The start of 'Expo season'

The start of September often signals the firing of the starting gun for the housing and mortgage markets as we enter what is, traditionally, a very busy time of the year.

Harpal Singh
4th September 2015
Harpal Singh, Broker Conveyancing

I suspect that 2015 will be no different; indeed my inclination is that the next three months in particular will see activity levels ratcheted up significantly, especially given the relatively slow start to the year which actually lasted for the first four to five months.

This being the case, it’s make or break time for lenders undoubtedly and the main beneficiaries of this should be advisers who will be looked to in order to ramp up business and to make sure they hit their targets. Plus of course the clients who may be pleasantly surprised to find that rate levels have not bottomed out as lenders are still prepared to price lower to secure them.

For advisers it remains a period of strength and therefore opportunity, and what better way to explore the opportunities available than via a trip to one of the number of exhibitions that take place over the coming months. Yes, while September sees market activity on the increase, it’s also the start of ‘Expo season’ and certainly as the overall market has strengthened in recent years we have seen a corresponding improvement in the overall quality of our industry’s exhibitions, the businesses prepared to exhibit and the seminar content which can open an adviser’s eyes to products and services they had previously not considered.

First Expo cab off the rank is the Financial Services Expo London taking place on the 16th and 17th September at its home in Old Billingsgate. The only two-dayer on offer sometimes splits opinion in terms of whether a two day format actually works. However, from our perspective, as long as the content for each day is strong enough then advisers will follow.

This year, on paper at least, it looks like the organisers have gone all out certainly in terms of seminar content. We have the obligatory appearance of the FCA on both days plus what I’m sure will be a rousing session from Sir Clive Woodward, the day before the Rugby World Cup will start. Add onto this, plenty of other sessions across three seminar theatres covering a whole host of sector areas and opportunities and we have the potential for a very fulfilling couple of days.

MBE London, taking place on the 7th October 2015, appears to have upped its game this year as well. Let’s be honest a few years ago, we wouldn’t have been surprised to see MBE leave the stage completely however competition is important and it appears to have responded to the new kid on the block, FSE. Exhibitor numbers at MBE appear strong with more short, sharp seminar sessions plus of course an appearance by the FCA to talk about the post-MMR landscape.

As far as Broker Conveyancing is concerned you will be able to find us at both FSE London on Stand M9 and Mortgage Business Expo at Stand C6. We have always felt it was important to support industry events like this and the bottom-line is that it gives us a great opportunity to show what our proposition can deliver, and we get to speak to plenty of existing clients and hundreds of new ones, all under one roof. How often are you able to do this during any given year?

So, while this is bound to be a busy period for advisers, we would urge you to take time out of your schedule to attend one of these events, particularly if you are anywhere near to London and, quite frankly, even if you're not. These are no longer freebie-gathering exercises but can be used as a genuine chance to engage with new providers and lenders, and to establish relationships and develop strings to the bow which will help push your business on to even greater levels of success.

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