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We are listening to brokers and will deliver solutions for borrowers, says NatWest’s Buckle
NatWest is taking feedback from brokers and customers to develop a proposition that best suits borrowers, the bank’s national account manager said.
Speaking to Mortgage Solutions, Jonathan Buckle said NatWest had made many developments in the two years he has been national account manager at the lender.
Buckle said the customer is at the heart of everything NatWest does and “we listen to what our customers and brokers are telling us to ensure we have a proposition that meets their needs and delivers our mortgage aspirations and goals”.
Buckle added: “Being aware and sensitive to the market also ensures we develop and offer the right products and propositions.
“The recent changes to our portfolio buy-to-let [BTL] proposition reflect a dynamic market and changes in customer needs, whilst we have increased our new-build loan to values [LTVs] to help more customers secure a new-build property.”
In June, NatWest updated its BTL affordability calculator and introduced dynamic stress testing, then later increased the maximum LTV allowed for new-build homes.
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A well-rounded offering
Buckle said NatWest’s business development manager (BDM) team, alongside its recently launched broker platform and green hub, “worked in harmony” to support its product offering.
Last November, NatWest brought out its Home Energy Hub to enable borrowers to understand the energy efficiency of their property and make changes working with recognised partners such as British Gas, TrustMark and Wickes.
There is opportunity in “being more efficient and driving productivity”, Buckle said, adding that the last year put pressure on brokers who were trying to keep up with rate changes.
“Supporting efficiency and productivity, making it better for brokers, is therefore key to delivering for customers and developing deep customer relationships,” he added. He said NatWest was working on making its policy and criteria “as clear as can be”, by updating its webpages to “make them intuitive” and making sure its BDM team is contactable across different mediums.
The recently launched broker portal is “clear and easy to use and keeps the broker up to date” and provides foundations for further application efficiency.
Buckle added: “Also, sustainability offers brokers an opportunity to support customers and deepen relationships. Brokers can use the support offered by lenders in this respect, like the NatWest Home Energy Hub, for impartial guidance on all things green from access to grants, to assisting customers planning changes to their homes large and small.”
NatWest meeting borrower needs
Buckle said NatWest observed the market, taking on feedback and studying developing customer trends, adding that its “very experienced team” was good at analysing what the lender could offer and how it remains reliable and flexible to brokers and customers. While the bank does aim to be consistent and competitive, Buckle said having a good overall proposition, including criteria and affordability, was just as important, regardless of the position on pricing.
Buckle said NatWest did not necessarily have “gaps” in its offering, but “there are always ways we can enhance our offering and extend our reach to offer more to our customers as their needs change and the market evolves”.
He said the recent changes to its new-build and BTL proposition were examples of this.
NatWest believes that more can be done to support customers across different segments, including first-time buyers, and continues to look at ways to address this. Buckle said this might include ways to help first-time buyers with their deposit through generational wealth in addition to existing gifted deposits from the Bank of Mum and Dad.
The lender also wants to gain a deeper understanding of the new-build market to see what is needed and how borrowers in this sector could be helped further.
He said the bank wanted to be innovative and flexible while remaining responsible and be clear on the things we don’t do to provide transparency.
Buckle said: “It’s important to innovate as one of the top lenders but innovation is more than just about products – it’s also about all the services, processes and business models we adapt. We consider innovation a part of the end-to-end mortgage process, looking at where we can enhance and improve to provide a better proposition end to end for our customers and brokers.
“In terms of products, it’s more about evolution, building and stretching on our existing products to ensure good customer outcomes through review including our criteria and affordability. Products that can form part of a wider solution, such as our green mortgage products that support awareness around sustainability and the available support through our NatWest Home Energy Hub.”
Jonathan Buckle, national account manager at NatWest
Jonathan is national account manager for NatWest Intermediary Solutions, and as part of the senior management team is responsible for the development and execution of the intermediary mortgage and housing strategy in collaboration with intermediary partners.
Jonathan has over 30 years’ experience in financial services and relationship management. He joined NatWest in mid-2022 after enjoying several positions across 21 years at Lloyds Banking Group, including 10 years in intermediary mortgages.
This interview is part of a series to mark NatWest’s partnership with the British Mortgage Awards this year.
Read the previous interviews with Nadine Edwards, Gemma Atkin, Mark Bullard and Brad Fordham.