Understanding intermediaries is crucial to getting service standards right

While this demand remains strong, we have also seen a significant jump in interest in the remortgage sector.

Inflation and the cost of living crisis have meant that homeowners across the country are reviewing their finances, looking to determine ways in which to limit their outgoings. And with base rates rising pushing up the interest rates on mortgage deals, the rush to remortgage - and remortgage quickly - has picked up steam.

Under pressure

The net result of this is that across the industry, people are under pressure. Intermediaries know their clients want to get their remortgage applications across the line quickly, while also trying to help their purchasing clients who are up against their own deadlines.

This is feeding through into the legal side as well. It’s undoubtedly true that conveyancing delays have been a source of real frustration for advisers and borrowers alike of late, with some legal firms - particularly those on the ‘free legals’ side - unable to deal with their pipeline of cases.

It’s meant that brokers have been forced to think carefully about the advice they give their clients when it comes to selecting a legal firm for their conveyancing needs, recognising that the local one-stop-shop is perhaps not the answer.

Keeping clients in the loop

As a panel manager, we are committed to supporting our intermediary partners and their clients to ensure that cases go through as smoothly and swiftly as possible.

One of the ways that we do that is through our Customer Experience team. These staff members act as liaisons between advisers and the solicitors on our panel, and are able to step in to get updates or answers to queries whenever necessary.

And the truth is that in recent months, they have been absolutely invaluable. We know that it’s a service that intermediaries value, since the team are incredibly effective at tackling any potential bumps in the road and ensuring that cases progress smoothly.

What’s more, they lessen the burden on our intermediary partners. If you are dealing with a high street conveyancer, then it will fall to the individual broker to spend time on the phone calling that solicitor, trying to get through to the relevant staff member in order to find out what’s going on.

However, our Customer Experience team have regular calls with all of the firms on the eConveyancer panel throughout the week, and can then feed back to advisers. It means that they can spend their time doing what they do best, rather than having to set aside hours of the working week in order to chase up hard-to-reach solicitors.

Because of the activity levels in the market, we have significantly increased the size of our customer experience team of late, putting new members through an intense training programme in order to get them up to speed on what’s required as quickly as possible.

It means that for all of our intermediary partners, assistance is just a call away.

Understanding intermediaries

Having a Customer Experience team in place didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen by accident. It came about because of our conversations with intermediaries, our determination to understand the pressure points they face and the ways that we can resolve them.

After all, using a panel manager is about more than simply enjoying a wide range of options when looking for a conveyancer for your client. By listening to brokers and getting a better feel for their needs - as well as those of the clients - we have been able to deliver a higher level of service.

Intermediaries aren’t shy about sharing their thoughts, which is why it’s been so welcome to get such excellent feedback on the Customer Experience team. It’s clear that their hard work is not only valued, but making a difference too.

Establishing which businesses to work and partner with is not always easy for brokers. After all, there’s no shortage of firms in our industry who recognise the crucial role that intermediaries play in the mortgage market.

Focusing on those who take the time to understand what intermediaries need, and then delivering services that address those needs, will ensure advisers and their clients have a more positive experience for purchase and remortgage cases alike.