The Interview… Tracey Thomas, senior relationship manager – network and clubs at Loans Warehouse

In practical terms, the next six months are about taking everything I am learning and getting out there – meeting brokers, meeting intermediaries, talking them through what we do and demonstrating that service in action.

You have worked across tech, mortgages and utilities. What transferable skills are you bringing into this role?

Working within those businesses has given me a broad operational and commercial grounding. In terms of transferable skills, personality is a big one – I have always been strong on influencing people. My rule is I never ask for something if I think I am going to get a “no”. I only ask when I know I can build the case for a “yes”.

I would describe myself as passionate, approachable and professional. I bring my own personality and traits into what I do and I treat individuals as individuals. In business everyone is here to achieve results, deliver growth and get great sales figures – and that is certainly the case here. We had our best month yet in June and now we need to build on that.

I am also not afraid to challenge respectfully when I think something can be done better. And I have a strong tech background, so I understand systems and processes and how to get things done quickly. If you think about efficient processes, it always comes back to communication and influence, and that’s where I am very comfortable.

Are there any new distribution opportunities or types of partnerships you are particularly keen to explore?

We will be announcing some new, up and coming networks and clubs over the next few weeks and months. We are already in a good place in that space, and my job is to build on it.

For now, the focus is on networks and clubs. If there are networks and clubs where we are on the panel but not getting the level of business we should, then it is my responsibility to influence that – to show them why they should be using us more regularly. That is very much the business model at the moment: get closer to the partners we already have and demonstrate the value we bring, while also bringing new names into the fold at the right time.

How important is on‑the‑ground insight in building stronger industry relationships, and how will you keep that feedback loop open?

I think it is crucial. At the end of the day, people buy from people. Trust, communication, honesty and empathy are all central to building and maintaining strong relationships, and that only really happens when you’re present with people and listening properly. You also need to be patient. People have their own views and opinions, and you may not always agree – but you have to accept that and work with it.

There has been a lot of negativity in the media in recent months, and that can weigh on people in our market. One of the things Tristram and Busfield do very well is using social media, LinkedIn and the trade press to talk about what is going well in the industry. That positivity reaches a big audience and helps lift some of the doom and gloom.

Our job is to keep those conversations going – being out and about, hosting visitors in the office, updating our partners when anything significant happens in the industry, and making sure brokers know they can talk to us openly about what they are seeing on the ground. That is how you keep the feedback loop alive.

Given recent market shifts, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for brokers and their clients right now?

We have had a turbulent few months. A lot of people are choosing not to move; instead, they want to stay where they are and improve their homes. That is creating more demand for secured loans for home improvements, because in many cases that’s cheaper and more practical than moving, especially with house prices fairly stagnant.

Rates have also stayed relatively stagnant recently, which is helpful. We have preferential rates with many of our lenders and we will continue to build on that. From a second charge perspective, I would like us to be a step ahead of the market, offering solutions that really fit where customers are right now.

You can never completely predict what is coming – especially when you factor in politics and wider economic sentiment – but I do not expect a repeat of the steep rate rises we saw a few years ago that caused so much panic for households. For us, the key is to keep working hard, stay close to the market, spend time with brokers and introducers, and ensure we are ready with the right options when clients need them.

What message would you like to share with brokers and partners about what they can expect from you and Loans Warehouse in the months ahead?

First and foremost, we are not going to change what we do well – that is our baseline. Brokers come to Loans Warehouse because of the service we deliver: quick turnaround times, reliable outcomes for their clients, and a packaging service that takes the pressure off their teams. In many cases, they just need to refer the case and we do the rest.

Over the next six to 12 months, brokers and intermediaries can expect to see a lot more of us. They can expect meetings, presentations and regular contact from me. We will be out and about, raising our profile, reminding people of what we do and how we can help.

There are a lot of brokers across the country who still might not know us well enough. So we need to shout more loudly about our Trustpilot score, the awards we have won, the speed and quality of our service, and the fact that we can effectively take the admin burden away and free brokers up to focus on the next client. That is what they can expect from me: visibility, energy and a real drive to grow those relationships.

To brokers, I would say: trust us. Trust us to deliver for your clients quickly and professionally. Let us take on the hard work and the admin so you can get on with helping more customers. We are only just getting started.