Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at UTB?
I mainly cover London, Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire. The number of broker firms is around 150, although we are always onboarding new firms, so this will increase.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Service – in a world where customers are savvy and are utilising the internet to try to solve all their financial queries, I try to be punctual to deal with the enquiry as soon as it lands. Brokers are after a quick response – hoping for a positive, of course – but a quick ‘no’ is also much preferred to being kept waiting. I make it my goal to address their enquiry as soon as I can.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
To take emotion out of the transaction. I often receive enquiries where the customer could have previously been misadvised, be in financial distress or have unfortunate family problems, and it can be difficult to remain objective when I’m also keen to help. Sadly, it’s not always possible to offer a solution that fits the bank’s criteria.
Conversations you need to have with landlords before the Renters’ Rights Act
Sponsored by BM Solutions
What do you love most about your job?
Not that I am an avid poetry fan, but William Cowper (an 18th century English poet) once wrote that: “Variety is the very spice of life”. This saying is always at the forefront of my mind, as no two deals are the same and I love the variances that I get to deal with, whether it’s providing funds to allow a customer to buy a new home abroad to spend their later years or providing capital to a developer to allow their business to move onto future projects. I love the unknown of what the next call from a broker may bring and how we can structure the deal to make it happen for them.
Are there any (popular) misconceptions about your job/role?
It is sometimes perceived that the role of a key account manager (KAM) is one of lavish lunches and frequenting cafes and golfing days. While hospitality and relationship-building is certainly an important part of the job, there are plenty of other aspects that are less visible. A deal may be presented in a way that perhaps doesn’t show the customer or proposal in the best light, so part of my role is to offer the benefit of my experience in helping to reframe the deal.
A KAM also has to deal with good news and bad news. It is never enjoyable to have to alter lending terms due to a down-valuation or discovering that a security is deemed unsuitable due to a structural defect. The role of a KAM is to deliver all news to the broker, whether you like it or not. Brokers lean on KAMs for their support and guidance and also, to a certain extent, to provide a sounding board for other business cases.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
Reading trade publications provides most of this information, but nothing beats being out and about. Brokers will often share which lenders have altered pricing, criteria and appetite etc, so as long as conversations are taking place with introducers, market intelligence will be up to date.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
We recently completed a deal where we were lending on a Grade II listed property, which is a building of architectural significance and is protected by law. The deal was made even more interesting as the works weren’t complete and the borrower was going to be residing there once finished. We provided a loan to finish the works on the property, with the exit being via a refinance in a few months.
Typically, lending on an incomplete Grade II listed property where the borrower will reside is not our standard deal, but there were mitigants that made it viable. The borrower had extensive experience in undertaking works on listed properties and also had a very strong income. UTB prides itself on being a specialist lender that likes to say yes, and so we will always look at a deal on its individual merits to see if we can get comfortable. This is the way specialist lending should be approached.
What do you do to unwind or What are your desert island discs?
Usually, unwinding involves spending time with the family and seeing friends when time allows.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
It has to be my ability to network and speak with people in any situation, whether it be at a dinner or sweating it out while training at the gym. Engaging with people is one of the key skills you need to be a successful KAM.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
“What aftershave do you wear?” This was in a positive light, I might add, and I advised the broker it was Intense by Issey Miyake. Clearly recommended!
