Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at District and County Investments?
I cover the North for District and County Investments, working with a wide range of brokers, introducers and property finance advisers across the region.
The role is less about managing a fixed number of accounts and more about building strong broker relationships, identifying good-quality opportunities early and helping structure deals that are deliverable for everyone involved. I work closely with brokers across bridging, development, refurbishment, development exit and other short-term property finance scenarios.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Being able to quickly understand a deal and identify the real credit position.
A lot of business development isn’t simply about quoting terms, it’s about asking the right questions early. I pride myself on being able to translate a broker’s scenario into a clear lending proposition by understanding the leverage, security, borrower profile, exit strategy and any potential credit concerns.
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Communication is equally important, particularly being direct, commercial and clear without overcomplicating things.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I’d like to continue developing my network and raising my profile in the market, as even though knowledge is essential, visibility and consistency are just as important. I’m focused on being even more proactive with broker engagement, sharing market updates and building long-term relationships. I also want to keep improving my ability to present complex deals in a concise, credit-friendly way.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
Managing expectations is probably the biggest challenge, particularly when a deal isn’t as straightforward as it first appears. Brokers and borrowers are often working to tight deadlines, but the transaction still has to make sense from a credit, valuation and exit perspective. Sometimes that means having difficult conversations, but I think it’s important to be honest while remaining constructive. A good BDM needs to balance commerciality with discipline and always look for the best outcome that’s genuinely achievable.
What do you love most about your job?
The variety is what keeps it interesting. In bridging and development finance, no two deals are ever the same. One day you could be looking at a development exit; the next, a refurbishment project, a land-with-planning opportunity or a complex refinance.
I also enjoy working closely with brokers and developers from the earliest stages of an inquiry, helping shape a transaction into something that can actually be completed. Seeing those deals come together is one of the most rewarding parts of the role.
Are there any (popular) misconceptions about your job/role?
A common misconception is that a BDM is simply there to sell the lender. In reality, the role is much broader than that and often acts as the first layer of credit assessment before a deal progresses further.
You need to understand risk, valuation, borrower strength, exit strategy and deal structure, while also being able to identify potential issues early. A big part of the job is finding ways to make good deals work, but it’s equally important to be honest when a proposal simply isn’t deliverable.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you?
About a year ago, I came across a sales YouTuber who used the phrase: “Some will, some won’t, who cares, who’s next?”, and it’s something that’s always stayed with me. In specialist finance, you’re constantly competing with other lenders, so you know not every deal is going to land on your desk.
Accepting that as part of the job, rather than taking it personally, is a really important mindset. It allows you to stay focused on providing the best service you can, knowing there will always be another opportunity around the corner.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that certainty matters just as much as price. A slightly cheaper deal isn’t always the best option if it can’t actually be delivered, and brokers and borrowers alike value speed, clarity and reliability throughout the process.
It’s far better to structure a facility properly from the outset than spend time trying to rescue a deal later down the line. Taking the time to get the fundamentals right early on gives everyone greater confidence and ultimately leads to better outcomes for both brokers and their clients.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
Speaking to brokers every day is one of the best ways to understand what’s really happening in the market. Those conversations give you a genuine feel for changing borrower demand, deal types and the challenges advisers are facing.
Alongside that, I stay close to valuers, solicitors, credit teams and other lenders to keep track of changes in pricing, lending appetite and risk. I also follow specialist finance publications, market updates, case studies and lender criteria changes to make sure I’m up to date.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
A £2.95m land deal in Liverpool stands out. The transaction was unusual because the planning consent wasn’t fully unconditional at completion due to the position of the Section 106 agreement. That meant we were effectively completing a land facility while a key legal planning condition was still outstanding, requiring a much more detailed assessment of risk, structure and exit strategy.
The deal had to be reworked several times as the planning position evolved, with close collaboration between the borrower, broker, valuers, solicitors and credit team.
For me, it showed the value of looking beyond the headline figures and understanding how a transaction would work in practice. It was a challenging deal that required plenty of collaboration and problem-solving, but ultimately a very rewarding one to be involved in.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
I think I’d enjoy working as a broker. Having worked alongside brokers in both the regulated and unregulated markets for almost 10 years, I understand the challenges they face and what it takes to succeed in the role.
What did you want to be growing up?
Funnily enough, I always wanted to be a chef, and I actually achieved that ambition for just under a year. It didn’t take long to realise it wasn’t quite the career I’d imagined. I’m probably in the unique position of being able to say I lived out my childhood dream and hated every second of it. Thankfully, I found specialist finance instead, which turned out to be a much better fit.
Where do you see yourself in five years or How do you think your job will change in five years?
I’d like to be known as one of the most reliable and commercially minded BDMs in the specialist finance market. I want brokers to see me as someone who gives clear answers, understands the details and can help structure even the more challenging transactions.
I also think the role of a BDM will become increasingly advice-led and credit-led, rather than simply relationship-led. As funding conditions continue to change, brokers will place even greater value on lenders who can offer certainty, speed and sensible underwriting.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I’d love to be able to tell the future! I’d put the EuroMillions on and the rest would be history.
What do you do to unwind?
Most of my spare time is spent with my family and my son, which is always time well spent. I also enjoy music, football and getting out for a walk or run whenever I get the chance.
I’m a bit of a Second World War history nerd, so history documentaries are definitely a guilty pleasure. I also support Everton, which isn’t always the most relaxing pastime, but I enjoy anything with a good story, whether that’s sport, music, film or television.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
From a work perspective, I’d say my biggest strength is being able to get to the heart of a deal quickly. I enjoy understanding what really matters from a credit perspective and separating the important details from the background noise. Outside work, I’d probably say communication and humour. Being able to build rapport with people naturally is valuable both professionally and personally, and it’s something that’s helped me throughout my career.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
It’s difficult to pinpoint one work-related question, as strange requests are part and parcel of specialist finance. The most unusual tend to involve scenarios where someone wants a lender to ‘take a view’ on something that does not exist or makes very little commercial sense, which can lead to some entertaining conversations.
Outside of work, a lad in Zante once asked whether I was former Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross. He refused to believe me when I said no, and he and his friend ended up asking for a picture with me anyway.
