Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at Tab?
I cover around 200 brokers across Wales, both from Tab’s headquarters and in the field. My focus is on helping brokers find solutions for specialist mortgage cases, particularly where a case doesn’t fit neatly with mainstream lending. The important thing for me is being accessible and responding quickly, but I enjoy building relationships face to face as well.
While I do mainly deal with brokers in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, I look after the whole of mid- and South Wales and get lots of interesting cases from brokerages of all sizes.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
I’d say a relentless desire to find solutions for brokers. With specialist lending, we have to deal with problems on the fly, and you need to have an inquisitive mind to ask the right questions, so the process is a smooth as possible from the outset. As a business development specialist, I have to understand brokers and their borrower clients. My background in recruitment and hairdressing before that, if you can believe it, has taught me that people remember how you deal with them, particularly when something is difficult or time-sensitive.
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What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I want to continue to expand my knowledge of property finance. I’ve come into the sector having started my career in other industries, so there is still plenty to learn. I’m constantly trying to broaden my understanding of different property types and lending structures. The more I understand, the more useful I can be to brokers.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
Probably managing the balance between speed and getting the detail right. Brokers often come to us because a case is complicated or time-sensitive – because they know we can deliver commercial mortgages at bridging speed. They want a quick answer. But you still need to understand the whole case before you can give useful feedback. My approach is to get to a ‘yes’ if we can, but if we can’t, give the broker a quick and clear ‘no’ so they can move on. That’s how you bring momentum to lending.
What do you love most about your job?
The problem-solving. Every case is slightly different and there’s something satisfying about taking a case that initially looks difficult then finding a way forward. I also enjoy the relationship side of it. You can build a good relationship with a broker when they know they can pick up the phone and get an honest answer.
Are there any misconceptions about your job/role?
That being in business development is not all about selling a product. A big part of the job is listening, understanding the case and helping the broker work out whether there is a solution.
I have a decent amount of experience in commercial mortgages and bridging finance and can quickly assess cases and tell which one will be a Tab case and which wouldn’t. But I am not a relentless salesperson; I’ll always try to recommend somewhere else a broker can go if we can’t help them directly. Sometimes, the most useful thing you can do is tell someone quickly that a case isn’t going to work. The worst thing is a slow no!
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve been given? Who gave it to you?
Listen 90% of the time, speak 10%. That and determination. It’s what’s powered my career. I moved into recruitment via a long-standing client when I was still in hairdressing – a perfect real-world demonstration of the principle.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Take responsibility for the things that go wrong, apologise, and move on with a solution. People buy from people they trust, and you need to show that you don’t hide from your mistakes. If you bring solutions, then people will appreciate you more.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
I speak to brokers and colleagues every day and pay attention to the cases coming through. You learn a huge amount from seeing what brokers are actually struggling with. Obviously, I also follow leading industry news publications such as Specialist Lending Solutions as well as Tab’s own product and lending updates. On that note, I might add that I create quite a lot of content myself. Look out for me on Tab’s YouTube channel…
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
A multi-unit freehold block (MUFB) that was commercial on the ground floor, two floors of hotel and then residential buy-to-let (BTL) on the top floor. It was interesting due to the fact that we had to do multiple calculations to work out the affordability, looking at multiple leases and rental agreements. And just to spice it up a little more, the borrower was a foreign national in a different time zone, with a large portfolio in the background, and we had to get translations for all the documents. That added an extra layer of complexity. The deal was worth just over £5m, so it was a good deal to be a part of.
Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?
I just completed a £2.8m bridging loan secured against two commercial warehouses in London. The borrower needed the capital to invest in his trading business, repay business debt and expand his property portfolio. The first property was an industrial unit used for warehouse storage by the borrower’s wholesale trading business. The second property was a three-storey commercial building on Lewisham high street that included retail space on the ground floor and commercial storage space upstairs, accessed from the rear via an external spiral staircase. There was a 2024 charge against one of the titles from an historical rent dispute on a council-owned leased property during the pandemic, although the borrower advised the dispute went to court and was settled in full. That was pretty funky.
What was your motivation for choosing this career?
I really wanted to work in financial services, specifically in sales. I set out a plan on how I could possibly achieve this. I utilised my network of friends to get me my first shot at sales, then worked from there. I have always been a people person, and through my previous career, I can gain trust quickly and find out what people want. This is key to relationship management.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
Probably a property investor or developer. I like understanding how a property deal works and what the person behind the transaction is trying to achieve. Being involved from the other side would give me a completely different perspective on the decisions borrowers and investors have to make.
What did you want to be growing up?
I always wanted to be a photographer; I got into it at a young age and still do it now. Or a dolphin trainer.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Always a tricky question, as, for me, it’s not really about the position I will be in. The thing that matters most to me is to be seen as an asset and a trusted member of the team; someone who can consistently produce good results.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation would be the best. I could be everywhere at once to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible.
What do you do to unwind?
To unwind, I like walks in the rain, the colour blue and the smell of violets… Well, in my spare time, I like spending time with my family, and at weekends, I enjoy walking the dogs in the woods and exploring London with my two daughters. Inevitably, we usually end up on the sofa negotiating which Disney film we’re going to watch.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
Making people feel comfortable. Hairdressing, recruitment and sales all involve understanding people quickly, working out what they need, then making them feel at ease. I think that has carried across into my work with brokers. You need to listen carefully and understand what someone is really asking for and reassure them you are going to look after them – not let them down.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
“Are you going to eat that mushroom?” Not a strange question until you realise it was a drunk stranger in the pub. I said no, he got a free mushroom, everyone is a winner.
