?
I have been a BDM for over 16 years and have learned that no matter how much you try and organise your day, curve balls are often thrown at you, so being flexible and allowing time for issues in the day often pays dividends.
What issues come up time and time again?
Service and packaging. It’s fundamentally important that both lender and broker understand what is required and then the time frame within which it it will be handled.
What do you wish brokers understood about your job?
I think that most brokers understand the general role of the BDM and that you are both trying to help them but also manage risk for the society. If you build a strong relationship with the broker they will understand what you can and cannot do.
What do you think is the most important attribute in a good BDM?
I think there are two really; listen well and follow through on what you agreed to deliver.
When you’re unavailable to contact via telephone, what’s the second-best way for brokers to get in touch?
Email is always handy as I have an iPhone and can quickly see my messages after appointments. In addition we have a great broker support team who can help if I am not available.
If you were head of the FCA for the day, what would you change about regulation in the mortgage industry?
If I was head of the FCA for one day, I would look to put a curfew on any more regulation in the mortgage market for some time to allow both brokers and lenders to catch their breath and do what they do best and help customers get the mortgage they want.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
I had been a bank manager for many years and then joined a building society as a branch manager in 1999 where I started building small relationships with local introducers to add to my direct mortgage business. This whet my appetite for business development as I really enjoyed the interaction and variety of styles.
How do you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers?
Build rapport, listen well to what brokers are looking for, follow through on what you promise to deliver and importantly enjoy doing it.
And how do you establish and maintain good relationships internally?
Get to know the key people you will need to help you deliver the best service to brokers, clients and yourself, be respectful but challenging where appropriate and always give praise where praise is due – after all teamwork is so important.
What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
During my time as a football referee: “Why are you sending us off?” after two players from the same team punched each other…
And finally, what did you want to be growing up?
There were three things I wanted to be when I was growing up:
- Policeman – My eyesight was never good enough for West Yorkshire Police!
- County Cricketer – Made County Colts and County League but did not make the final step up. Retired but came back to playing three years ago.
- Football Referee – Made grade four before retiring and loved every minute of it!
