Broker reveals his best strategies for generating leads
NZ Adviser talks to Wellington-based mortgage adviser Craig Pope from Pope & Co about developments within the adviser industry, the challenges and rewards of the job and his most memorable client experiences.
Pope was named a Top Adviser in our second annual Top Advisers Rankings 2018.
How do you think the mortgage broking industry has changed over the last two years?
I think it’s got a lot harder with tighter restrictions on criteria, borrowing power and more paperwork required from borrowers.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Being able to make a difference in people’s lives, whether it’s buying their first home, saving money on their interest rates or helping them to get mortgage-free quicker.
What has been the secret to your professional success?
Putting the clients’ needs first, being accessible, the ability to solve problems, spending time and money on creative marketing and building a professional brand.
What is the key to overcoming the challenges you face as a mortgage broker?
Always look improve your service, constantly add value and try to make it easy to do business with you.
What is your best strategy for generating leads?
Keep in touch with existing clients with fixed rate reviews, monthly e-news and quarterly hardcopy. Also, a generous spend on various social media, online, videos and conventional advertising strategies.
What was your most memorable client experience this past year?
First home buyers always give us a happy feeling but we saved a couple of clients from mortgage sales and got them on the right path, and that is always satisfying
What do you think of the impending changes in the regulatory landscape? How will this shape the future of the industry?
Change is good and inevitable. Hopefully it will make it harder for people to enter and thus lift the standard of the mortgage broking industry. We need to make it known to the public that we offer a higher level of service than going directly to the bank.
Outside of being a broker, what are your favourite hobbies?
Being a Dad, playing golf and collecting NZ Art.
If you were the Prime Minister for a day, what would you do?
Probably arrange meetings with prominent business people and MPs and find out what makes them successful.
If you could offer one piece of advice to someone starting a career as a mortgage broker, what would that be?
Always put the client first, be accessible, keep learning and don’t be afraid to spend money on marketing.
