A Q&A with Danielle Beswick, Case Manager at Word On The Street
How has your first month and a bit been at Word On The Street?
My first month has been great, I have loved going from working at home to being back in the office. We had the unexpected arrival of little Reuben (Jasmine and Michael’s newborn) which meant that I went from somewhat nervously starting a new job to being thrown in at the deep end.
Anything I wasn’t hugely experienced in (such as term mortgages which operate predominantly via portals) I needed to get to grips with quickly.
Jas and Michael are having all-important family time, but the business needs to carry on; myself and Stephen had to pull together and provide them with confidence—and fast. Who doesn’t love a bit of healthy pressure?!
The cases are all so varied at Word On The Street; one minute I’m uploading a case on a portal, the next I’m chasing a completion that has gone into notice. I love it.
You’ve been working in specialist finance for over a decade; what’s changed over that time?
Everything is becoming automated these days; portals, instructing valuations, even ID checks are all online.
Generally speaking, service standards seem to hover around average, so the high performing companies—such as Word On The Street—are forging ahead.
To me, good service happens when all parties work together from start to finish. For example, a lender that wants to collaborate to get to the finish line and provides solutions to help us meet the client’s expectations.
Describe the typical Word On The Street client and how you and the business add value to their property plans?
I wouldn’t say that we have a typical client. We assist first-time landlords and developers, alongside seasoned property investors with multiple assets. We are focused on providing the highest quality of service and maintaining that is key. Clients notice this and it creates confidence that they have chosen the right partner to fuel their growth.
Attending client meetings with a lender, turning up to valuations—these things matter to clients. Some aren’t great with paperwork, so we work step by step with them, even if that means meeting them in person to ensure things are completed correctly.
In your view, what are the primary challenges for borrowers today, and how is Word On The Street advising and handling their cases to ensure best outcomes?
To name a few: experience, valuations (a common one at present being these not stacking up, resulting in the amount available not always being as high as our borrowers would like), rates, completion timelines, lenders’ criteria, and solicitor issues (ranging from workloads affecting response turnarounds, searches causing delays, or security documents not being submitted in time).
The role of a broker, and something we take particular pride in at Word On The Street, is to be aware of these potential hurdles, and provide comfort and confidence to the borrower that we can provide a solution and be nimble enough to adjust in accordance with the things thrown our way.
What do you love most about your job and what are your aspirations for the future?
Experiencing clients growing their futures is exciting and I get to see that each and every day. Even the complicated transactions…when they cross that line, you get such a buzz, because you’ve been on the rollercoaster with the client and have felt every high and every low as keenly as they have.
On lenders: is product innovation needed, and what makes a great lender to work with?
Offerings evolve, then others follow. The market is currently in a dog fight with many similar products available from multiple lenders. Good lenders form strong relationships with brokers. The best lenders are the ones which appreciate the broker’s efforts, are at the other end of the phone no matter what, and work closely with valuers, lawyers to ensure a smooth transaction—communication is key.
