‘I strive to be the best at what I do’

By Tony Sanchez 13th January 2022

In our latest Five Minute Interview, Tony Sanchez speaks to David Coleman, head of sales at Positive Lending.

Positive Lending are a multi award winning specialist packager offering multi product solutions for bridging, development, second charge mortgages, commercial and specialist residential & buy to let mortgages.

Launched by Paul McGonigle in 2006 Positive has arranged over £1 billion in transactions and helped thousands of customers find the best loan for them.

Positive’s team has over 400+ years combined experience and has contracts with over 9,000 Appointed Representatives and signed Introducer contracts with 3,000 Directly Authorised firms.

Existing to provide excellent customer outcomes and genuine value to financial intermediaries.

What is the best thing about being in the bridging and development finance business?

No two deals or scenarios are ever the same and there is still a lot of misconceptions around bridging, a big part of my role is delivering education and awareness to brokers about specialist products and I love opening their eyes to the opportunities and possibilities that bridging can offer their clients.

What keeps you focused?

My number one drive is my son and family, they keep me focused on the end goal, I strive to be the best at what I do and try to be a step ahead of the competition by putting my own spin on things.

And I love a good coffee, coffee definitely helps keep me focused!

What qualities do you look for in your employees or colleagues?

Individuals who are enthusiastic, committed, consistent and team players, good manners go a long way too.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

By nature, I’m an optimist with a positive outlook, I try to focus on what I can control rather than wasting time and energy on things beyond my control.

What did you want to be as a child?

To grow up and be an adult, now I realise being older wasn’t as good as it’s perceived to be…although I always try and stay young at heart.

What will be the greatest challenge facing the bridging and development finance industry in the coming months?

Inflation across utilities, fuel, interest rates, groceries and general cost of living will impact customers affordability which could affect their ability to achieve an exit mortgage.

We complete a full I&E on all applications and offer multi product solutions to ensure the client has a viable exit strategy.

Who or what makes you laugh?

My 6 month old son Henry, the moment I see his face it’s impossible not to smile and feel happy and the little mannerisms and noises he makes always make me laugh even when he has me up in the early hours!

Do you dread Monday mornings?

I genuinely love my job and the industry so don’t get any Sunday night dread, if anything I’m buzzing for the week ahead…after my morning coffee!

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

The ability to sit still for longer than 5 minutes, I always have to be doing something!

With whom would you most like to have dinner?

My mum, a see a lot of her traits in me, she was the backbone of our family and helped mold me into the man I am today. It’s not until someone’s gone that you realise how precious time is.