What locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I cover a large area of South Wales and the South West. I manage relationships with these advisers alongside our telephone business development managers (TBDMs).
How do you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers?
All brokers are different, and work with a wide range of clients, so I make sure that I understand their challenges and what they are trying to achieve. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to maintaining good relationships, and I really do make the effort to get to know brokers as individuals.
What personal skill is most valuable in doing your job?
The most important personal skills for this job are time management and being organised. I cover a large area across Wales and the South West, so it is crucial that I am organised to ensure I have enough time to spend with brokers and make sure that queries are dealt with on time.
What personal skill would you most like to improve on?
In any role it is vital to keep learning, developing and improving. Understanding the complexities and challenges of working as a broker and how we can help is a must.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
The best bit of career advice I have had is ‘never stop improving’. Regardless of how well or how long people have been doing their role, there is always room for improvement.
What is the most memorable property deal you’ve been involved in?
Having been involved in so many different enquiries over the years, it’s hard to pick out just one. I will always give 100 per cent to any enquiry and like to think between myself and the adviser, we can explore all available options to help clients get their mortgage and property.
If you were head of the FCA for the day, what would you change about regulation in the mortgage industry?
That is a huge job, and I’m sure there is lots I would want to look at. As a priority, I’d want to focus on first-time buyers. Although a lot has been done to help first-time buyers with schemes such as Help to Buy, I still think there is more that can be done to help get this segment of buyers onto the market.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
I love meeting and working with new people which makes a BDM role ideal. The industry is forever changing and the role is so varied, which really drives me. I never thought I’d be doing this job, but I’m definitely in the right place.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
I’ve always fancied myself as a builder or carpenter. I’ve taken on a few larger DIY projects where my enthusiasm has outweighed my ability but it’s still something I enjoy.
What did you want to be growing up?
I’ve always liked maths, so once I realised my football was not up to scratch I knew I would end up doing something in finance.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
It would definitely be the ability to fly. The amount of time I spend sat in the car in traffic means this would save me hours every week.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Having been in my job for many years, I’ve been asked several odd questions, however the strangest question is ‘Can we secure a mortgage on a house made out of an old train carriage?’ I almost ‘lost steam’ with that one.
