Your colleagues
What's it like to work here? Meet a few of your new colleagues
Sally Pham - Equity Release Advisor
7.15
My alarm goes off early to be able to do a quick morning yoga session before work. It helps me stretch and wake up, which is ideal when you spend most of the day sat down afterwards!
At StepChange we very much promote good mental health and practicing meditation helps me cope with a busy workload.
8.40
I log in and look at the day ahead. I organise my workload on Outlook and fit client telephone appointments, follow-up work and admin in around each other. I read and reply to a few emails and get set for my day with a coffee in hand.
9.00
I start with the first task I’ve booked for myself: preparing for my monthly one-to-one. Each month we have a one-to-one with our line managers and beforehand, I fill out a document with commentary of how things are going, any support I might need, and any other topics I want to discuss.
9.40
I prepare for my first client appointment of the day. The client’s account has notes giving a brief summary of why they’re looking for equity release and recorded when the client contacted us to book the appointment.
This appointment, a ‘fact find’, will be my first contact with the client, and during the 90 minute appointment we’ll discuss their circumstances, what they want to achieve, their preferences and what to expect from equity release and the process.
I like to prepare by viewing the notes we’ve recorded, a copy of their deeds and a view of the property on Google Maps. These all help me spot any potential issues I can discuss with them during the call.
10.00
Time to ring my first client. I spend the next hour and a half getting to know her and by the end I have a summary of what funds she’s looking to raise and why, detailed information about the property, her income, outgoings and debts and the features she wants in an equity release plan.
We also discuss alternatives to equity release that could offer a solution to the client’s debt, and have a candid discussion about how equity release works, including the drawbacks. We don’t ‘sell’ equity release at StepChange, and that’s something that gives our advice and approach so much integrity. We strive to make sure the client knows the negatives as well as the positives so they can make an informed decision.
We book in a follow-up appointment, by which time I’ll have carried out market research and whittled down the list of available products, to give her a summary of what’s most suitable for her situation.
12.45
After lunch I prepare to ring my second batch of clients. The afternoon’s first call is much shorter as it’s a second call with this client. I give them an overview of the research I’ve done and the product that I recommend.
The client asks some questions to clarify their understanding about the features and by the end of the call they have a summary of the product features and confirm they want to go ahead with the recommendation.
After the phone call, I write a report for the client and update our systems with details of the recommendation.
14.00
I speak to the next client and establish that equity release is not suitable, as the client’s not able to raise sufficient funds through equity release for her needs. I suggest alternatives, including using equity release to help her purchase a new property if she’s continuing with her plan to sell her current home.
We sometimes have to tell clients that equity release is not possible or that it’s unadvisable; while it can be challenging to say that, it’s something that we do because we have the client’s best interests at heart.
14.40
A client calls in to discuss their ongoing application. We act as point of contact between the client and the provider throughout the equity release process and in this case the client’s been asked by their equity release provider to get a specialist report and quote after a survey was carried out on their list property.
The client has the report but is worried the provider won’t continue with their application after reviewing it. After discussing their concerns and explaining the possible outcomes they agree to send the report. If the provider declines the application, I’ll help them by seeing if any other providers can consider offering them equity release.
15.00
My inbox is brimming with new emails. I pick through the emails I’ve received and work through them one by one. They’re mainly from or about clients who have already applied, providing updates on the property surveys or copies of offers that have been issued.
I check through all the documentation received and delegate tasks to our coordinators. These colleagues assist in overseeing the applications, to ensure that the client’s application continues to be monitored through to its completion. I reply to some lender emails asking for further information or action on applications they’ve received, and I call some clients to give them news of their offers, completions and property survey outcomes.
I also review and update my own product knowledge after a provider emails to say they’ve changed lending criteria and product features. I keep a spreadsheet with all lending criteria and update this with the new information, so that when I carry out research in the future I can refer to it.
The equity release market changes quickly and keeping up to date is an important part of the role, to maintain accuracy and expertise.
16.00
With a bit of time back in my diary after a shorter fact find, I pick up the recommendation report I started earlier and finish it. This helps me so I can shift the rest of my diary for the week, as I had arranged time to finish the report the next day and day after between other appointments.
17.00
I finish up and log off for the day. I have a little down time and there’s usually a quality home-cooked meal already on the go. My husband is a chef extraordinaire, although if he’s the chef, I’m the baker. I’m continually bringing buttery, sugary goodness into the office and that night I set about making a lemon meringue pie (which is lapped up by my colleagues the next day!).
By 22.30 I’m in bed with a book or magazine, or listening to a meditation session to help me drift off.
