Know Your BDM: Mike Allen, Aspen Bridging

Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at Aspen Bridging?

How big is the world? We are a small but knowledgeable and dedicated sales team at Aspen, where my main focal point is London and the East. However, I have introducers from Yorkshire to Dubai. If I haven’t spoken to you yet, then please do call me.

What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?

The ability to communicate in our industry is vital. Although it’s a numbers game, without good communication and personal connection, no deals would ever get completed. I love to get involved in complex cases or breakdowns to try to resolve them.

The secret ingredient to communication is listening – being able to interpret someone’s intentions and then give a concise response, whether that is face to face or via email is vital. I’m someone that would rather give a quick no, than ‘umm’ and ‘ahh’ on an enquiry for days on end. After all, we’re in a fast-paced industry.

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What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?

My organisation; I am a messy worker in every sense. I’m trying to improve with the help of spreadsheets to create order, but in all honesty, my pipeline is all in my head. My view is I’d rather be doing than documenting how or what I am doing. Thankfully, I’ve got a good memory.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

I would say it’s the consistent inconsistency of each day. My partner is an English teacher, so she knows every day she will teach four classes each with 30 kids in. Whereas, I can turn my laptop on and have a few enquiries, while on other days it’ll be 50 to deal with along with having to travel to Norwich followed by Colchester, all while managing the diary for the next week.

What do you love most about your job?

Following on from what makes it a difficult job, the variety is what I’ve found makes it so interesting and diverse. You never know what to expect; it keeps you on your toes and no two days are the same. Plus, you add in the people that I get to support on a daily basis, some of whom I now consider friends rather than colleagues, and I couldn’t ask for more.

What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you?

One of the best bits of advice I received was: “If having to give bad news, always give it verbally”. Thanks to Nick Delawa from Stonebridge Group for the one. It turns out being 21 and carrying out file checks for brokers with 30 years-plus of experience really thickens your skin.

How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?

I will always open the industry media every morning for a quick headline check prior to starting my day. That said, brokers are the ones that give me the biggest updates and developments on the market; they’re the ones who are on the frontline, so I try to keep my ear to the ground when I’m around them.

Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?

Having only been at Aspen since February 2024, I haven’t seen as many as most BDMs who have been around for longer. However, in my first few weeks, I assisted a Turkish national requiring completion within seven working days, and it was also the introducing broker’s first case with Aspen.

The case itself wasn’t necessarily complex. The stress came primarily from having to ensure the smooth running of all parties and liaising with the broker to ensure the completion deadline was met when none of us had worked together before and I myself was learning Aspen’s process and lending appetite.

Most brokers that complete deals in this time understand the lender’s requirements prior to submitting. For this broker, it was his first use of Aspen, so I was having to pre-empt him throughout to ensure we had no delays. I’m glad to say we got the deal done and that I have since continued to become more assured to help brokers gain the service they expect.

What was your motivation for choosing this career?

I woke up at 18 years old to an email offering me an interview at a local mortgage brokerage. The very next day, I went along for the interview and they offered me the job there and then. Over 11 years and five different companies later, I am still loving it. I hadn’t particularly been on the lookout for a job in finance, but based on what I enjoyed at school, it made sense. Unfortunately, with me getting into the industry it has also led my little brother into it too – sorry, Tommy.

If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?

I’d love to try my hand at being a valuation surveyor. I love analysing and, being a valuer, you are doing that constantly, comparing properties, looking at surrounding areas and so forth. You have to have an incredibly broad knowledge of local market quirks and niches. Additionally, you get to be a bit nosey, which is always quite fun!

What did you want to be growing up?

A tennis player. I played from the age of seven and my parents played a lot, so I didn’t have much choice. It’s a tough sport mentally and physically, it built my resilience and honed my ability to problem-solve at speed. It’s a sport that has everything and the people who know me will understand how much it moulded me.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

The ability to control time – let me be Adam Sandler in Click. I could just pause, rewind and fast-forward events. I would use it to be mischievous – of course – but also to take in the simple moments and reflect on things that have happened.

What is your strategy for tackling challenges?

For me, there are no challenges – I love when a broker calls me up and the first words are “I’ve got a quirky one” or “see what you think of this”. These opening lines show me that I’m either going to be developing the broker’s knowledge with the response I give or, in those cases I can’t immediately answer, then it’s an opportunity for my own learning. A question only becomes a challenge if you make it one, otherwise it’s just another answer to be given or a lesson to be learnt.

What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?

Remaining upbeat and being understanding. Everybody needs to remember a smile is infectious. I will always take time to understand other people’s views, as it helps me problem-solve and find a common solution that could benefit all parties.

I live by the motto: “Treat those how you wish to be treated”. It’s not necessarily a skill but it’s certainly helped me in my career and personal life.

And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?

I was once asked: “If you were a shoe, what would you be and why?” I’m sure if you’ve reached this far into this interview, you will have worked out my response was a tennis shoe; it’s all about speed and control!