Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at Norton Broker Services?
I work as one of the BDMs at Norton Finance, working with brokers across my patch and supporting them with specialist lending cases. My role is really about building relationships with advisers and broker firms, helping them place complex deals with us and making sure they’re getting the most out of working with Norton.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
I’d say being passionate and proactive is really important. You’ve got to be on the front foot, speaking to brokers, understanding their cases and helping them find solutions quickly. It’s a very people-focused role, so being dedicated and building strong relationships is key as well.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
Staying organised has always been something I’ve really worked on. I structure my day very carefully and diarise absolutely everything to make sure nothing gets missed. It’s something I’ve improved a lot over the years, but it’s always something I keep working on.
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What’s the hardest part of your job?
Probably managing time and making sure you’re focusing on the right opportunities. Brokers can sometimes spend a lot of time working through fact finds, sourcing and quoting for deals that might not actually complete. A big part of my role is helping them look at the time-cost analysis of each lead and making sure their time is being used as effectively as possible.
What do you love most about your job?
I really enjoy helping brokers get deals done that might otherwise be difficult. Working with Norton means brokers can pass those more complex or time-consuming cases over to us, and we’ll take them through the process. It allows them to focus on generating business while still earning strong commissions.
Are there any (popular) misconceptions about your job/role?
I think some people assume that working with a packager or specialist lender means they’ll earn less, but that’s not usually the case. With the commission splits we offer, most brokers come out earning the same amount, if not more, and they’ve saved themselves a lot of time by letting us handle the more complex parts of the deal.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you?
The best advice I’ve had is to really think about the value of your time. In this industry, it’s easy to spend hours working on a deal that might never complete, so understanding where your time is best spent can make a huge difference.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?
The biggest lesson has definitely been around time management and structure. Because of how I work, I have to be very organised, so I diarise everything and keep on top of emails and tasks constantly. Having that structure has really helped me stay productive.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
A lot of it comes through speaking with brokers and working on deals every day. You naturally stay close to what’s happening in the market because you’re constantly seeing new cases and new challenges.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
One of the most interesting cases I worked on was a former bank in Newbury. It was an old office building with a bank on the ground floor. We converted the ground floor into a commercial unit, which ended up being leased to Gail’s Bakery on a 10-year lease, and the upper floors were converted into four luxury apartments. We used bridging finance for a lot of the work. It was quite a challenge, but it worked really well in the end.
What was your motivation for choosing this career?
I’ve always enjoyed the property and finance side of things, particularly solving problems and helping people structure deals that might not be straightforward.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
Probably something on the development side of things. Seeing projects like the Newbury conversion come together is really rewarding, so being involved in development projects would definitely be interesting.
What did you want to be growing up?
Like a lot of people, it changed a few times growing up, but I always knew I wanted to work in something that was fast-paced and people-focused.
Where do you see yourself in five years or How do you think your job will change in five years?
I think the role will continue to focus on building strong relationships with brokers and helping them manage their time better. As the market evolves, I think the value of specialist support and packaging will only become more important.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Probably the ability to pause time – it would definitely help with getting through emails and staying on top of everything.
What do you do to unwind?
Because the job can be pretty full-on, I try to take time to switch off where I can, although I’ll admit I’m still someone who checks emails even when I’m on holiday.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
I’d say my biggest strengths are being passionate, dedicated and proactive. I like to stay on top of things and make sure I’m always moving things forward.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
In this industry, you get asked all sorts of unusual questions about deals and properties, but that’s part of what keeps the job interesting.
