60 Seconds with Ipswich Building Society: Keeping it simple for advisers
Nathan Reilly spoke to Business Development Manager at Ipswich Building Society Andrew Sadler about how Ipswich can support advisers in understanding complicated areas of the market, and a little bit about his DVD collection…
With 25 years’ experience in financial services covering advisers from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, Andrew joined Ipswich Building Society in 2015 and has been busy spreading the word ever since.
Why should advisers use Ipswich Building Society?
“I simply tell advisers that when they have a case that needs an expert opinion and manual underwriting, we can help. We like to think of ourselves as an extension to their business, to support them with extra knowledge in difficult areas.
“We understand that it isn’t just clients that need help with specialist lending, it can be advisers too. We love sharing expertise and knowledge, to make it easier for advisers to get to grips with difficult subjects.”
What sectors do Ipswich specialise in?
“Unusual business is our idea of business as usual. We specialise in self-build, shared ownership, new-build, buy to let, top-slicing, to name but a few. We set ourselves apart from mainstream lenders by manually underwriting every case.
“It is becoming more common for borrowers to have unusual scenarios, and we understand that there is no such thing as a normal working day anymore, which is why we will now consider zero hours contracts.”
What’s the best part of your role as Business Development manager?
“It’s going out to see advisers and keeping them updated on exactly how Ipswich can help their clients. No two days are ever the same and I approach every adviser meeting the same way that we approach lending: ready to be flexible, understanding, and offer a tailored service.”
What is it that surprises advisers when you talk to them?
“Many advisers don’t realise that we support those with small deposits as well, offering 95% mortgages up to £500k. We also help those looking to build their own home, by offering self-build lending of up to 80% LTV*.
“We offer a generous 50% fee-free overpayment facility on all our products*, one of our best kept secrets. Advisers are also surprised about our reach, as we lend all over England and Wales. We are able to help professional sports people, contractors, entertainers … you name it! We make the seemingly difficult easy for both advisers and their clients.
“We are able to support several parts of the borrowing journey, by helping both first-time buyers and older borrowers, with no maximum age limit. We can also help them remortgage so that they can support their children, allowing 100% of a deposit to be gifted*.”
This wouldn’t be a 60 Second interview without a food question, so what is your favourite cuisine?
“Easily Italian. You simply can’t go wrong with a calzone pizza or a bowl of carbonara!”
Really important one this, what is your favourite film of all time?
“Star Wars. It was the second film I ever saw in a cinema way back in 1977. I am also a 80s nerd at heart and love movies. I have a DVD collection which would have rivalled Blockbuster in its heyday.”
Finally, what is the most amazing country you have ever visited?
“Canada, especially the west coast. Nothing beats it for breath-taking scenery and views.”
*All deals and rates correct as of 25/04/2018
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