‘My dad says I would laugh if my backside was on fire!’

By Tony Sanchez 11th August 2021

In our latest Five Minute Interview, Tony Sanchez speaks to Jamie Pritchard, Sales Director at Glenhawk.

Glenhawk provide short-term property finance with a strong capital base to lend whether you are looking to acquire a new property, unlock equity in a current property or initiating a property investment or refurbishment.

Glenhawk lends on residential, commercial and semi-commercial property, refurbishment and conversions as well as second charge with rates starting from 0.65%.

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

The variety of the deals you are presented with and the multi faceted approach we can take to provide a solution to a customer makes every day different.

I also love the opportunity on how this part of the industry can still expand in terms of the knowledge and acceptance throughout the broker community on seeing Bridging as the right option first time.

Bridging should be the fastest growing area of the specialist industry in the coming years and be considered a common placed tool to help clients achieve their goals.

What keeps you focused?

I am driven to make Glenhawk an even better version than they were the day before, by expanding distribution and getting great levels of repeat customers and brokers.

Improving processes further that will benefit the customer journey whether that be through technology or streamlining requirements in the originations, application, valuation and legal process.

Creating new product lines with a strategy of how to promote these through key marketing .

Also, developing and leading my team to become the go to sales team in Bridging and the Specialist market is key to our continued success.

I work hard with the team to make sure they can get the most out of their weeks with the right broker base, good proactive habits and sales skills required to keep them in the minds of their customers.

Continuous improvement is what keeps me focussed and never being satisfied or resting on my laurels can be exhausting for those around me, but it definitely keeps me focused.

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

A willingness to learn and drive themselves forward in their respective roles. A great attitude is required with the can-do attitude to support the business culture and success and also their customers alike.

We work in a competitive market so I expect others to feel the same as I do: the need to be in the best version they can be everyday. Taking on new challenges benefits the employees s well and makes then well rounded.

I encourage teams to be as one, helping each other so we can all achieve our goals together.

I always hire team members who have at least one, and invariably a lot more qualities that are better than mine – this way we add a lot of cognitive diversity in the team and then are broad in our skill sets.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

I tried being a pessimist once but nobody listened!

I think that anyone who has dealt with me would say I am extremely optimistic – I believe in mindfulness, which is a hot topic currently, but if I believe I can either not do something or or can will probably be the result.

I am not blindly optimistic so more a measured optimist.

I have still never interviewed anyone who admits they are a pessimist mind!

What did you want to be as a child?

A bridging sales director 😉 I wanted to be a footballer, and with a left foot (my right only seems to be for standing on) there was a chance with half the skill I had.

If you asked me what do I want to be for the child in me now – an international DJ and house producer.

I will stick to bridging.

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

One of the main challenges facing bridging currently is the rising Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) for surveyors – which is becoming unsustainable for some surveyors.

The retail and office property values caused by the multiple lockdows has put further pressure on rising premiums.

The rising premiums are driving some surveyors out of the market which is then putting pressure on the availability for quicker inspections.

Some of the PI insurers are viewing PI as an unprofitable market which carries a high risk, combined with the high costs associated with the defending of cases.

Who or what makes you laugh?

My dad says I would laugh if my backside was on fire! My constant source of amusement though is my two boys and wife – always playing pranks on each other and they even laugh at my dad jokes, of which there are many.