Hero
My current hero is the Mortgage Business Expo show. Having attended many exhibitions in the past, I have always been aware of the buzz that goes on afterwards, with exhibitors asking each other “How was it for you?” This year’s Mortgage Expo was the first time that we had been involved in exhibiting, rather than just visiting, so this is also the first time that I can take part in the post-exhibition discussion. The simple answer to the question is “Great” and that goes for every aspect of the experience.
First, it was a very well-run event and my congratulations go to the organisers. Viewing it from the perspective of being involved in just one stand, pulling together the whole two days smoothly and successfully was a real achievement. As a first-time exhibitor, Cheval was uncertain of achieving a successful outcome in terms of new business. However, the organisers did a good job of getting large numbers of serious attendees through the gates, and we have been experiencing a high level of new enquiries ever since.
Zero
The increasingly cautious attitude of property surveyors, resulting in persistently low valuations. Mortgage intermediaries will know how frustrating this practice is and it is also a headache for lenders. Valuations are the means by which we judge whether to lend exactly how much the borrower wants, reduce the amount, or decline the application altogether. If we have to do this too often, then we can’t grow our business volumes, and the mortgage brokers get no procuration fee for all their work.
