Sheena believes what makes her and her fellow advisers at The Mortgage Clinic different is that they take the time to educate and empower their clients.

"With so much information out there, it’s easy for overwhelmed and uninformed people to feel lost. We find that many of our clients feel a sense of relief after meeting us for the first time because we can help many people that may have the perception that they can’t get a Mortgage. I think a lot of people expect to be judged and for their finances to be scrutinised by some stuffy old suit when they think about meeting a Mortgage Broker, but we aim to be as personable as possible so we can build good relationships with our clients."

"A lot of brokers just do their job and get the mortgage in principle without ever explaining what they’re doing. Right from the initial appointment, we outline what our clients can expect and what our service involves.”

Sheena also shared the most common mistakes people make, such as not being honest with their broker and not updating their addresses when moving out of their parents’ homes. “If your client isn’t being honest with you, it slows things down as you might need to amend the mortgage application to reflect this new information and this causes delays that could have easily been avoided.”

Over the course of her career, Sheena has noticed there are lots of misconceptions about who can and can’t get a mortgage. She has noticed that younger people who get their information from older relatives tend to believe a number of ‘mortgage myths’, like not being able to get a mortgage if you don’t have a credit card, or if you’ve just started a new job.

Sheena also wants to reassure people that, even though there are now more rigorous checks in place to facilitate responsible lending, most people are “mortgageable”, in her words.

“Even if you’ve had properties repossessed in the past or you think you’re too old, I don’t believe getting a mortgage is unachievable for anyone. If you’re not sure, it’s just a matter of trying to speak to someone as it’s the only way to know for sure if it’s possible.”

Since the start of the pandemic, The Mortgage Clinic had been looking for new ways to generate enquiries. After learning about Unbiased, they took the plunge and decided to sign up – an investment they know believe was a savvy one.

“Being part of Unbiased is money well spent,” says Sheena. “People trust [the platform]. Whenever I do contact people, they’re expecting the call and are ready to discuss their needs.”

Many of Sheena’s clients are based in Northern Ireland, but Unbiased has helped her broaden her reach and attract a number of people based in London too. After joining Unbiased in 2020, Sheena noticed that new enquiries began coming in very quickly. Now, they account for around 25-30% of all enquiries Sheena receives.

“Even if you’re not looking for a huge number of new enquiries, it’s good to have a presence on a reliable platform like Unbiased to boost your reputation when new clients are researching you. It enhances your credibility and gives you more choice over which clients you’re accepting.”