Amber Gerard of Acclaimed Mortgage Consultancy speaks to The Intermediary after her award win at the Later Life Lending Awards 2022.
Congratulations on winning Back Office Support of the Year at the inaugural Later Life Lending Awards, how important is getting this recognition to you?
I only finished my apprenticeship in 2021 so it’s really nice to get recognition for the work I have done so far in the industry.
Being fairly new to the profession and not having as much experience as some others, can make me doubt my knowledge/value so winning this award has been a big confidence booster.
What do you think sets your business apart from others in the field?
I believe all businesses and individuals that were at the awards do their utmost for their clients so it’s hard to be set aside from such strong candidates, but in particular I think what sets me apart is perhaps that I have the first-hand experience of dealing with someone who is vulnerable.
Everyone in this industry needs the capacity to deal with vulnerable clients but sometimes it’s really hard to understand it from the outside unless you’ve lived it.
That’s not to say that all the clients we deal with are necessarily vulnerable, but we have to make that assessment and even if they aren’t, I just want people to make the most of their lives/ get the help they need or whatever it is that they want to achieve by taking out equity release.
How important is it to recognise achievement in the sector?
I think it’s super important to recognise achievement in the equity release sector, I don’t think it gets nearly enough recognition: that’s businesses, individuals and as a whole.
I think a lot of people still have misconceptions because it’s not spoken about or explained enough.
Overall, it’s a great product that can be absolutely life-changing for so many later life clients who, after working for their whole life, deserve to be able to enjoy their retirement to the maximum.
Looking ahead how do you see the next 12 months playing out for the later life market?
I think we may see an increase in the amount of later life clients who decide to take out equity release due to the cost of living. I’m also wondering if we’ll see an increase in existing equity release clients downsizing. Although rates seem to be reducing slightly (at the time of writing this), who knows how things will play out? We all have our opinions, but nobody knows for sure what the future holds.
What advice would you give to someone looking to join the market?
My advice would definitely be to find a good mentor and trainer, it really makes all the difference, and I wouldn’t have come as far as I have without the help of my director Sandy Ameer-Beg and Jon Dunckley, who has trained me for all the exams I have done so far.
How do you rate your chances of defending your win next year?
This is a tricky question! The thing is, I’m not in this just to try and win awards so I’ll just be doing what I usually do; the absolute most for our clients that I can.
Whoever will win the award next year will be worthy of it and ensuring every deserving person gets the recognition for the brilliant work they do is the most important thing.
