Home is where the heart is

Anita Arch is head of mortgage sales at Saffron Building Society

The proverb ‘home is where the heart is’ may mean different things to different people but to many, including mortgage customers, it will create imagery of a ‘forever home’ with a loved one, a sanctuary, may be a place where fond family memories will be created or where significant life events will take place.

Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days in the year to make a commitment as a couple – one of the biggest acts of dedication will of course be buying a house together. What a great opportunity to engage with first-time buyers!

The opportunity for a mortgage broker is clear but the key to success will hinge on how best to engage with these existing or prospective customers. How can the relationship be optimised?

Lessons in Love

There are many routes to making a partnership work with principles and best practises found in a personal relationship, also relevant in business:

• Everyone is different- let’s not try and squeeze our customers into a ‘one size fits all’ mortgage - find a product that exactly suits their circumstances. With the changes in how people work it’s now more important than ever before to understand their needs and plans for the future.
• Good communication- we all thrive on timely, informative communication keeping everyone on the same page, the mortgage application process with a customer is no different. Setting expectations and delivering against them is important, and people will forgive you for taking their time if they know you are working hard for them.
• A listening ear- it’s important we listen and understand the needs of our customers. They may have slightly unusual circumstances or a complex situation but listening carefully can help to bring about a successful outcome.
• It’s good to talk- partner with a lender who has a team at the end of the phone who can answer any questions you and your customer may have. They have a responsibility to listen carefully too.
• Reliability- you need to work with a mortgage provider who will deliver what they said they would and when. Your customer needs to feel secure and not left hanging or facing the unknown during what is often a stressful time.
• Always there when needed-work with a lender who you can always rely on, who gives a wide range of options and who will provide great customer service.

Valentine’s Day is a timely reminder of the importance of relationships - how they are formed, developed and grow.Whether it’s in our personal lives or in a business context, the time, understanding and consideration that we put into any relationship will benefit us all in the long term – no more so than in the relationship between the mortgage broker and customer.