My alarm goes off at…
…7am when I start getting ready for my day, which first includes getting my children to school.
Having a good work-life balance is really important to me and being a BDM gives me the flexibility to work around my family.
I wanted to work in the mortgage industry because…
…I have always had a keen interest in mortgages ever since I bought my first home.
At the time I was already working in financial services for Nationwide Building Society. I decided I wanted to expand my knowledge further, so I started to become CeMAP qualified.
Reviewing data and looking at things that can potentially be changed within policy and products are parts of my role
So I can report back to our specialist teams to hopefully achieve changes, I listen to broker feedback on a regular basis,
Prior to becoming a mortgage broker, I worked in various roles within Nationwide, which included counter assistant, personal banking manager and operations manager.
Being a broker cemented the fact I enjoyed working within the mortgage industry, and previously having such a variety of roles within a building society helped me understand the background of building societies, how they were run and the ethics they adhered to.
Having a good work-life balance is really important to me
This was important to me when I was looking to move forward from my broker role into the lender/BDM world.
Something that surprised me about my job was…
…thinking that you need to know everything all the time.
As long as I work closely with my colleagues, who are experts in different areas of the process, I will have everything I need to be able to do my job to the best of my ability.
A misconception about my role is…
…that we just answer inbound calls all day and must know everything about Skipton policies.
Yes, building relationships and helping brokers place and submit cases is a big part of my role. However, reviewing data and looking at things that can potentially be changed within policy and products, which can help brokers and their clients in the future, also come into it.
Having had such a variety of roles within a building society helped me understand the background of building societies, how they were run and the ethics they adhered to
So I can report back to our specialist teams to hopefully achieve changes, I listen to broker feedback on a regular basis, attending roundtable events and lender fayres, talking to BDMs from other lenders on their views and experiences, and having a broad knowledge across the whole mortgage/housing market.
My typical day entails…
…starting work at 9am, catching up on emails, then getting out on the road to broker offices and conducting virtual meetings, prepping for future appointments and, in between, answering enquiries on the phone.
A perk of the job is…
…being able to invite brokers to awards and events throughout the year.
As long as I work closely with my colleagues, I will have everything I need to do my job
In addition to this, being a field-based BDM means being able to travel throughout my patch, meeting new people and going to new places, which I think is much nicer than being in the same place everyday.
My favourite work memory is…
…meeting colleagues in Skipton’s head office for the first time.
I listen to broker feedback on a regular basis so I can report back to our specialist teams to hopefully achieve changes
Everyone was so welcoming and kind, and it made me feel so at home, even if it was the furthest north I had ever travelled.
To unwind after work…
…I spend time with my family and friends, or I like to do a bit of DIY as I’m always wanting to change things in my home.
This article featured in the June edition of MS.
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