What locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I cover the whole of the North East of England, so all of Northumberland, Newcastle, Durham, Teesside, Carlisle, York, Harrogate, Scarborough, Hull and everywhere in between that I may not have mentioned.
It’s a large area. I have over 500 firms and in the region of 2,000 brokers in my area.
How have you changed the way you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers in the pandemic?
I have spent more time helping my brokers with complex transactions and I feel this has really helped ensure an application would go through smoothly. Portfolio and limited company buy-to-let business can be more complex than other mortgage business so during the pandemic I have tried to support my brokers as much as possible by spending time discussing proposals in detail, asking questions and establishing the full facts about their client and their requirements.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Listening is key and asking the right questions. If I don’t find out the exact details, I could miss a vital piece of information. I am naturally inquisitive and have a genuine interest in mortgages and property, so this helps, and I enjoy talking to my brokers very much.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
It would have to be IT. I can use all systems; however, I would love to be an IT whizz as I am sure it would really help me to be better at what I do.
On a personal level it would be my singing and to be able to sing on the karaoke. I have always loved singing but not everyone enjoys listening to me.
Where would you rather be stuck, in bumper-to-bumper traffic or back-to-back Zoom calls?
I prefer seeing people in person, face-to-face, but time wasted in traffic is not helpful to anyone or the environment. I am therefore going to have to say back-to-back Zoom calls if I had to choose.
Post-pandemic I think we can all use our time more effectively to get the most out of the day, this may mean slightly less travel.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
During my career I consider myself very lucky to have had some really excellent and supportive bosses (including the ones I have now). These people showed that they trusted in me and had the utmost confidence in me to do a great job. They helped me to build my confidence and to make me believe in myself. I can never thank them enough for this. Believe in yourself is my advice.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
Although not particularly quirky, it had a lot of parts to it. I think it was an ‘incorporation’ application where a customer was moving all of the properties they owned personally into their limited company. This involved a large number of properties within the portfolio, and family members were being added to the new limited company for future planning.
This transaction was complex due to the number of properties involved and required involvement from our deeds department, underwriting, valuers and solicitors. It was interesting to see it through and help the customer restructure their property ownership. Paragon are fairly unique in being able to help with this.
What was the greatest lesson you learned during the pandemic?
To enjoy the simple things in life more. A walk with friends or family, enjoying our countryside and what’s on the doorstep.
What was the first social event you attended once restrictions were eased?
A simple visit to my local pub to enjoy a nice refreshing pint (a half pint would not have been enough that day). I really missed the simple pleasure of going to your local.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
I had worked in banking for 33 years when I moved to my current role with Paragon, but was never out in the field. The opportunity to travel and meet people whilst doing the job I love was the attraction. I have not looked back as I have met some great people on my travels and have built relationships and friendships with so many of my brokers.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
Estate agent. I am very nosey and enjoy looking inside properties. My ulterior motive would be to try to get my dream home before it went on the market.
What did you want to be growing up?
A police officer – on horseback as I loved horse riding. I ended up marrying a police officer by coincidence. He doesn’t like horses, though.
If you had one superpower, what would it be?
To be able to travel back in time maybe and relive precious moments as life really does go by too quickly.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
This question.
