So it falls to us in the sales chain to ensure we give customers the best experience possible so that the share of intermediated mortgages continues to grow year on year. And the way we can provide that great experience is to work collaboratively.
It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) came into force. But the impact that this key milestone had on the way we work with our intermediary partners hasn’t been forgotten. Actively seeking feedback on our thought processes and giving an early ‘heads-up’ on our initial implementation plans meant that we could have frank and open discussions about the issues that MMR presented.
Through this two-way dialogue and timely communication at all levels, we were able to integrate the MMR changes smoothly, with no surprises. It also helped us to carry on with our business as usual, with minimal impact on our service levels or business volumes.
This collaborative approach is part of our DNA. We’ve learned that by establishing close working relationships, where there’s a common goal of delivering the best customer experience possible, we can really achieve great things.
Another example of this is how we’ve improved our conversion rate to completion by streamlining our packaging requirements and so improving our ‘right first time’ rates. The benefits to customers, brokers and lenders are clear but this was only made possible by the programme of communication and discussion we had with our broker partners to outline what the issues were and how, together, we’d overcome them.
As the changes and challenges continue throughout the year, we’ll have many more opportunities to cement our business relationships – the European Mortgage Credit Directive being one of them… but that’s another story!
Martese Carton is corporate account manager, NatWest Intermediary Solutions
