The Intermediary – August 2026 - Flipbook - Page 88
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
Keeping it in
great strength of the
mortgage industry
is the opportunity
to develop and reach
your full potential.
Over the years, I have
seen advisers and support staff enter
the sector with lile or no experience,
learn the business, build their
confidence and go on to have really
successful careers.
The problem is that as an industry,
we’re not very good at sharing this
externally. Internally, though, people
do recognise this and are keen to
recommend the industry to others –
including their own children.
Just recently, I realised that we
have multiple mother-daughter
pairings across Just Mortgages. It’s
a nice reflection of our business and
our culture, but more importantly, I
think it raises a question for the wider
mortgage industry: are we doing as
much as we can to create and promote
clear routes into the sector for the next
generation?
I don’t need to expand any further
on the challenges we face as a sector.
The mortgage workforce is ageing
and we need to make sure that the
opportunities are there for new people
to enter the sector. While the broker
pipeline is naturally a key priority,
this shouldn’t be our only concern.
A
Mum knows best
One of the industry’s greatest
strengths is the range of roles available
– including those that are not focused
on providing advice, yet are mission
critical to the entire model.
Lily Robertson and Eve Yates are
just two examples of people who
have joined Just Mortgages through
different roles, both working
alongside their mothers.
Lily made the switch from retail,
looking to change from the late nights,
weekends and shi work that came
with it. It’s fair to say she wasn’t
initially thinking about a career in
mortgages. Her mum, Liz, has been
an essential part of Just Mortgages for
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The Intermediary | August 2026
more than 30 years as the head of our
mortgage admin team in Sheffield. She
was the one that suggested Lily explore
the opportunity.
“On my days off I would sit with my
mum to see if it was something I found
interesting, which I did,” Lily says. “I
applied and was successful.”
Since then, Lily has developed her
career in mortgage administration,
working with advisers and all parties
to keep the process moving forward.
“I have really enjoyed working
for Just Mortgages,” Lily says. “My
colleagues are lovely and a pleasure to
work with, there is always someone
offering to help if needed and my
relationship with my brokers is great.
I have been hiing my targets, which
has really improved my confidence.”
It’s a great example of why we need
too create opportunities at that entry
level, giving talented people the
training and development pathways
too build their knowledge over time
JOHN PHILLIPS
is CEO of Just Mortgages
and Spicerhaart
