What locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I’m the regional account manager for the South at Foundation Home Loans covering all advisers and firms within the postcodes BH, GU, PO, RG, SL, SP, RG and SO.
How have you changed the way you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers in the pandemic?
Obviously, seeing advisers face-to-face during that period was impossible so other lines of communication became more important, however now I believe we’re in a stronger space and can work with advisers in the ways they want to work with us.
No one day is the same, but I try to keep up regular communication. So, each day, I will call my pipeline and new registrations first thing in the morning, which is always well received and helps me to meet new advisers.
You have to be flexible of course, which suits me. I like the different aspects of the role – I’m not behind my laptop all week – particularly the problem-solving element of the job. Whether this is face-to-face, or over Zoom/Teams, email, the phone, it doesn’t really matter.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
In this sector, success tends to come from hard work, which means knowing my criteria, being available for my advisers, always returning calls and emails.
But perhaps most importantly, you have to care – care about the advisers you deal with and their businesses. My focus is not about winning business it is about building relationships and trust. In fact, I would say my favourite part of the job is speaking to an adviser who has never used Foundation before, building a relationship and helping them to grow their business.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
Not to get too ahead of myself, but I want to take one year at a time and enjoy each milestone as it happens. So, for example, the next 12 months for me is about continuing to develop in my role and make sure I know all of my advisers and they know me. From there, I’d like to take on more managerial responsibilities.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
In terms of working in this sector, and specifically in adviser-facing roles, I was told not to be fearful of being vocal and showing your passion. So, for example, it’s about not being afraid to tell your manager what you want to do. If you want to be a BDM, ask to shadow someone already doing the job, because you’ll get a great insight into the role, what is required and how suited you are to it.
What was the greatest lesson you learned during lockdown?
I don’t think it’s a lesson just for certain circumstances; it’s a lesson for all time. And that is to be persistent and never give up on your goals. Even through the most trying of times, there are opportunities to be taken, however you have to grab them.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
I started in this industry as a mortgage consultant with Halifax back in 2006, and then moved into underwriting, which post-2008 became much more automated in the mainstream market.
That being the case, I became much more interested in specialist lending with the focus on individual underwriting and took the opportunity to join Foundation back in 2018 as a field-based underwriter. Working at the business, I quickly realised that working with advisers as a BDM was what I wanted to do, having targets to hit gives me a goal, and finding solutions for the firms and advisers I cover.
In June 2021, I secured my promotion to regional account manager.
Overwhelmingly, however, all my motivation for success is driven by one thing – my sons. I want to give them the best opportunities in life.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
Probably a full-time property developer/landlord. We have started to grow a buy-to-let portfolio, which began as a hobby, but working for Foundation has really given me the bug. My teenage sons are interested in this as well and it’s great to share that together. You never know, my property empire might grow enough over the next five years to allow me to retire early and travel the world. It’s highly unlikely but you may as well dream big.
