Which locations and how many brokers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I’m a key account manager responsible for supporting 30 key firms across the UK, including packagers and broker firms.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Resilience and adaptability have been key over the past 24 months in navigating a fast-moving mortgage market. These skills have helped both me and the company to stay ahead of challenges and maintain momentum.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
Since becoming a key account manager, I’ve focused on developing my data analysis skills. Understanding data has made me more efficient in terms of helping identify gaps, forecast effectively, set realistic targets, and deliver tailored training to ensure those targets are met – although it’s an area in which I feel that I can constantly improve.
Aldermore Insights with Jon Cooper: Edition 4 – Budget 2025: Landlords feel the heat, brokers to steer the market
Sponsored by Aldermore
What is the hardest part of your job?
Market volatility is currently the toughest part of the job. I’m fortunate to work closely with our product and marketing teams, as this collective approach allows us to respond quickly in what remains a rapidly changing mortgage market.
What do you love most about your job?
Collaboration is what I love most about my day-to-day role. I thrive on working closely with teams across underwriting, credit, product, legal, capital markets, and our internal business development managers (BDMs) to get cases over the line. Sometimes it’s about asking the right questions; other times, it’s about delivering excellent customer service to achieve results.
What is the best piece of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you?
“There is no progress without struggle.” This quote has always been a guiding principle for me, especially during challenging times. It reminds me that growth often comes through perseverance and that every obstacle is an opportunity to push forward and improve.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
To stay informed and ahead of market trends, I subscribe to leading mortgage and economic publications and dedicate 30 to 60 minutes each day to reading industry news.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
The ‘lighthouse’ stands out as one of the most memorable cases I’ve worked on. Not only was it a beautifully converted lighthouse, but the title also included several outbuildings transformed into self-contained holiday lets. Our Multiple Properties on One Title product proved to be the perfect solution, tailored to meet the unique complexities of this property.
Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?
Working for a specialist lender means tricky cases are part of the everyday, and I genuinely enjoy the challenge. At Foundation Home Loans, we operate as one unified team. Whether it’s a quirky scenario or a case that initially feels impossible, collaboration across departments helps us find solutions.
What was your motivation for choosing this career?
I’ve always been open to meeting new people and building meaningful connections. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of crossing paths with individuals who saw potential in me and encouraged my journey into sales. Their belief and support played a pivotal role in shaping my path, and I’ll always be grateful to them.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
Capital markets have always fascinated me. The depth of planning, forecasting, and expertise within that team is remarkable; they’re the engine that keeps us moving and the shield that protects us from uncertainty. To truly understand and lead in capital markets would be an incredible experience, one that demands both strategic insight and resilience.