Business
Three tips for making yourself stand out as a mortgage adviser
With an average salary of between £22,000 and £70,000 per year, a pay package that might include pension benefits, insurance and car allowance and the option of becoming self-employed, a career in mortgage advice may seem very attractive. Whether you’re considering becoming a mortgage adviser or you’ve already made a start on this career path, you’ll want to know how to get the most out of this job role.
To increase the chances of attracting homebuyers to your door instead of the mortgage adviser’s down the street, here are three tips for making yourself stand out from the crowd.
- Get your CMAcert qualification
While most mortgage advisers will have a Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMAP), not every adviser will have gone on to earn additional qualifications. If you’ve already attained your CeMAP and you want to further your career, the Competent Mortgage Adviser certificate (CMAcert) is the natural next step for you. According to financial education provider Simply Academy, this qualification can help newly CeMAP-qualified advisers to improve their skillsets and potential employability. This recognised qualification can also help to show potential clients that you are committed to ongoing professional development, which could make you a more attractive option.
- Ask for testimonials
Showcase your experience by asking clients you’ve helped to provide a short written or video testimonial to support your credibility and expertise. Choose testimonials that explain how you’ve satisfied a need, tackled a problem or otherwise provided a great service and publish them to your website. You should also consider sharing these across your social media platforms.
Reading about a client’s experience or hearing and seeing them talk about how you’ve assisted them can have a very powerful effect on potential clients. Such word-of-mouth type communication can make the difference between a hopeful homebuyer choosing you and choosing another provider.
- Brush up your influencing skills
You may have tons of enthusiasm, a flexible approach, be very attentive to detail and sport top-notch communication skills but if you can’t influence people, you’re likely to fall short when it comes to getting those much-sought after recommendations and referrals. Helping a client make a decision that truly meets their needs is part and parcel of the role of a mortgage adviser and this requires the ability to affect their thinking and behaviour. You may be highly knowledgeable but if you don’t have the confidence or know-how to persuade a client to choose something that they may not have had in mind, then you’re unlikely to be very successful in your chosen role.
Taking a course in influencing skills can really open your eyes to conscious and subconscious behaviours and techniques used to create the right first impressions, build positive rapport and develop mutual trust.
Mortgage advice can be a competitive field but if you’re dedicated to continuing professional and personal development and savvy about your approach to marketing, you should be able to make your mark.