BDMs in the spotlight

MPA profiles some of the leading BDMs who, despite the shift to a more virtual environment, have adapted and continued to prioritise broker relationships

BDMs in the spotlight

Switching away from face-to-face interactions after the onset of the pandemic presented a variety of challenges for BDMs and brokers, but in many other ways it actually strengthened a lot of relationships.

Rather than being on the road in between meetings, BDMs have been able to speak to more brokers in a day than they could before, and have been more readily available when brokers have needed them.

Using video conferencing tools has also provided insights into the lives of brokers that BDMs may not have gleaned from coffee meetings or phone calls.

When MPA spoke to a group of BDMs for this feature highlighting the key role they play in supporting brokers, one pointed out how much she liked that the business relationship with brokers had changed to a more personal one.

The relationship between BDMs and brokers is an important one, and having strong relationships was crucial over the past 12 months as brokers worked to keep up with so many policy changes. A year ago, there was still a lot of uncertainty in the market, and new lending had really slowed down; not to mention that some areas were still under lockdown, and brokers were worried about their own businesses and family life.

Now, after months of record-breaking lending and with vaccinations underway, people are far more confident about the future, and lenders are much more stable.

However, there are still pain points for brokers that BDMs can help with, and as business becomes busier for brokers, it is imperative that BDMs can provide them with the right support to get deals across the line.

The BDMs profiled all talk about how closely they work with their brokers to help them when challenges arise. It seems that constant communication and being open and honest with brokers is the way most of them like to work through such issues.

Fast responses, too, are crucial. As one BDM says, “a quick ‘no’ is better than a long ‘maybe’ ”.

Thank you to AFG, ING, La Trobe Financial, Specialist Finance Group and Citi for taking part in this feature – and to the BDMs for giving of their time to talk about their roles and how they work with brokers.

Click through now to meet some of the best BDMs in the industry.