How to become a mortgage advisor: Isabelle's story

Isabelle:

My name's Isabelle and I'm a mortgage advisor. I support people through one of the biggest purchases of their lives.

A mortgage is money loaned to you from a bank for a project. For example, it can be used to purchase a new home. Buying a home with a mortgage is one of the biggest financial decisions a person makes in their lives and it's really important that they get it right.

My job as a mortgage advisor is to help and support them in applying for that mortgage and making sure what they have is right for them. A typical day for myself is liaising with my clients, making sure they're updated whether that be face to face or over the phone, not only that but I will speak with banks.

I deal with a really wide range of clients so it's important that I spend time researching the best deals for them. The purchase would involve solicitors or estate agents and it's really important that I keep them updated on the process of the journey as well.

(on the phone) Are you a first time buyer or looking to purchase a new home?

And no client is the same so each day I will take into account their circumstances and research the different lenders, making sure that I get the best mortgage for them.

When completing a mortgage application for a client, it does take a lot of time. It's important that you get the information right as this could dictate the outcome of whether they could get that mortgage or not.

There are lots of things that I enjoy in my job. One of the main things is dealing with customers. The customer facing role, the communication and speaking with them on a day to day basis.

It can be really challenging at times when things don't go through but it's really rewarding when you have been able to help someone overcome a problem and allow them to purchase their home.

I didn't start off as a mortgage advisor, I had no idea what a mortgage was. I was initially in marketing but I couldn't get the training that I needed to be able to progress and earn more in that role. I spent the night before my interview speaking to my parents, finding out what a mortgage was and how I could possibly get into the role.

When I had the job I realised that there was no experience needed initially but a lot of training that needed to go into it once I was there. So I spent a couple of years as a mortgage administrator, I then progressed onto being a paraplanner and what that is, is shadowing someone like myself as a mortgage advisor to help them with the background work that goes into the mortgages that they do. From there, I became a mortgage advisor myself.

Gemma, employer:

I would say that the main skills that Isabelle has that makes her a good mortgage advisor is that she really does care about our customers.

The main skills and attributes that you would need to be a good mortgage advisor is good communication skills, to be able to clearly explain a process to a client and to be able to take them on the full journey holding their hand.

Isabelle

As a mortgage advisor, once you have the relevant experience the world's your oyster as to what roles you could progress into. For me personally, I'm looking to progress into more senior roles here where I work, all the way up to becoming a mortgage director.

If you're looking to become a mortgage advisor, the main advice I would give to you is to be patient. You have to know that there is so much to learn and the experience is what is gonna make you a good advisor. Trust in the process and know that you will get there.