Ismail
Azam

Finding his place in advice
Ismail's story so far...

Property first appealed to Ismail Azam as a way to find the financial security he had missed growing up. Inspired by property programmes and his uncle's work as a developer, he bought his first rental property shortly before graduating. Recruitment helped him expand his property interests, though he was still looking for work he found fulfilling.

A trainee mortgage adviser advert in January 2024 caught his attention. The early months were difficult: in his second month, he ranked bottom for applications submitted. He kept learning, qualified by month seven and, in his first qualified year, submitted £342,000 against a £200,000 target, reaching first place in his section.

In 2026, he won L&C's Rising Star award and then the British Mortgage Awards Rising Star award. He has also presented a webinar for people buying their first home and contributed to consumer guides, helping explain a process he knows can feel overwhelming.

Sharing what he learns has become part of his work. Ismail built a resource on lenders serving older borrowers and created protection training using real calls. He now supports colleagues moving into qualified advice and sits on L&C's Adviser Committee. Further qualifications and a proposed mortgage and protection division are next, giving him more scope to develop the people around him.