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Welcome to our October blog, we’d like to introduce you to the team helping to support clients and making the Commercial Lending department work like clockwork!
In this Q&A, team members dive into their daily routines, tell us their personal interests and offer valuable client advice. So, let's get started!
There’s no typical day for me, but I do spend time speaking with brokers and introducers, looking at proposals and considering if and how we can work with a project developer. It’s not just on paper either, we’ll visit sites during the application stage and meet potential clients.
Meeting the borrower and visiting the site helps us to get a good feel for the project and gives us a good opportunity to speak openly with the borrower about their lending needs. There’s a lot of fact checking before we go through the process of writing up a credit application to present to our credit colleagues in the office. This can take anywhere from a day, if you have all the information, up to a few weeks.
It’s all about finding the best way forward for us and them. It's a dynamic role that keeps me on my toes.
I see my role as instrumental. We strive to provide borrowers and developers with solutions to fund their property development projects. We use a common-sense approach for brokers to give them a quick decision, based on expert underwriting.
I really enjoy the interaction with brokers and clients and the opportunity to get out of the office during site visits. Hodge's inclusive culture and benefits like hybrid working make it a great place to work.
In my free time, I'm passionate about teaching Taekwondo and staying active. Recently, I achieved my second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. (Don’t mess with Dave!)
My advice would be simple: don't change the deal after it's sanctioned, and always be transparent about any conditions we discussed at the outset.
My typical day involves a variety of tasks, from reviewing new development finance enquiries to conducting site visits and writing credit applications. I enjoy meeting new people, having the ability to balance financial and banking work with getting out and seeing a development project from the very beginning as a green field or empty building and watching its transformation.
My role is crucial in establishing trust and ensuring we deliver on our promises throughout the project's life cycle.
A big part of my role is being front and centre, the face of Hodge when meeting clients for the first time. We spend time speaking with developers, providing an honest and professional service. What we promise, we deliver throughout the project's life cycle. My relationship development is very important, and I always look to deliver a “best in class” service.
What I enjoy most is the opportunity to meet new people and witness the transformation from the very beginning, as a green field or empty building, and watching of property projects. It’s very rewarding as you get to see the whole lifecycle of a development.
Walking my dog, going to the gym and great restaurants. My real passion is travel. I recently got the skiing bug as I enjoy being in the mountains, but I need a lot more practice!
When possible, ensure you have accurate and detailed information to provide so we can make an informed decision quickly as possible and if in doubt always pick up the phone to discuss.
My day always starts with making sure everything is as it should be with our control reports. After that the day varies depending on the support the team needs. Anything from opening new accounts to processing payments and drawdowns. It's all about keeping things running smoothly in the background.
Everyone at Hodge plays an important part in helping our customers. My role ensures everything operates seamlessly behind the scenes, which directly impacts our customers. I may not directly contact customers but if I’m not on top of my game then the impact on customers would be very noticeable, very quickly.
I really love the culture at Hodge and the commitment to inclusivity. I love working with my colleagues. I’m very lucky to have a team who I enjoy spending time with and are also a source of learning and development for me.
I’m a keen baker. I enjoy travelling. I enjoy a good quiz. I like to try new exercise classes- the more obscure the sport the better for me! And I’d say eating out is also a hobby!
My advice to customers is to remember Hodge is relationship-focused. While at Hodge I’ve seen first-hand how hard our regional managers work to ensure our customers are given the best possible advice and service. Which is great as this level of personalisation is harder to come by at bigger lenders.
My role involves conducting ‘know your customer’ refreshes and Portfolio Buy to Let renewals. It involves a lot of client research, details and check and ensures that we adhere to money laundering regulations and stay compliant.
By ensuring we’re compliant and adhering to regulations I help ensure the bank can keep doing what it does best, helping our clients in the moments that matter.
I’ve been at Hodge for ten years and I love working with the team, everyone is friendly, knowledgeable and approachable.
Hodge as a company has a really good culture and great benefits, such as hybrid working, and 20 weeks paid parental leave policy which is amazing and makes the world of difference to a young family.
