Broker advice over IM or email

tickledpinx

Unfortunately, I have a nervous condition which makes it extremely uncomfortable to have face to face or telephone conversations about matters I'm not well versed with.

Are there any mortgage brokers out there who can give advice over email or instant messaging?

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

Fully over chat - I think it's just Habito now.

Trussle used to provide advice over chat but (as far as I can tell) don't do so anymore after all the recent changes which included the board firing the founder.

I don't think there's anybody who can do it just over email, that would be cumbersome and impractical.

Whats_your_forte

Most can offer this service and more experienced than those at Habito. Also, sympathetic to your own set or circumstances rather than being thrown into a team at Habito for various people to deal with.

Would disagree with comment about it being cumbersome and impractical as 70% of our work is remote

ACG

It can be done, but I generally prefer to have a 5-10 minute chat with people over the phone usually once we have the factfind. It just ensures we are all on the same page.

I do work a lot over email/WhatsApp but I am always reluctant to move forward where the person refuses to speak to me. It is a little unusual and I tend to think the person may have something to hide and is scared of being caught out - not that that is the reason for the call, but it does help to filter out people who are dodgy.

If it helps, most brokers are just normal people. They want the mortgage to go through as much as you do.

[Deleted User]

I have done various cases where it has been majority over email. Usually with people abroad. There are parts of the process (for my compliance anyway) that need to be done verbally. The Key Facts Illustration for instance, I can email this out but have to go through the details verbally to ensure you understand things.

For the most part, a softly softly approach works for alot of people. Email out a few documents, give them a day or so to read them, then call and go through the details to check understanding and to ask a few more questions.

Its not a grilling, or an interview or anything like that, most mortgage appointments are just a chat about what you want to do and then someone goes off and figures out how to make it happen. A fact find is done but most of this is hard facts (income, expenditure, address history etc) and can be one by emailing a fact find over to you. You can then be sent a possible solution along with a summary of why other options were disregarded. Finally a quick chat to confirm you are happy with everything before the broker goes off and does all the work behind the scenes.

If i am doing a case where the client wants to do by email, it will still involve maybe 15-30 minutes on the phone to establish the stuff that cant be done by email. Usually that will be questions like how long can you see yourself living in the property, could you overpay to reduce the term down, what are your plans for the future etc etc.

The actual stuff that might concern you about mortgages such as illustrations, offers, facts and figures etc can certainly be sent via email for you to digest and then a quick call a few days later.

There is no 1 size fits all approach to advice but certain regulatory requirements have to be met

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

Of course. I never said none of it can be done over email.

What I said was "I don't think there's anybody who can do it just over email." ie wholly or end-to-end over email. Unless you were set up to give advice that way, I doubt your compliance processes would allow it.

As JMA said above.

Whats_your_forte wrote: »

Most can offer this service and more experienced than those at Habito. Also, sympathetic to your own set or circumstances rather than being thrown into a team at Habito for various people to deal with.

Would disagree with comment about it being cumbersome and impractical as 70% of our work is remote

tickledpinx

Thanks all, that is very helpful.

I will try my luck with Habito and see where it goes. My requirements are very simple so hopefully it will not be beyond their abilities.

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

Following on from what ACG said, when talking to habito (or any other broker) I would avoid mentioning your condition and specifying that I don't want to talk on the phone as that can lead to the broker suspecting potential fraud and thus insisting on a phone conversation or other additional measures.

Given their modus operandi, I suspect Habito is targeted more often by fraudsters than other brokers.

tickledpinx wrote: »

Thanks all, that is very helpful.

I will try my luck with Habito and see where it goes. My requirements are very simple so hopefully it will not be beyond their abilities.

Whats_your_forte

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser wrote: »

Of course. I never said none of it can be done over email.

What I said was "I don't think there's anybody who can do it just over email." ie wholly or end-to-end over email. Unless you were set up to give advice that way, I doubt your compliance processes would allow it.

As JMA said above.

Thanks for the reply. Others have systems that allowed clients to complete details remotely in a similar way to habito but without the hard sell element to their business

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

100% over email? That is amazing. Care to share? That would give the OP one more avenue to explore without having to endure the Habito hard sell.

Whats_your_forte wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. Others have systems that allowed clients to complete details remotely in a similar way to habito but without the hard sell element to their business

Whats_your_forte

Standard questions in the online fact find etc help.

Also worth understanding that Habito also call people and I know of someone who had 5 different people looking after his case ring him to go through parts of the request.