The Intermediary – October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 31
I N T E RV I E W
help borrowers solve complex problems.
“We do so much with the introducers we
work with,” she explains.
“For example, we sent weekly e-shots with
case studies and product niches.
“We want to continue working on keeping
people up to date and building those
relationships, which also includes getting out
to market and meeting people face-to-face to
help them learn more about what we do.”
Having doubled in size already, there are
still plans to add key players to the team
and continue with this period of growth. In
addition, Evans wants to continue creating a
space where people are “having fun while we
work – when people are happy they work well,
and that comes through to the people they
speak to.”
She continues: “As and when we bring
people in, we need to check and challenge
that we’re not slipping anywhere, and
that as we grow it’s still working how I
want it to work. I also see growth in our
existing individuals.”
Mercantile Trust is not looking to grow and
add more staff for the sake of it. Instead, Evans
says: “We’ll grow because we’re getting busier,
more people know of us, and because we have
a lot more people we could be talking to, and
need the bums on seats to do that. I will make
sure we don’t slip on our current service levels
– that’s the key thing.”
Healthy market
In order to create a strong lending market,
Evans points to the importance of diversity
among lenders. This is not only in terms of size
and capacity, but product set and specialisms.
While the proposition will continue to evolve,
rather than “competing to become the biggest,”
she wants to ensure Mercantile Trust is known
as a reliable source of lending for specific cases,
and a provider of products that “really service
the market.”
Part of creating healthy market growth goes
beyond the individual product propositions,
particularly in second charge.
Evans says: “There are still a lot of people
that need to learn about second charges. When
we go out and speak to people, and present
second charge as an option for some cases,
we’re finding people who have never even
thought about it.
“We’re definitely here to educate on when a
second charge bridge or term loan is probably
the best option, or at least an option. More
people are thinking about seconds now,
but plenty aren’t, so there is still plenty of
education to do there.”
This is where Evans’ broker past comes into
play, as it helps her and others in the team
“know how brokers think,” allowing Mercantile
Trust to provide an experience that helps
guide intermediaries through a market sector
with which they might be largely unfamiliar,
but which provides valuable solutions for
their clients.
She adds: “That’s important in terms of
service and being able to get those deals over
the line.
It’s important that we’re clear on cases about
exactly what’s required – we try to hold our
brokers’ hands as much as possible, face-toface and on Teams.
“We’re accessible, you can get any of us on
the phone. Because we’re small, everyone does
a bit of everything, which means we’re all in it
together and able to support people really well.
If you’re not sure, pick the phone up.”
In addition to education and support for
intermediaries, Evans says Mercantile Trust
continues to look for ways to “do more on
seconds.” This might include expanding
into other areas to make the most out of
opportunities in corporate let and company let
products, for example.
“I’m always considering these options, as
well as speaking to brokers – including those
within the group as well,” she adds.
“I can go to them and see where they
are seeing cases falling out, where we can
help, and where there might be niches and
opportunities we can bring to the market.
“Having two brokerages in the group is key
to our progress in that way. They have most
lenders on their panels, so if they’re not able
to capture something, it likely means no one’s
doing it, and we can see about stepping in.”
Making manual work
While Evans understands that artificial
intelligence (AI), and technology in general,
are useful elements in the modern mortgage
market, one of the reasons behind Mercantile
Trust’s success is the “human element and
close contact with our brokers.” Keeping the
individual, human approach means that one of
the plans on Evans’ agenda as CEO is finding
other ways to streamline the process, such as
rationalising the documents needed. This will
help “remove some small barriers and help us
move even faster.”
For brokers yet to work with Mercantile
Trust, Evans says they should understand
that despite not having the overtly high-tech
systems others might be able to boast, this→is
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