Know Your BDM: Herbie Bone, Hampshire Trust Bank

What does your role entail and how long have you been doing it?   

I joined the bank in January this year after working at a different lender for three years previously. I am currently the business development manager within the bridging finance department covering the South Wales and South West area, specialising in short-term finance for residential and commercial real estate. Day-to-day duties of my role include the origination of bridging loans through face-to-face visits with local introducers, telephone conversations around new and existing deals and representing the HTB brand at round table/expo events.  

What attracted you to working in the mortgage/property/finance sector?   

No two deals are ever the same. Every property, every client and every transaction always have something slightly different to the one before. I absolutely love sitting down with brokers and clients discussing potential solutions to ensure positive outcomes are achieved for all parties involved.  

What were you doing in the five years before starting here?    

Five years ago, I was preparing for my graduation ceremony having just accepted my first full-time permanent position in a car rental graduate programme specialising in sales and service. I then moved into the mortgage lending industry specialising in commercial investment and development finance.   

What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?   

Communication. I’ve worked with many people in the financial services sector, more specifically in real estate finance, and I find strong communication skills really set people apart. This is showcased when an individual must build a quick initial rapport with a broker/potential client or have difficult conversations around why it is or isn’t possible to structure/fund a deal in a certain way. The mantra that we within the bridging finance team at HTB are practicing is: no update is still an update.    

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

My golf game, many networking events are held over 18 holes. The only hole where I am confident in my ability is the 19th aka the bar.  

How has the pandemic changed the way you approach your job?  

The increased incorporation of technology. I try to coincide Zoom/Teams meetings with face-to-face visits wherever possible. However, for speed (which is essential for bridging) being able to sit down with a broker, client or colleague who are often in different counties (and sometimes countries) to run through specifics of a deal is invaluable.  

What is the most interesting/memorable property deal/case you’ve been involved in?   

The most memorable experiences are often linked to doing something alone for the first time. For me, this was assisting a client with the purchase of a smallish Holiday Park at the base of Mount Snowdon. 

The client had spent many years travelling in and around Snowdonia and was purchasing the property to run as a lifestyle business. It wasn’t the biggest deal I had ever worked on, but the sheer joy on the client’s face on completion – making his dreams come true – was something I’ll never forget.  

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?    

In five years’ time, I would hope that I am in a leadership position within the bank. Having spent many years coaching sport, I am passionate about not only my own personal growth but assisting with the growth of others around me.  

If present-day you could go back in time and tell yourself something five years ago, what would it be?  

Spend more time on things you can control and less time on things you can’t.   

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve tackled so far in your career?   

Leading a new team, while being in a brand new industry, through a global pandemic.  

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

To be able to see into the future. It would help massively by guaranteeing plausible exits from our bridging loans. A lottery win or two also wouldn’t go amiss.  

And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?   

When you travel from Wales into the office, do you need to bring your passport with you?