Managing a work-life balance is no easy task
It’s very nearly the weekend, and though the weather has taken a bit of dive - hopefully temporarily - the time is almost nigh to switch off your laptop, step away from your desk and make some time for your loved ones. But how easy is it to do in the often intense, often highly competitive world of mortgages? How many mortgage personnel will have closed down their computers and be embracing their downtime come 6pm?
Graham McClelland (pictured left), the new CEO of lender Gen H, while excited about his promotion, is conscious that he doesn’t want it to cut across time with his children – not only for his own benefit, of course, but also as a positive role model for his staff.
“As you get older, you get to know yourself a bit better,” McClelland said. “I know that I'm never going to be completely comfortable to have the ‘out of office’ on, laptop and computer away and not looking at what's going on, because I wouldn't find that a stress-free scenario, but I think it is important for me to show to the team that downtime is good, it is OK and it is acceptable. You should take time out of the business - when you're off, you're off.” He added: “I have a relatively young family, they are really, really important to me, so I'm not going to sacrifice my time.”
McClelland recalled an incident from earlier career, working in investment banking. “I remember - I won't mention any names - going into a boss's office to talk about something,” McClelland said. “He was watching a screen on his desk. He said, ‘Come in, come in, sit down. It's my kids’ nativity play and it's great. You can watch it on iPad, you don't need to be there and you can still see it.’ And I was sitting there thinking to myself, you don't go to your kids’ nativity because it's good theatre, you go to your kids’ nativity play because they're your kids.”
He continued: “I am aware that being a CEO of anything will put demands on your time, and I'm also aware of my personality that I don't like to leave things undone, but boundaries are important, setting an example to everybody is important. I'm definitely better at building those barriers today.”
Kasia Makarewicz (pictured second from left), a senior mortgage and protection adviser at Step By Step Financial Solutions, acknowledges that as a self-employed adviser she benefits from incredible flexibility — but she emphasises that her role is not all afternoon naps and yoga classes. “Sure, you can technically step away, take time off and even enjoy a weekday lunch that lasts longer than 12 minutes,” Makarewicz said. “Any mortgage broker will tell you, you’re never fully off-duty. The laptop might close, but the brain doesn’t quite shut down. I’m pretty sure my children could write an entire comedy skit on how many ‘quick client calls’ I’ve taken at birthday parties or during family picnics.”
She continued: “Yes, I’m a self-confessed workaholic — always thinking a few steps ahead, making sure clients are looked after and plans are in place. But on the flip side, I’m also the loudest mum on the football pitch every weekend, cheering on my son, and I’ve never missed a single match. I’ve just been elected Chair of the PFA at my daughter’s school, and I’ve somehow managed to attend every school play, with tissues in hand, of course. So yes, it can be done, but only if you believe it’s possible and commit to both sides of your life with intention. The key is knowing that this isn’t a nine to five job, it’s a lifestyle. But with strong systems, clear client communication and firm boundaries where it matters, it is possible to step away and be fully present for the people who matter most.”
Read more: The pros and cons of becoming a self-employed mortgage broker
The difficulty of taking time off when clients need you
For any client-facing mortgage brokers, taking proper downtime can be a real challenge, acknowledges Steve Humphrey (second from right), director and adviser at The Mortgage Pod. “We support our clients through every step of their home buying journey so it’s hard to say no when they will really need us,” Humphrey explained. “We need to be available when things move quickly, which they often do in the property world. A buyer might be months into searching, then suddenly get an offer accepted, and that’s when they need us most. Some estate agents will be looking to take advantage of clients’ urgency and this can lead clients to poor, rushed decisions under pressure, so we really need to be there to support people with these urgent decisions.”
Humphrey is part of a community of brokers in a WhatsApp group who are willing to support each other through these shared challenges, he notes. “We are available for one another seven days a week,” Humphrey said.
Meanwhile, Sam Mason (pictured right), founder and managing director of The Mortgage & Protection Hub, commented: “It’s difficult - this isn’t a normal nine-to-five. It’s constant, whether it’s directly getting back to clients, lenders, or networking and generating new business. But you have to just be regimented with your time. I block out all client meetings until 12pm every day. That means that me and my partner can go to the gym together in the morning, and I can finish my admin bits from the day before.”
As much as it can be intense, it works both ways in terms of flexibility, Mason emphasises.
“With the tools and tech we have today, this work can offer complete location freedom,” he said. “I’ve just booked a three-day business mastermind out here in Spain, but I’ve packed for a few weeks, as it’s likely that come Sunday, I won’t want to go back to London. I’ll want to pitch up here and stick around for a couple more weeks whilst still operating in the exact same way I would be back in rainy London.”
Mason explained how he and his partner overcame a miserable UK January by booking 16 days in Dubai. “We did a four hour work block in the morning, then enjoyed the sunshine, came back to our apartment, did two to three more hours of work, then headed for dinner – everyday,” he said. “So we got a full day’s work done and enjoyed the whole day and evening. It can be challenging to take down time, but if you love what you do, you’re regimented with you time and you take advantage of the tools and tech we have, you can still have a great work-life balance and spend time with your loved ones.”
The question of taking downtime is one that every single adviser in the industry likely wrestles with on a weekly basis, according to broker Mike Hayes (pictured inset, above), from Neal Hayes Mortgages. “It’s a difficult task as quite often you’ll make yourself available at a time when your clients are, which can usually mean lots of unsociable working,” Hayes said. “I think the key for me personally is trying to be disciplined and trying to keep evening appointments to certain nights of the week so that we can plan activities as a family on the other evenings.” He added: “We’ve also been working on giving our administrative team much greater responsibility to help share the work load to move away from those long evenings keying in cases.”
Nisha Ghedia (pictured inset, above), director and adviser of Niche Mortgage Solutions recently decided to spend her daughter’s birthday in the sun. “She’s so used to seeing me with my laptop open or phone in hand, but this time, I really wanted to give her and my family my full attention,” said Ghedia. “I let my clients know I’d be away for the week, and honestly, they couldn’t have been more supportive. So many of them said how lovely it was that I was taking this time to celebrate her. Sometimes that’s all we really need — a bit of sunshine, a change of scenery, and space to be present. It’s moments like these that remind me why stepping back every now and then is so important. I’m feeling fully refuelled and ready to continue supporting my lovely clients.”
