This week, Mortgage Solutions is speaking to Peter Olasoji, regional account manager at Buy to Let by Foundation, the core buy-to-let (BTL) brand of Foundation Home Loans.
Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at Buy to Let by Foundation?
I work alongside the other regional account manager, Jack Gerasimov, for the region, and between us, we cover over 500 broker firms across London, Essex and the South East.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
I think that a willingness to fight for a case I believe in and having the knowledge to be able to do so is most valuable to myself and to my broker clients.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I think that when it comes to managing workload, no matter how proficient you are at it, there is always room for some improvement or streamlining. Being able to prioritise workload is a constant, and of course, communicating with broker firms in terms of what stage cases are at is crucial.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
In this current market, I’d say probably keeping up to date with all of the competitors’ new products as they change so frequently, especially in a falling rate environment where we are seeing constant repricing.
What do you love most about your job?
I love creating relationships with new people and maintaining relationships I have already built. I also enjoy solving problems, which comes in handy when I get a tricky case.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
“Find passion in what you do, and work will feel less like work.”
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
I find the best ways to get quick up-to-date information is on LinkedIn, but I also get a lot of updates from brokers, colleagues and media.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
I was looking at a deal earlier this year for a single house worth £52m in Central London. It’s a mansion with a swimming pool and a bowling alley, and the client offered to allow us to come in and see the property. They were looking to exit their current BTL mortgage as they couldn’t find a tenant and required a bridge to refinance and sell the property.
Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?
My trickiest case to date was one that was close to completing when, at the eleventh hour, the underwriter discovered a potential issue with the client’s credit score that was related to an associated company. I spoke with the broker in person to get the full story and organised a call with the client, underwriter and broker so everyone was clear. We were able to complete after this.
What was your motivation for choosing this career?
I fell into finance right after university, but I was motivated to pursue property finance because I love the property process. I enjoy meeting and talking to brokers and I enjoy the problem-solving that comes with each deal.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
I’d like to be on the other side and be a property developer. Being able to see the process from turning a worn-out, tired building to a welcoming home for someone else would give me a great sense of pride and satisfaction.
What did you want to be growing up?
A professional footballer or a lawyer.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Knowledge of every subject.
What is your strategy for tackling challenges?
Firstly, taking time to really understand what the challenge is by asking detailed questions, then seeking help where necessary to enable me to deliver solutions where possible.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
Creative thinking.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
“Excuse me, are you Micah Richards?”
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS
