2018-03-05
Andy is SortRefer’s business manager who previously worked as a mortgage broker. Whilst working as a mortgage broker he teamed up with Kev Tunnicliffe, SortRefer’s CEO and other people in the industry to create and build SortRefer, which is a portal mortgage brokers can use to instruct conveyancing and other ancillary products.
What were the highs and lows of working as a mortgage broker?
I loved seeing clients happy when helping them achieve what they wanted. I was able to problem solve, but ultimately I helped make a difference to them. Parts of the job I didn’t enjoy were the compliance paperwork and the admin work that took a lot of time.
What frustrations did you experience?
Liaising with lenders to get updates was frustrating. Also getting service issue updates. Ultimately you are at the mercy of the lender and how quickly they could work.
What were your career highlights?
If there was a complex case or if a customer who had tried every other option of purchasing a house or remortgaging and then came to me and I could help, it gave me real job satisfaction. This happened a lot, and I loved dealing with clients and working on complex cases. My business was built on referrals and I received hundreds which was really satisfying.
How did SortRefer come to life?
During 2007-2008 there was the financial crash which meant work disappeared for me as a mortgage broker. Therefore, I worked alongside my colleague, Kev Tunnicliffe and others to create a portal mortgage brokers can use to make their jobs much more easy. Before SortRefer was created I used to refer my cases manually to solicitors and when using other portals any extra income was lost to solicitors and the systems were slow. SortRefer was created to offer a solution to the problems I used to experience. When we created SortRefer, it was vital the portal was updated constantly that’s why it was great when we appointed an in-house software development team.
What has your background of being a mortgage broker brought to SortRefer?
Previously, working as a mortgage broker, I knew the key frustrations first hand and I’m able to focus on client’s needs having been a mortgage broker in the past. I believe mortgage brokers want a solution that is simple, easy and straightforward which does not add extra work to an already complex process.
If you were still a mortgage broker what would make you use SortRefer as a portal?
- The system is simple and easy to use.
- The quotations are transparent.
- By taking care of the Conveyancing and other products, you’re able to look after the best interests of the client.
- You can choose your own referral fee, meaning you can flexibly change to suit the circumstances.
Do you have an idea to implement at SortRefer in future?
We want to look at offering new products and adding a local presence in each area.
If you didn’t have SortRefer, how would work as a mortgage broker be any different?
Clients would have to source their own solicitors or just be referred to a local solicitor.
What are the 3 key elements of SortRefer?
- Transparency of quotes
- Customer services
- Ease of use with the system
