Monday
My week technically begins on Sunday evening, planning for the week ahead: applications to be submitted, clients to follow up with and leads to follow.
I also think about development objectives for my team, so we can make the most of any opportunities that come our way.
Monday morning starts promptly at 8.30am with the Capricorn management team meeting.
Wider team meetings start at 9am, where we review targets and instructions from our director of compliance and check case progress in our customer relationship management system, Smartr365.
Emails from our estate agent partners start coming in with fresh leads and offer qualifications for people trying to tie up sales from the weekend.
The bulk of the morning is spent on the phone speaking with clients, and new introductions come in throughout the day.
Tuesday
I am working from home today. I begin by reviewing fact-find information and client documentation that clients have submitted via Smartr365 overnight.
Since all their data is in one place, I can make my recommendations quickly, prepare the necessary key fact illustrations using Smartr365’s integration with Mortgage Brain, and email out the KFI for review and the green light to submit the approval in principle.
My afternoon is taken up with client meetings, which I host on Microsoft Teams or Zoom, meaning I can speak to a lot more people than if I were travelling to meet them in person.
Wednesday
Affordability issues for a self-employed client mean a busy start – we discuss ‘plan B’, and I advise on the best way to proceed.
Good news for another client as their £2m mortgage is approved and they can exchange this week.
The afternoon brings agreement on an automated valuation for a flat, bypassing the need for the EWS1 form.
I finish up the day with recommendation emails, and our system automatically sends invites to clients to complete their fact finds.
Thursday
In our virtual team meeting we review recent client meetings and discuss possible solutions, as well as any other questions around criteria, case packaging or client engagement.
Advisers are under pressure to hit target – but all indicators are positive, a testament to the strength of the market and their ability to make things happen.
Friday
More fact finds have arrived overnight, with the data pre-populated into other stages of the application by our system. I make a start on email responses and call backs.
Friday afternoons disappear rapidly, and internal meetings start at 3:30 where we recap on the week and set targets for the following week.
We are done by 4.45pm and head out for team drinks to cap off a great week.
Alex Smith is a senior mortgage and insurance adviser at Capricorn Financial
If you would like to write a Diary of an Adviser then contact Ima Jackson-Obot at ima.jacksonobot@ft.com