Emily Carr has joined Afin Bank as mortgage adviser and will head up the new specialist lender’s in-house team of advisers.
The team will primarily advise applicants that have been introduced to Afin via its Community Ambassador Programme, a network of people in diaspora communities who will introduce friends, family and other community members looking for a mortgage to the bank.
Afin says that brokers and mortgage intermediaries will be the "backbone of its distribution strategy", but the Ambassador Programme, supported by its in-house team of advisers, will help it reach more customers who are underserved by mainstream banks, often because they don’t know what mortgage options are open to them.
Carr has a long career in mortgage advice including at NatWest, Halifax and HSBC, as well as more specialist providers such as Police Mutual. In addition to providing mortgage advice, she will also help shape the in-house proposition and manage the team.
Afin will offer residential and buy-to-let mortgages to borrowers underserved by mainstream lenders because of their circumstances, including foreign nationals living and working in the UK, the self-employed workers and professionals.
Emily Carr commented: “I really feel like I’ve been building towards and preparing for this job all my life. I have all the skill sets needed to create this proposition and it’s exciting to part of a new bank like Afin that’s trying to do something different, something with a purpose.
“Afin is absolutely a breath of fresh air. This role is about building relationships and giving good advice, helping people to be able to buy a home of their own. Our approach will be very much customer-led, taking our time with appointments to understand what a customer needs and their circumstances, so we can explain the different options available to them.”
Alan Davison, chief commercial officer for Afin Bank, said: “Emily is a skilled and experienced mortgage adviser, but she is also passionate about treating customers as people, not just as an application. She’s the perfect person to help people from diaspora communities understand their options and find the mortgage they want, something they don’t get on the high street.”