Being with my family, dog walks and a great book, especially if it's true crime or a thriller.
Client relationships are front and centre at Hodge. This means we can really get to know and understand what’s needed, from finance to expert advice. So, my tip would be for clients to utilise our knowledge and experience. Whatever you may need, we’re always happy to help.
I’m an analyst so monitoring reports, checking financial information and producing reports about our portfolio is a large part of my daily routine. My day usually kicks off by diving into our internal monitoring reports, ensuring that all necessary information to support our relationship managers is in place. I'm often involved in project work, which entails creating reports about our portfolio.
I focus on analysing financial data that flows into the Commercial Lending portfolio team. This analysis greatly aids our relationship managers in preparing for the annual review process and provides clients with a dedicated point of contact to address their queries and offer support.
The part of the role I enjoy most is the problem solving and project work, analysing data and being able to provide answers is always satisfying. This data supports the client and their Hodge relationship manager and helps the process to run efficiently and smoothly.
The people here at Hodge are fantastic, being able to come into the office and enjoy spending time with your colleagues is something that cannot be emphasised enough.
In my downtime, I'm a big fan of both playing and watching football. I use it as a good time to take a break and relax. Going out for coffee and long walks, ideally near the sea, is my favourite thing to do.
My primary piece of advice would be to stay closely connected with us. Reach out to our relationship managers for advice and support. At Hodge we have a fantastic team of experience and expertise. Together, we work to ensure every customer receives the best outcome, with a personal touch.
Every day is different, which makes it an exciting role. You get to meet all manner of people from an entrepreneur to a professional landlord, lawyers to surveyors and accountants.
No one deal is the same, from the quality of the application to the type of development. I travel around the country to meet with clients and discuss the proposal. Working with them to put together the best application and view the property. Taking the opportunity to correlate any outstanding information and build our relationship.
By working this way, we’re able to put forward a fact-based Credit paper for formal approval, knowing that the information is all in apple-pie order and factually correct.
I believe that early face-to-face meetings establish trust. This approach allows us to ensure a smooth process and personalizes the relationship with clients.
It helps us gain a deeper understanding of our clients' needs and motivations as well as the timeframes involved. It also helps us build a trusted and open relationship which allows for a smooth process.
One of the perks of my role is the freedom it offers. I'm not tied to a desk and manage my own diary. I have the privilege of transforming a simple piece of paper into a long-lasting relationship.
Don’t underestimate the simple things, like a good beer and great football.
I’d give two pieces of advice for our clients. Firstly, engage with your solicitor early as waiting on local searches etc is the most common form of delay. Secondly, remember relationships are built on trust, so be open and honest in your application. It’s much easier to get through the best deal if we have full disclosure from day one and will ultimately lead to successful outcomes.
A typical day for me involves supporting the BDMs by managing client data, analysing information, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. One of the key contributions of my role is to maintain strong relationships with intermediaries and clients. This helps to promote our Commercial Lending Investment and Development products and ultimately enhance client satisfaction and income generation.
My role at Hodge involves working closely with our BDMs to help our clients achieve their financial goals, which I love. It's rewarding to be part of a company that places such a strong emphasis on customer service and compliance.
I enjoy the opportunity to work closely with the team to help clients achieve their financial goals. Hodge's emphasis on customer service, compliance, and the supportive work environment are things I truly appreciate.
In my free time, I like to unwind by pursuing various hobbies and spending time with family and friends. I find it essential to maintain a work-life balance for overall well-being.
We’re here to assist and we tailor our services to meet your requirements. Clear communication is the key to a successful and mutually beneficial relationship. So, whether you have questions, concerns, or a specific financial need, always communicate openly with our team.
We hope you've enjoyed getting to know us better!
If you’d like to find out more about how Hodge can help with property development and investment funding, please get in touch with our experienced commercial lending team or email us at DevelopmentFinance@Hodge.co.uk or InvestmentFinance@Hodge.co.uk.
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