FR: You’ve recently relaunched under the Together brand. Has this changed the way you do business?
No, we’ve brought our products and services together under a single identity but it’s very much business as usual. We want to reassure customers that our team and our service offering remain the same. The intention with the unified brand is to make us more recognisable within the marketplace and to ensure people are aware of the size and scale of our offering.
FR: As we get closer to the Mortgage Credit Directive deadline early next year, have you noticed a shift in the mood in the second charge sector?
There’s certainly a sense of anticipation, as brokers and intermediaries that haven’t had to deal with regulation previously adapt their processes and think about a new way of working, but I think in general the change is being embraced by the industry.
We’ve been running focus groups with our brokers to ensure that, as a lender, we understand their needs and concerns, and the feedback we’ve had is that clarity and early communication are going to be key in helping them adjust to the new procedures.
FR: Together recently expanded its regional development team – is this part of a larger growth plan?
Absolutely. We have ambitious growth plans and want to extend our reach throughout the country, raising awareness of Together across a broader audience. Last year, our headcount increased by 12% and the team is still growing. It’s a really exciting time for the company as we move forward under the new brand.
We’ve seen strong growth in both our mortgage lending and our bridging lending and we expect that to continue. We are constantly looking for new opportunities and trying to identify gaps in the marketplace where we can help intermediaries to meet client needs.
FR: What does 2016 look like for Together? Any exciting plans or goals you can share with us?
Last year was a fantastic year for us, and we saw new lending more than double in the 12 months to June, reaching nearly £725 million, so it’s very much about continuing this growth in the year ahead. We’ll be progressing with our regional expansion and aiming to develop more partnerships with brokers and intermediaries, as well as nurturing our existing relationships. We’re also investing in customer insight and product development, so we’ll be looking at various opportunities to develop new products.
FR: If you could be anybody else for a day, who would it be?
I’d love to be either of my children for the day; life seems so simple when all you’ve got to worry about is when you’re playing golf or football next, or whether the iPad’s charged. Having their uncomplicated take on ‘jobs’ would just be so refreshing. Also, not having to worry about how many sausage rolls I ate would be perfect! As Ethan and Amelia both say on a Monday morning: “Hope you have good Monday stuff planned!”
