How did you get into the equity release/later life market?
It was almost a natural evolution for me to get into the equity release market. I’ve been in and around the property underwriting industry for 25 years and with Canada Life’s home finance team for the almost ten of those. I absolutely love my job, and love working with my colleagues and advisers.
How did the equity release/later life market fare during the pandemic?
The market certainly had to pivot and evolve in record time at the start of the pandemic. Remote valuations for example, and the processes we were able to build around that allowed us to keep business moving. I was so incredibly proud of my team and how hard we worked to keep a “human” face to our work and am very proud that we apply logic and don’t just take a ‘computer says no’ approach.
What have your biggest takeaways been from the pandemic?
Personally, the last 12 months have been a challenging time, trying to work from home while looking after and home schooling my two little boys. We did it though, and it feels like we can achieve anything now. On a professional level, we’ve been focused on our clients and understanding their stories.
This really helps us get the whole picture of our client and means we can adopt a pragmatic and open approach to decision making.
What will be the biggest changes/developments in the equity release/later life market in the immediate term and longer-term?
One of the biggest opportunities for equity release is the focus on more flexible products and supporting homeowners to make sure their mortgage is tailored to suit their individual needs. The industry is constantly innovating and evolving to create the best products and Canada Life is committed to staying ahead of the curve for advisers and their clients.
What are the biggest opportunities or challenges in the market in the immediate term and longer-term?
Customer demand for equity release products has been incredible in recent times, we’ve doubled our team size in the last year and plan to continue growing in to 2022. Alongside this team expansion we’re working hard behind the scenes to enhance our lending criteria and product range, ensuring we continue to stand out in an ever-changing market.
