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Know Your BDM: Niamh Downey, Bluestone Mortgages

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  • 29/07/2022
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This week Mortgage Solutions is speaking with Niamh Downey, head of business development at Bluestone Mortgages.

What’s the hardest part of your job? 

Juggling multiple high priority tasks throughout the day and week is definitely the hardest part of the job. But there are tips and tricks I use to get by. These include creating a daily schedule, setting goals and priorities, grouping tasks together, setting time limits for each goal, and making sure I stick to that schedule. Working smarter, not harder is always the ultimate goal. 

  

What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on? 

Drawing and painting. Art has always been a big passion of mine and it’s something I find extremely therapeutic. I like to draw a mixture of things, including cartoons, tattoo ideas and more realistic drawings. It helps me relieve stress as my sole focus and concentration is on drawing or painting at that moment. I’d love to be able to spend more time harnessing these skills to keep them up, which can always be tricky. 

  

What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you? 

“Never stop learning and never stay in your comfort zone” is a mantra I try to live by every day and is something a family friend said to me when I started my career.  

In my view, one of the most important things you can do to progress your career is to continuously build your knowledge and continue to learn. It helps you become more adaptable, gain skills and enables you to grow as a person both within your career and personally. As long as you do this, you’ll succeed. 

  

Tell us about your trickiest client – what happened and how did you resolve their problem(s)? 

When I first joined Bluestone as a business development manager (BDM), I remember getting sent through a credit report from a broker who had no hope they’d be able to help their client get onto the property ladder. The client was applying on her own, was self-employed and had a really complex credit issue, whereby she’d defaulted on multiple unsecured accounts.  

We were able to help the client, due to our manual approach to underwriting and being able to ignore some of the historic adverse. The end result was a very grateful broker and client, as we were able to help them achieve something they thought not possible. While this wasn’t necessarily the trickiest of clients, it’s a very memorable case for me. It makes a huge difference knowing you’re helping people with difficult circumstances buy their dream home.  

  

What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career? 

Like many people I’m sure, financial services is an industry I fell into. When I started my first job at a broker firm, I realised quite quickly that my strengths were talking to people, building and maintaining relationships, and problem solving. I shortly realised that working as a BDM, particularly in the specialist industry where enquiries are more complex, was the perfect career choice for me. The goal was to start there and to work my way up.  

  

If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why? 

I’d love to renovate properties. I’ve always been a creative person, so to express that in an industry that I know and understand would be great. Buying run-down houses and bringing a vision to life sounds like an amazing experience and is definitely something I’d like to do in the future. Watch this space for colourful interiors. 

  

What did you want to be growing up? 

I wanted to be a barrister growing up and loved the idea of wearing the gown and wig in court. I was always very good at arguing my point and questioning everything, although I’m not sure this was appreciated by my mum when I was growing up, and now in my adult life, probably by my colleagues. But it turns out I didn’t want to go to university, so I’ve decided to debate my point in financial services instead.  

  

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? 

The ability to teleport. I love travelling, and so the dream for me would be to teleport anywhere in the world, whenever I want, and be there within seconds, without the faff of travelling. Just think for those nights when you fancy a pizza with some sorbet for dessert, I could teleport myself to Italy to get the best of the best. It would also come in handy for avoiding traffic. 

  

What’s your cure for a rainy day or hangover? 

The only way a day with a hangover should ever be spent is on the sofa or in bed with lots of snacks, drinks and a good comfort film to make you feel less sorry for yourself.  

  

What, or who, inspires you? 

Thinking of my own end goal and where I want to be in the future is what inspires me. Setting myself long-term goals and knowing what I want and where I envision being helps to keep me motivated, and inspires me to work hard to get there. But none of this would be possible without having a good foundation around you. Having a great partner, friends, and family by my side, inspires me every day.  

  

What makes a great colleague? 

On the one hand, you want someone who is willing to help the team reach their goals and is optimistic and enthusiastic to make the team feel excited about the work they’re doing. But, on a more personal level, you want someone who is a good listener and communicator, and someone you can have a laugh with.

  

Name your favourite restaurant and why you love it 

I go from one extreme to another on restaurant choices, and my answer will change depending on the day. One of the nicest places I’ve ever been to is Rick Stein’s, The Seafood Restaurant, in Padstow. Or, if I want to pop out for something quick and easy, you can never beat a Nando’s.

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