What are your main objectives in your role as managing director at The Mortgage Hut?

My main objective is to ensure that we give the best outcomes to every customer who contacts the business.

My job is to manage a team of 30 advisers dealing with over 2,000 customer enquiries a month. I oversee all the main functions within the business, including the management team, administration team and finance.

What have been your biggest challenge and your proudest moment in your role to date?

My biggest challenge has been driving the implementation of our employed adviser model, moving away from a self-employed model. We have greater control within the business and have streamlined everything to make it more efficient.

I have tried to promote women in business both within our firm and in the local community

I am super proud that I have managed to pivot the business that way. It’s not only improved the overall experience for the customers, it’s improved underlying profitability and made the recruitment of amazing talent much easier.

With many more borrowers requiring support following the pandemic, how do you feel the market could best support them?

Some borrowers were confused about their options during the pandemic and that is why The Mortgage Hut launched a Covid support line. It’s a free service where customers can book an appointment and speak to an adviser. It offers reassurance that someone’s there in case they need support.

There has also been confusion about how lenders treat workers who have been on furlough, or customers who have either bounce-back loans or business interruption loans if they’re self-employed or a limited company director. It’s helping to educate the customers about which lenders are comfortable with this and which aren’t.

It’s going to be more challenging for self-employed customers and limited company directors to get mortgages because there have been dips in income, and certain industries still have a long way to go. It’s about recognising that and seeing where both lenders and brokers can support those customers to ensure they don’t become mortgage prisoners.

As a woman in a senior role in the industry, do you feel equality in the sector is closer to being achieved?

There is a 50:50 split of male and female colleagues in The Mortgage Hut and I have tried to promote women in business both within our firm and in the local community.

Frankly, now is probably one of the best times ever to be a woman in business. There are many new opportunities and, although there’s still a lot of education to be done, women are doing amazing things. They’re challenging the barriers to entry and pushing everything forward.

Are you optimistic that the property market will remain buoyant after the stamp duty holiday comes to a complete end? 

Over the past six months we’ve seen some strong activity in new enquiries based around the stamp duty land tax holiday. That has put significant pressure on the housing market.

My biggest challenge has been driving the implementation of our employed adviser model

Prices have increased and, even as we come to the end of the first stage of the stamp duty holiday, there are still a lot of customer enquiries. These people generally know that they’re not going to make the stamp duty holiday window, but they still need to move house, whether it’s because of a relationship, the birth of children or remote-working options.

So there’s still strong activity in the housing market and I anticipate that will continue for the foreseeable future.

If you could do any job other than your current role, what would you like it to be?

I have always loved travelling and flying. An aspiration of mine is to become an airline pilot one day.

It was something that I got a taste of when I was a cabin service manager for British Airways, but I’d love to pursue it in my life after mortgages.

Do you have any secret talents?

I can juggle and spin plates.

What is the best advice you have received?

Someone once told me that dreams will always remain dreams until you take action.