Monday
On Monday mornings I like to be in our Ipswich office for 8am so I can prepare for the week ahead.
As I work for a national mortgage broker specialising in the niche part of the market, I start by dealing with the large amount of weekend enquiries that have come in that have been passed out to advisers to contact.
Once all phone calls have been made we also normally have an adviser meeting. This is an opportunity to keep everyone up to date with developments within the business and to discuss opportunities and issues.
I finish up at 6pm and head home for tea at 7pm before sitting down to study using the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Revision Mate.
Tuesday
This morning is dedicated to CPD.
We have a business development manager who leads a presentation, including a refresh of their criteria and brief training to the advisers on products and developments in the market.
My afternoon is spent assessing client credit files and arranging a mortgage decision for a client in an individual voluntary arrangement.
Due to the nature of the company I work for, many of the cases I deal with are heavily involved with adverse credit.
When I return home, I clear my email inbox and complete the notes from my day.
Wednesday
I am back in the Ipswich office for 8am. I pick up any post and sort through my inbox first thing.
A high-intensity morning is to follow: I complete multiple fact-finds for customers, two of whom are in urgent need of mortgage advice. It is a tough case as the husband has been discharged from bankruptcy while the wife is on a tier two visa.
I am pleased to email each client an agreement after our morning chat. They are happy and confirm that evening that their offer on a property has been accepted and will forward information to me over the weekend in order to submit their mortgage application.
Thursday
I finally get the time to check my existing cases to help progress and prevent any delays in the mortgage process.
I complete all my research and finalise figures for clients who are looking at properties this weekend.
I receive an email from a client I first had a discussion with three months ago. They have sold their house and have had an offer accepted on a property and want to refresh their mortgage options as soon as possible.
Friday
The aim today is to try to clear my desk as I am fielding calls and emails for most of the day.
I receive two emails confirming completion has taken place and mortgage funds have been released. I am sure to send feedback emails and wish them all the best until our next review.
I manage to get to 5pm and have dealt with everything. Next stop is the pub with colleagues, followed by an early dinner with the family, which will be a Chinese takeaway, and making plans for the weekend.
Shane Finbow is a mortgage broker at Just Mortgages