The Mortgage Store

There’s lots of variation in what brokers can do. The way I explain it is that we act as a comparison market for the lenders available to each individual broker.

If you go directly to a bank, that lender can only tell you their specific criteria and whether you meet those needs. They won’t guide you to the lender most suited to you in terms of product, rate or cost.

A lot of people have the view that going to the lender they bank with will be an easier process, or might get them preferential treatment – but it’s just not the case.

Lenders are a lot more competitive now in terms of their criteria, and it’s not necessarily about rates. How your income and expenditure appears to one lender and the next can make a difference worth tens of thousands of pounds. It’s all based on the criteria they’re using at that time.

We can best guide you – not only in which lender is most suited to your priorities and your preferences, but also which one has the best criteria for you. You then get the best of both worlds.

Every customer and client is different. It’s not necessarily just focusing on what they’re looking to do right now, but what they want to do in the future, too. A small change with what we do now can have a huge different outcome down the line, aiding them to get where they want to be.

A single lender would only focus on what they’re offering you, but because of my experience and knowledge of the industry, we can look at all areas.

You might be at the very first stage of seeing what’s possible and where to look to buy. Later on, we can help you negotiate and understand the jargon. We also liaise with estate agents and solicitors for you to keep everybody on track.

Yes. I cover all aspects of mortgage, from personal and limited company Buy to Lets through to First Time Buyers and remortgages. Anything on a residential basis or residential buy-to-let basis is my forte.

With over a decade of experience, there’s not many circumstances or situations that I haven’t come across. That helps me narrow down the options for each customer’s needs straight away.

The first thing any estate agency will ask for if you want to make an offer on a property is an Agreement in Principle. They need to validate that you can get a mortgage, to reassure their vendor.

An Agreement in Principle is effectively a credit certificate towards buying a home. It gives you reassurance that the lender is happy, and that you should be able to progress your application moving forwards. It’s a pre-check to make sure you can do what you want to.

After over a decade in the industry, a few of my clients have become portfolio landlords with my help. I’ve just guided them on how to best utilise the assets at their disposal, and recommended products, criteria and lenders to help them grow and diversify.

With remortaging, a lot of people aren’t aware of the sheer scope of what you can actually do. Sitting down and running through what you’re looking for gives you guidance immediately. We can level out those expectations and get all the ducks in a row.

There’s nothing better than a referral – and a lot of my work comes through them, which is really nice. People often tell every man and their dog about a bad experience. But it’s rare for people to share a good experience and recommend it to others, which reassures me that I provide a good service.

I’m fully qualified to offer a full suite of protection. A protected mortgage is just as important as an affordable mortgage, because that dream home you’ve worked towards needs to be protected in case, God forbid, you get thrown a curveball.

We help with things like income protection to ensure that no matter what, your home and your family is secure. It’s really important, yet it’s an unknown area for a lot of people.

My approach is to understand the client’s priorities and preferences and their attitude towards protection. I provide bespoke advice to meet their needs, without it costing an arm and a leg.

When people first decide to buy a new home or move, the first thing they do is jump on Rightmove and get really excited and start going out to view properties. They find that dream home but then, because they’ve not done the preliminary work to understand what’s possible, they fall down.

In my view, the first thing to do before looking for a home is chat with a broker to check that what you want is definitely achievable. Then everything’s not all coming at once.

It also gives you time to make the most informed decision on the biggest asset you’re ever going to own. The last thing you want is to have to make snap decisions on that.

It’s very competitive out there, so a bit of preparation can put you in the best light to an estate agent. Make sure they’re selling you as the purchaser to the vendor – that’s vital in this market.

One of the bits I like most is helping with negotiations, reviewing your options and guiding people in how to find their dream home.

This is my first time stepping out to provide a service the way I like to – and the way I would expect to be treated myself.

I’ve been in the corporate mortgage environment for 13 years, where it’s a different kind of service. I’m now much more focused on quality rather than quantity. I’d much rather help guide somebody from start to finish and spend time with them than view them as another number on a board. Unfortunately, that’s what people can become to larger corporate companies.

I want to grow my own business from the ground up using all the knowledge and expertise I’ve gained over my years in the industry. I get so many recommendations where people pass my number on, purely based on the service they’ve received.

No, not at all. I’ll present all of the options and ensure I’ve met every bit of criteria that somebody’s set out in front of me. We sit together to run through that and make sure you understand all the responsibilities and associated protections.

We’ll line up costs against your expectations, and when you’re happy we go to full application. That final point is where I would charge a fee.

I wouldn’t charge for an Agreement in Principle and it doesn’t matter how many meetings, emails, phone calls or properties we negotiate on. Until we’re physically moving forward with securing your home, I don’t charge anybody a penny.

By becoming part of The Mortgage Store I’m able to do business in a modern environment, the way that people need it. A lot of my clients actually prefer face to face appointments, so I’m happy to do that.

Meanwhile, a lot of my young clients, First Time Buyers or Buy to Let investors want it quick and sharp and would prefer to meet by telephone or Teams. It’s entirely down to what people prefer.

It’s all about trying to give people an understanding of an area where people can become quite bamboozled.

It’s a personal dream of mine. I got into this after having a very bad experience when I first purchased a home. That led me to strive to protect and look after people as best I can.

That leads to them being happy, me being happy, and later looking after their friends as well.