Here at SortRefer, we understand the importance of keeping in touch with our suppliers. We ensure each case is monitored and our suppliers are working to the best of their ability; by doing this, we reduce case fall-through, build stronger relationships, and we keep your clients happy.
This week we caught up with Matt Parnell, Relationship Executive at SortRefer. Check out our Q&A, including the benefits of having a relationship team.
How long have you worked at SortRefer?
Three years, although I only joined the Relationship Team in April 2021. Before that, I worked as Key Account Support to provide extra TLC to some of our brokers.
Describe your role to us. What is a Relationship Executive?
Our main function is to build and maintain relationships with our panel of suppliers - to be their primary contact point for any queries about our products and website, monitor their performance, and work with them through any issues.
What does a normal day as a Relationship Executive look like?
It might involve having a catch-up/service review call with one of the solicitor firms on our panel, looking into any ongoing issues, helping the Customer Services and Sales teams with any tricky queries or feedback they’ve received, running reports that can identify any potential service hiccups, and assisting our suppliers with anything they need to raise from their side. That tends to be following up on delayed property searches, setting up new case handlers on our system, updating their fees on our website, switching suppliers on/off for specific types of quotes, or picking up any issues they’ve come across that require SortRefer’s input or support.
What are the benefits of having a relationship team for our mortgage brokers and their clients?
It’s important to have a team who works closely with our suppliers to build and maintain our relationship with them – this means we can continue to offer a wide range of products and services to introducers, it keeps the lines of communication open so we can ensure our quotes are as accurate as possible and ensures any broker or client issues can be addressed.
Having a Relationship Team also helps ensure we remain a referral portal the suppliers can trust and want to continue working with - this has been more important than ever over the last 18 months due to the many challenges raised by COVID-19 and the Stamp Duty holiday deadlines.
Who makes up your Relationship Team?
Katherine Hedges and myself, who reports to our Business Manager Andrew Sadler.
What made you want to join the SortRefer team?
After spending several years in IT for a large bank, I wanted to work for a smaller company that still had some involvement in Financial Services. SortRefer offered that whilst given the opportunity to work in a different sector – it’s been interesting to learn about all the work behind the scenes in the property industry.
Tell us something not many people know about you?
One of my hobbies is writing music/music production, despite having virtually no talent whatsoever with any musical instruments.