Describe your firm in a few sentences
Just Mortgage Brokers was set up on the principle that everyone deserves good advice regardless of their circumstances.
We saw a widening sector in the market where applicants were not meeting the rigid remit that many lenders required to fit their criteria, and our aim is to plug that gap.
Recognise the importance of your clients. In a fiercely competitive market, you can never take them for granted
Just Mortgage Brokers takes great pride in finding solutions for those with complex income structures or issues around credit, portfolio buy-to-let landlords, or any situation deemed too arduous by many. We are extremely proud to be recognised as one of the market leaders in the specialised mortgage broker market.
What led you to become a broker?
I started my career in the banking industry many years ago and I am not dissimilar to numerous brokers who evolved from this era, who likely became a broker through chance rather than choice.
Being a mortgage broker has provided a very good career to many and will continue to do so
Historically, being a mortgage broker was never a designated career path and certainly not a sector of the financial services industry as we see it today. While working as what we now term a business development manager for a well-known bank, I struck up a relationship with a financial adviser who had started to specialise in mortgages. We set up in business together and, as they say, the rest is history.
What plans do you have for the future of your firm?
Just Mortgage Brokers was set up to reduce the widening gap in advice available to those who perhaps needed it most.
The space continues to grow as our economic and employment landscape evolves. Our plan is to ensure we continue to be known as the specialist mortgage brokers that can find solutions to meet our clients’ needs.
The sector still needs greater emphasis at the grassroots level; for example, in education
Recognising that information is king and we now have access to this 24/7, at the touch of a button, our focus is very much based on our web presence to ensure we maintain a high level of coverage in organic search results.
What single thing could lenders do to improve brokers’ lives the most?
They could enable good lines of verbal communication where it matters most.
Technology is ever present and, as an industry, we have welcomed the benefits this has brought to our lives. However, I feel technology has also contributed to the loss of conversation.
I firmly believe, if lenders actively encouraged verbal interaction about potential and ongoing cases, rather than communicated via email or platforms such as LiveChat, ultimately this would provide greater gains.
Everyone deserves good advice regardless of their circumstances
This is especially true in a sector that deals with the perceived scenario of a square peg fitting into a round hole.
What advice do you have for a broker just starting out?
Recognise the importance of your clients. A mortgage broker does not offer a unique product so it stands to reason that, where there is a solution for a client for their borrowing needs, if you can find it, so can someone else.
In a fiercely competitive market you can never take your client for granted and therefore must embrace how important each and every customer is to your success.
Lenders should enable good lines of verbal communication where it matters most
It was instilled into me at a very young age: treat others as you would expect to be treated yourself.
How can the industry encourage a new intake of brokers?
While I am pleased to see that the sector has a much wider appeal than it had around 20 years ago, it still needs greater emphasis at the grassroots level; for example, in education.
Being a mortgage broker has provided a very good career to many and will continue to do so.
Embrace how important every customer is to your success
This needs to be demonstrated and highlighted to those looking at their career path in their early life, which can be helped by the industry providing better recognition of it.
If you would like your firm to be featured in Broker Focus, please email Mortgage Strategy reporter Becky Bellamy at: [email protected]
This article featured in the June edition of MS.
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