Winner: Key Retirement Solutions
Second: Hinton & Wild
Third: NHFA
Dean Mirfin, business development director at Key Retirement Solutions, commented: "Key Retirement Solutions have by no means been an overnight success, we are now in our tenth year of specialising in the equity release market. As far as the question of the secret, it remains with the quality of our employees and their constant drive to do more and to do it better than before. Key have won the Best Equity Release Mortgage Broker award from Mortgage Introducer since its inception three years ago. None at Key take the awards for granted and this award continues to hold great importance for ourselves.
Staff retention is paramount to growing a successful and sustainable business. Many of our advisers and management have been with us now for many years and their continued dedication and loyalty continues to strengthen our brand and our proposition.
As well as concentrating on the day job, this year and through into 2008, Key have been heavily increasing adviser and support staff numbers to cope with the continued demand for quality equity release advice. Having started over nine years ago with a total of 16 employees this year our numbers now exceed 150, and this will continue to grow. We now have over 70 advisers throughout the UK.
Our priorities for the year ahead are to continue the growth within the company but retain our focus on sticking to what we do best – 95 per cent of our revenue continues to be equity release and this will remain the core focus. In 2007 we have further strengthened our Partnerships proposition. We now have many networks and firms referring their equity release business to us. This has included some important additions including a number of building societies, including The Derbyshire, Mansfield Building Society and Market Harborough. Many organisations are realising the huge potential within this market and are capturing it through our referral proposition. 2008 will see this proposition expand further. Thanks to Mortgage Introducer for again recognising Key Retirement Solutions in this category."
Angela Faherty, editor of Mortgage Introducer, Dean Mirfin of Key Retirement Solutions and comedian Dominic Holland.
