Describe your firm in a few sentences

We are a family-run firm offering mortgage and insurance advice to clients across the UK. Our office is located in Leek, a beautiful Peak District town in Staffordshire.

I am the mortgage broker and I work with my husband and business partner for years, Tom.

We’ve now introduced the next generation at GRN Financial Services — our 18-year-old son, Filip, has joined the family firm and is supporting us as an administrator while training to become a broker.

We want to help to sustain the viability of town centres by working well with other businesses

What led you to become a broker?

When I bought my first property, I didn’t have either the knowledge or the experience. Like everyone, I made mistakes, causing me needless stress.

It became obvious that a little knowledge could be a dangerous thing and trying to take on such tasks without professional help could be tough. So I did my research and became interested in the sector.

Some years later I joined the financial services industry, offering insurance advice. My understanding of the housebuying process grew so I decided to train as a mortgage broker to offer my customers a holistic service, taking away their stress wherever possible.

What plans do you have for the future of your firm?

We have a growth strategy and a solid business plan. Our aim is to grow organically and continue to widen the scope of our services.

We can help to give customers much joy. This should be stressed, to attract enthusiastic, customer-orientated professionals

Property buying has recently become even more complex and challenging. I’d like to offer specialist advice with brokers focusing on particular market needs.

We love our hometown of Leek and are right behind the ‘totally locally’ ethos that’s being built in the town. GRN has a town-centre office and we want to help to sustain the viability of town centres by working well with other businesses.

We have embraced digital technology, but we also want to support people who like to visit an office for a face-to-face meeting. It’s important as we see many mainstream banks retreat from town centres.

Brokers can be exposed to enormous amounts of pressure as our business literally changes lives

There’s a need to provide a ‘walk-up’ service to offer financial advice. My dream is to be the most popular broker in the area — growing our business in clear, steady steps.

What single thing could lenders do to improve brokers’ lives the most?

It’s an ever-changing business with new products regularly being made available.

Such innovation is fantastic and is aimed, rightly, at improving services to customers, but there’s a planning issue for brokers: some lenders don’t give enough notice when updating mortgage products.

My dream is to be the most popular broker in the area — growing our business in clear, steady steps

Introducing products with very short notice creates lots of stress and technical issues.

We all work so hard to secure the best deals for customers, and lenders changing things with an adequate amount of notice would really make our life easier. While many lenders do send out emails early enough, there’s significant scope for improvement.

What advice do you have for a broker just starting out?

Mentoring is vital. Work with an experienced broker who will guide you and provide feedback and support. There are also plenty of industry support groups available and any newcomer to the industry can find support.

I’d like to offer specialist advice with brokers focusing on particular market needs

Everyone, whether new or more experienced, should undertake continual improvement. At GRN, we are always looking for education, training and development. It’s vital to keep up to date with lenders’ changing criteria.

Attend webinars, meet regularly with lenders and do all you can to grow your knowledge and confidence.

How can the industry encourage a new intake of brokers?

By providing support and mentoring, not only with professional expertise but also in terms of work/life balance and dealing with stress. Brokers can be exposed to enormous amounts of pressure as our business literally changes lives.

Our aim is to grow organically and continue to widen the scope of our services

The upside is that it’s a fabulous sector to be in because we can help to give customers much joy. This should be stressed, to attract enthusiastic, customer-orientated professionals.

If you would like your firm to be featured in Broker Focus, please email Mortgage Strategy reporter Becky Bellamy at: [email protected]