Lawson Financial – Director and Personal Mortgage and Protection Consultant Michelle Lawson, Mortgage Strategy

Describe your company in some sentences.

We are a small family team headquartered in a village near Fareham, Hampshire. I gave advice and my husband Dan supported me with a key administrator.

We address a wide range of real estate financing and protection needs, from first-time home buyers to complex portfolios, commercial mortgages, bridges, HMO developments and more.

This year marks our 10th anniversary. We are proud to have this milestone, and over the years it involves a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

What prompted you to become an agent?

After leaving school, I left the travel industry with various attitudes, I became an agent more than 20 years ago.

For new brokers, there is a lot of industry expertise to pay attention to. Use it before losing it – it won’t be here forever!

I always wanted to get into property and finance, but opportunities never come. When I had a daughter, I spent time learning while I was sleeping, and then started with a phone-based agent when I was qualified. What’s left is history!

What plans do you have for the company’s future?

We don’t plan to expand because we both like to talk directly to our clients.

Our customers only speak to us; they don’t have lengthy calls waiting and have multiple channels to access us. We want our business to go from strength to strength in its current form. We are in the lucky situation where we are helping our clients’ kids and it’s a sober moment!

What can lenders do to improve the life of their brokers?

Where do I start? There are a few lenders who are good at their jobs, but many forget that there is a client at the end of the deal and they have a choice.

Students (such as technology) push students on different paths and I feel we are being overlooked. I haven’t heard anyone say they want to be mortgage brokers

As brokers, we are also clients. We were wasting a lot of time waiting for the phone or live chat.

Time is also wasted careless and often unnecessary underwriter questions. These can usually be solved with information or other means they already have, while some are nonsense.

Common sense seems to have been lost, and now it seems that there are many inexperienced employees. Everyone has to start somewhere, but before it is placed on the frontline, employees need to be monitored better and equipped with the right tools and training.

Our customers only speak to us; they don’t have long phone calls and have multiple channels to access us

Agents are not without perfection, but we not only need to keep moving forward, but also need more cohesive work – faster and lower speeds.

What advice do you have for your new broker?

Get all the training, advice and support available and don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer to something. Just find it, take notes and learn. Never blow your answers down, because it will always come back and bite you. You will make mistakes; don’t beat yourself up, but learn from them.

There is a lot of industry expertise to pay attention to. Use it before losing it – it won’t be here forever!

A few lenders are good at their jobs, but many people forget that there is a client at the end of the deal and they have a choice.

Nothing is too big or small because you don’t know what each opportunity will lead to. Before our current technology, I still had my black book, which is my “broker’s Bible”.

Many people think it’s easy. It’s incredible stress, but it can also be rewarding when things are good. You need flexibility, toughness and resilience. Of course, this is not “easy money”.

It takes time to build yourself and people trust you. Think of it as learning to drive: you can read all the books, do theories and pass the exam, but it is in itself a place where you gain knowledge, expertise and experience.

How does the industry encourage new brokers to intake?

The hiring appetite needs to start at school. Financial education is rare, so students don’t have the drive to explore options in the financial services industry.

Get all the training, advice and support available and don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer to something

Most people in most industries I know come here by chance! From technical consultants (such as technology) pushing students onto different paths, I feel like we are being overlooked. I haven’t heard of anyone saying they want to be mortgage brokers and most people don’t actually know what we’re doing.

Schools need to interact more with local communities, but many don’t think out of the box and don’t put in enough effort or resources.

If you want your company to be highlighted by a broker, please email Mortgage Strategy Reporter Becky Bellamy: becky.bellamy@emap.com

This article was published in the November 2024 edition Mortgage Strategy.

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