Some firms in the financial services sector are adapting to this, such as Precise, which last month launched an app for mortgage brokers to allow them to track cases in real time.
Accountant and adviser Ifthikar Mohamed also recently established Mortgagx, an app-based client relationship management (CRM) system for mortgage brokers.
So this week, Mortgage Solutions is asking: Aside from making phone calls, how common is it for you to use your mobile phone to conduct business?
Dee Ganesharajah, mortgage consultant at Springtide Capital
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It is integral to all of my business. I text new potential clients, as voicemails and emails get lost in translation, and create WhatsApp groups for my clients to keep them updated with applications in progress and if further information is required. I also use my phone for Teams/Zoom calls when validating ID.
So really, I use it throughout the transaction, probably even more so than my laptop.
I have my emails on my phone so I get updates on cases, along with any urgent tasks that need doing while on the go, which I can action or forward to my admin or another broker to assist in my absence. All admin work I do on my laptop with two screens, so submitting applications, research, document checking, etc.
I would say most lenders’ websites are adapted to be mobile-friendly. However, in my opinion, you need to submit cases, research and check documents on the big screen, really.
I would like to see apps for sourcing systems to make it easier to source deals and keep up to date with rate changes on the go.
Hemal Bhagalia, mortgage and protection adviser at Mortgage Avenue
Honestly, I use my mobile all the time for work, especially when I’m out and about. It’s become a sort of lifeline. Whether it’s checking emails, tracking mortgage applications, or looking up product changes, it’s right there in my hand quick and easy.
On my mobile, I answer calls and respond to clients. The simple stuff – things that don’t require heavy typing or a load of research. But when it comes to submitting full applications or going through intricate documents, I’m sticking to the laptop. Bigger screen, better control, less room for mistakes.
The financial services sector is getting there, but it’s still not perfect. Some platforms are easy to use on mobile, but others feel clunky, like they were built for desktops and just shrunk down.
There’s room for tech to catch up.
I’d love to see more fully functional apps. Stuff that’s designed from the ground up for mobile. If I could complete every step of the mortgage process on my phone without switching to a PC, that’d be a game-changer.
But my preference will always be to work from a desktop with a big screen.
Austyn Johnson, financial consultant at HD Consultants
I use my phone quite a lot because when I’m out and about, I can’t always take my laptop, so I use my phone to back up some of what I do. I also use it to tether the internet to my laptop when I need to, most of the time to do things like check small updates and to log on to lender portals and double check something when I’m out and about.
I’m not sure how all mortgage brokers work, but for me, this is not just a 9-5 job.
I check updates such as the progress of cases, if additional documents are needed or if the valuation has been done. Sometimes, you can’t get them emailed to you.
I don’t use any apps for this, it’s okay. But sometimes it can be tricky when your fingers are too big for the phone and you’re trying to enter in details but you can barely see what you’re doing.
Lenders could create a streamlined, basic app that doesn’t have to be super complicated. This would help when I just need to double check something – a client might ask me if I’ve done something on a Sunday afternoon and I need to quickly see.
I prefer to use my laptop to upload documents, going more in depth with decisions in principle (DIPs).
I do use my phone every day for social media because I post daily and that’s what I mainly use it for. Most of my leads and referrals come from social media.
