What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Honesty. Transparency. Trust.
Are there any (popular) misconceptions about your job/ role?
That all BDMs drink coffee – I can’t stand the stuff, I’d much rather have a cuppa tea.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
I got involved in a semi-commercial deal that would now fall under a regulated mortgage contract. The property was Grade 2 listed and comprised a ground-floor shop with four storeys of residential accommodation above.
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But the history of the property was much older than the year it was constructed, because it had been built using reclaimed wood, long before recycling was a thing! In the attic, you could actually read the name of the ship the timbers had come from, carved into one of the beams.
Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?
I had a large office complex transaction with over 100 tenants on a variety of short- and long-term tenancies. Unfortunately, one of the directors passed away during the legal process. Dealing with the intricacies of succession and the emotional impact on all parties was one of the toughest challenges I have experienced. The importance of having a current will and a solid succession plan, documented with detailed wishes, will never be lost on me.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
Investigations and fraud manager. I thrive on unravelling complex structures and drilling down into the detail. Being tenacious as I am, I’d ensure that no stone was left unturned. Passing on to junior staff just a small amount of the knowledge acquired over the last 30 years on how to spot red flags would be very fulfilling. Almost a legacy role, if you will.
What did you want to be growing up?
Professional footballer. I don’t follow football anymore, as I am a massive Spurs fan.
How do you think your job will change in five years?
The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) deeply concerns me as it may take the human touch away from relationships, in my opinion. The ‘brain drain’ out of the bigger banks will leave intermediaries better qualified than those funding the transactions, which could be a dangerous scenario for a lender and extremely frustrating for the broker community, having to deal with an even greater ‘computer says no’ mentality.
That’s one of the reasons I came to Afin. Human relationships are still vital at every point, from working with brokers through to underwriting our mortgages.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
The ability to fly. I could avoid all the traffic on our roads and always be early to meetings.
