2018-07-02
Jess – ex-mortgage broker interview
How did you find working as a mortgage broker?
Stressful and busy, but rewarding. I had a high volume of clients and various introducers in different locations and travelled a lot to make home visits to clients. I worked long hours and weekends which is the norm for the industry. I was a problem solver who found solutions, so, therefore, dealt with a lot of interesting and tricky cases.
What frustrations did you experience as a mortgage broker?
Some lenders are great and get the broker market completely, while others can be difficult to deal with. They can be quite rigid with timelines and do not always prioritise when you need something done urgently. At busy times I would often find myself on the phone for 45 minutes or longer which is a massive part of your day gone, which could be used for meeting and advising new clients.
What were your career highlights?
I built a successful business within a year and worked with some great Estate Agent introducers. I was often recommended to new friends and relatives of existing clients and had a high percentage of repeat business.
What attracted you to work for SortRefer?
The opportunity to work for SortRefer was exciting. My role merges all my skill sets (which are quite unusual), so I get a huge amount of job satisfaction utilising my knowledge and training as a solicitor and a broker to help our introducer base. Likewise, I love to work with the solicitors on our panel.
What has your background brought to SortRefer?
I’ve walked in the shoes of both a qualified solicitor and a mortgage broker, so I can relate to both sides, which helps to understand the full picture of every situation.
If you were still a mortgage broker, what would make you use SortRefer as a portal?
I used SortRefer when I was a broker and loved how quickly you could generate a quote. I would advise the client of a conveyancing quote within seconds with figures taken directly from the website, it really helped manage the clients expectations of the whole costs of moving house. I also loved the case tracking facility which meant that I could see what stages my cases we at without picking up the phone.
If you were a mortgage broker and didn’t have SortRefer, how would work for you be any different?
I would be reluctant to instruct solicitors purely because I wouldn’t have visibility to my cases and the costs my clients would be incurring. I also wouldn’t have the support of a head office team to support me with more difficult cases during busier periods. You really are in the hands of the local solicitors and how good they are.
In your opinion, what are the top three key elements of SortRefer?
- The support network that we provide to brokers
- The fact that all of our employees have a diverse skill set
- We have a visionary CEO who lives by the “no idea is a bad idea” motto which filters through the whole business where we are always seeking to change and move with the market.
