Jo Phillips, the Managing Director of Phillips & Walls Mortgage Brokers LLC, tells us about the Mortgage industry and how it’s adapting to digital transformation.
Carrying The Family Legacy
We asked, “What’s the idea behind your business?”
“Having been in the mortgage business sector for 26 years – 13 years in the UK & 13 years in the UAE – we decided to set up a new type of brokerage which focuses on the customer journey for guiding clients throughout the whole home buying process. We decided to go back to basics and offer the client a very personal one-to-one service for their home buying experience.”
“We saw that you have over 26 years of experience in the mortgage industry. How has your career journey been? Do you have some advice for beginners?”
“I am carrying on a family legacy of brokerage, having been taught the business by my grandfather, who is still known today for his customer service and professionalism. This inspired me to continue that reputation in the UAE.
My business partner Lucy Walls has a background in Multi-brand Operations and has been in this field for 6 years in Dubai. She is an integrative part of the team and manages all aspects of Operations, Brand Awareness & Marketing. She has owned and run successful businesses in the UK, Europe, and the UAE. We matched and harmonized each other’s skill sets to form a very strong partnership that can take the business forward.
Advice for beginners – Provide clients with good service and always be available and aware of the client’s needs.” shares Jo Phillips.
“We can see that you focus on client satisfaction. Could you tell us more about your company’s goals?”
“The company goal is to give exceptional customer service and provide transparency of all the bank products that are available in the market.
We are transparent and trustworthy, and most importantly, we care about our clients who are going through a stressful time when buying a property. Integrity is a key factor when advising others of significant financial investments.” says Jo.
Is Integrity And Teamwork Important?
“What are your views on integrity within a team?” We further asked.
Jo shares, “Teamwork and communication are a big focus of our company. The team works extremely hard, and we incentivize this if targets are met. We encourage a positive outlook on any obstacles that may arise with a ‘can do’ attitude. We work hard and do have long hours, but we balance this with a relaxed office with great energy.”
As Jo mentioned how her company focuses on teamwork and energy, we further asked, “How important are employees’ energy levels to the success of your company?”
“Energy levels are always very high in the office, and we make sure that employees look forward to coming to work. The atmosphere and a relaxed approach are encouraged as we believe this gives staff motivation to work hard with that level of trust. As with any commission-based business, energy and enthusiasm are great force multipliers.” she replied.
“And how do you plan to motivate them to get energetic and enthusiastic?”
Jo replied, “We are always here to support any issues that arise during the working day and will always come up with a solution to help the member of staff. We lead by example to ensure employees see that we are committed and expect them to have that same level of engagement.”
What keeps your company moving forward even during challenges?
“We use market intelligence as much as possible to foresee trends in where the markets will move, and this is relayed to our clients to ensure we retain their trust throughout challenging times. We maintain a very positive outlook on business, and this transparency is very important to us with our staff and clients as it builds a good level of trust for repeat business and client referrals.”
How Is the Mortgage Industry Adapting To Technology?
“Is technology helping your business?” We asked.
According to Jo, “Social media has certainly helped with brand awareness. However, there is still a need and obligation to provide back to basic skills. Meeting clients face to face instead of just clicking buttons and becoming a client robot is not how we see ourselves. Having been in the field for 26 years, the personal service is always the best method considering this is probably going to be the biggest transaction anyone ever does, so you need to have someone with whom you can speak as opposed to everything on-line.”
While we are at it, how do you adapt to digitalization?
“A lot of the mortgage process is still very manual, but things are starting to move with some banks starting to allow on-line application forms and digital signatures. As we are aware of this, we have very structured completion processes by well-trained staff to ensure the manual aspect is processed diligently and effectively as this, in turn, ensures the process is quicker for the client.”
Innovation Focused On Core Values
We further asked, “Do you use innovative ideas to be unique?”
“Valuing the human element is one of our core principles. The innovation is that we offer person-to-person engagement for our advisory services to clients who expect the individual touch as opposed to just clicking buttons or pressing phone menu options. We have dedicated Mortgage Managers with whom the client engages through the home-buying journey and is there every step of the way. Trust, transparency and exceptional customer service is where we excel, and clients are always happy to refer friends, family & colleagues to us after the experience they have received.” she replied.
While discussing her company, we also asked about their services with Jo. She stated, “We offer a personalized Mortgage Service and help with other aspects of the home buying journey and specialize in the UAE & UK market. We have access to all the major banks in the UAE and are able to assist with all aspects of the UAE Market.”
Connect with Jo Phillips on LinkedIn.
Find Phillips & Walls Mortgage Brokers LLC on Facebook.
