This week, Specialist Lending Solutions is speaking to Harry Bhogal, lending manager at Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB).
What does your role entail and how long have you been doing it?
I’m a lending manager in the growing development finance team at HTB. I work closely with clients and brokers to assess bespoke funding needs for development sites, as well as building new relationships with the bank.
I’ve been at HTB since January 2021. Before settling in my current role, a year-and-a-half ago, I held various different roles. I joined as an analyst and have loved moving through the ranks.
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What attracted you to working in the mortgage/property/finance sector?
I studied real estate at the University of Reading, and particularly enjoyed modules on property finance and development. So, I’d like to think I laid the foundations early for a career in property.
Alongside that, I enjoy seeing my work take physical form. I live in Harrogate, where we’ve worked on projects. Driving past a property that I’ve helped fund, in the community I live in, is so satisfying.
What were you doing in the five years before starting here?
As well as getting my degree, I interned at JLL and Savills as well as niche property investment and development organisations.
I’m passionate about development and those experiences, although some not directly related to my current role, have helped build a wider understanding of the sector and still inform my work as a lending manager.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
We pride ourselves on delivering the highest level of customer service. So, being a people person and listening is crucial.
It’s so important to understand a borrower’s situation, show empathy and understand what’s important to them.
Being open-minded and adaptable is also incredibly important. The deals we love are far from straightforward. We need to be agile and creative to come up with solutions that’ll work for the developer and the bank.
Personally, I believe ambition is important. I want to build my skill set and use that expertise to help developers progress schemes, and see developments complete as smoothly as possible.
I’m not interested in resting on my laurels, which is why I think I’m a good fit at fast-growing HTB.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
The property market is built on relationships and I’ve seen up close how those relationships can make a huge difference to progress a case.
Being commercially focused in my role, I also want to keep building my network of contacts so that I can tap into them with more cases in the future and help deliver more homes.
How has the pandemic changed the way you approach your job?
I think the way that we continued to operate (which included plenty of Teams calls) and support developers showed me that anything is possible if you are determined to succeed and find solutions that work for everyone.
It also highlighted the importance of being resilient. Just because life has thrown a spanner into the works, it doesn’t mean you can’t still find a successful outcome.
What is the most interesting/memorable property deal/case you’ve been involved in?
We funded a deal where a grade II listed office in the North was converted into a ground-floor commercial and upper residential space. The property was listed both internally and externally, and there were also significant structural works proposed, so there were a lot of nuances to navigate.
The ground-floor space was pre-let so working through all the due diligence to ensure all risks were mitigated where possible was certainly memorable. The site is now complete and it makes me proud to say I played a small part in that.
That being said, as Neil always says, the best deal is the next one. With that in mind, the most interesting or memorable case will be whatever comes next.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I’ve developed a huge amount during my time at HTB and I’ll continue on that trajectory.
Over time, I’d love to be able to manage a team. Nothing is more rewarding than inspiring others to be great and fulfil their potential. HTB has consistently shown it is keen to invest in its staff and help them build their skills.
If present-day you could go back in time and tell yourself something five years ago, what would it be?
As a perfectionist, I’d tell myself: don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Ultimately, that’s how you’ll really learn and grow.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve tackled so far in your career?
Being relatively young in the role of front-line lending, it can be hard to be taken seriously. People perceive a lack of experience until a strong work ethic shows them that they can trust me.
I owe HTB a lot for their trust and faith in me, namely Neil Leitch and Alex Upton, who continue to provide mentorship while I learn and grow.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I already have one – hyperextended joints – meaning I put Ledley King to shame with my injury list. A corny one would be flying so I can carry out site visits quicker. But, until then, I’ll be driving.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Being asked to take part in the Rising Star feature.
