Broker in Focus: John Carter, of Abode Mortgages, shares how his "above and beyond" service generates word-of-mouth growth and client retention
Broker in Focus is a dedicated series that highlights the unique journeys of mortgage brokers, providing them with a platform to share their experiences, insights, and expertise. Through compelling personal stories and professional reflections, each featured broker recounts the key moments that have shaped their careers, delves into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today, and shares the valuable wisdom they have gained along the way.
Mortgage Introducer interviewed John Carter (pictured top), director of Abode Mortgages, who has spent three decades in financial services—from advertising to working for a bank to independent broking. With a career spanning the seismic shifts in how mortgages are sourced, underwritten, and sold, Carter offers a unique perspective on how the industry has evolved and where the challenges lie today.
From embracing digital transformation while championing personal relationships, to navigating the rising tide of financial crime and AI-enabled fraud, Carter shares candid insights into what it takes to build and sustain a successful mortgage broking business. But it was an encounter with a multinational executive—one that saw him amending mortgage calculations while sailing down the Medway—that perfectly encapsulates his philosophy: going the extra mile for clients is what sets the best brokers apart.
Full name: John Carter
Job title: Director/Mortgage broker
Company: Abode Mortgages
Number of years in the industry: 32
Location: Brightlingsea, Essex
1. How and when did you become a mortgage broker?
I had worked in advertising since leaving school, initially on local papers and latterly on national magazines. Unfortunately, the magazine I was working for at the time underwent a round of redundancies on a last-in-first-out basis, and having been there just a few months, I departed.
I was at a bit of a low ebb when my father noticed an advertisement in a local paper for trainee financial advisers with Barclays Life. This was late 1992. I thought “nothing ventured, nothing gained”, I applied, and the rest, as they say, is history! Joining Barclays Life in early 1993, I gained my Financial Planning Certificate and became one of the Barclays Life top performers, qualifying for two conferences and numerous special events during my time there.
After leaving Barclays in 1998, I spent time with both NatWest and TSB, learning and being more involved with the mortgage side of the business. Enjoying helping clients onto the housing ladder but feeling constrained by the limitations of just the bank’s own products, I moved to a local brokerage where I stayed for about 18 months until I decided I could do a better job on my own. I firmly believe this was the right decision at the right time!
2. In your opinion, what has been the most positive development in broking?
I guess that it has to be the rapid acceptance of the internet as a way of conducting business. I think back to my early days as an independent broker—after interviewing a client, it would be a walk down the High Street and having a chat with the lenders I felt would fit with the client. The advent of sourcing tools such as Mortgage Brain, Trigold, and Ignite have simplified the job dramatically, but I do miss my chats with the branch managers over a coffee and a chocolate biscuit!
3. What challenges do you see currently facing the industry, and what solutions would you propose?
Financial crime has got to be at the top of the list. Going back to when I first came into the industry, financial crime was pretty much rather crudely forged documents that anyone with an iota of common sense could spot. The advent of the internet has changed all of that, with individuals creating multiple personas and utilising very advanced AI programmes to create convincing documentation. Brokers need quality training in the ways of spotting such fraudulent attempts. I am, however, exceptionally fortunate in that my son works in cyber security, so he keeps me well versed in what to look out for!
Thinking of the internet, I’m seeing more and more clients carrying out research themselves on the web. Is this a good thing? Well, yes and no. The benefits are that our clients can see what is out there and at least have some idea as to what is and is not possible. The negatives are that they rarely will check the criteria to see whether a deal would actually work for them. Personally, I am 100% in favour of face-to-face meetings with clients, whether by Zoom or Teams or over a cup of coffee. True, a lot of information can be gathered by email and online forms, but it is the human contact that will always hold sway—I hope.
4. Can you share a memorable or challenging experience from your career as a broker and the lessons you gained from it?
It is all about going the extra mile for your client. I had an enquiry contact me out of the blue from the other side of London. He had been pointed in my direction by a mutual friend. I had a lengthy chat with this chap who, it transpired, was a main board director of a multinational corporation. He had been jerked about by a well-known national brokerage and was in danger of losing the house he was looking to buy just outside Bracknell. I talked him through his situation and exactly what he was looking to achieve, and set about sourcing a suitable deal that would offer the flexibility he was looking for combined with a competitive rate.
This was mid-summer, and as anyone who knows me will understand, I spend as much time sailing as I possibly can. My wife and I were out sailing down to the Medway from our home port on the River Colne when my phone rings. It was this client calling me from America, where he was working for two weeks. Fortunately, I use my laptop not just for work but also for my navigation programmes. Handing the helm to my wife, I then sat down in the cabin, amending the purchase price of his prospective buy (it had been downvalued) and working out the best revised deal. The client commented that he thought he could hear water and occasionally a flapping noise. I explained we were out sailing; he apologised and left us in peace.
Long and the short of it—we got an offer letter in very short order and we pushed the solicitors for an urgent completion. Fortunately, there was no chain. The client was so impressed with my “above and beyond” service that he recommended us to several of his colleagues, some of whom are still clients today.
5. Could you share any valuable advice for individuals aspiring to become brokers or those new to broking?
If you are seriously looking to get into this astonishingly rewarding business—both from a satisfaction and financial perspective—then my number one pointer is to speak to brokers who have been doing it for five-plus years. Mortgage brokers, on the whole, love to talk and likewise love to share how they have become successful. Get involved with networking groups inside the AMI, CII, and LIBF. You will see what a friendly and helpful group of people mortgage brokers are!
The one final piece of advice I will finish on is this: treat every client with respect and care and, above all else, stay in touch with them. You don’t own the client; you don’t have a “client bank.” You are simply providing par excellence service that makes you the client’s first choice!
Broker in Focus is a weekly Mortgage Introducer feature, spotlighting mortgage brokers from diverse backgrounds and locations across the UK. Among those recently featured are Bobby Lumsden of RML Financial Management, George Christou of Bournemouth Mortgages, Amit Patel of Trinity Finance, Paul Came of The Mortgage Plan, James Hayes of Mortgage Links, Gerard Boon of Boon Brokers, Malcolm Wright of Mainly Mortgages, Matthew Fleming-Duffy of Knight Frank Finance, and Siobhan Holbrook of Mortgage Light.
Are you a mortgage broker interested in being featured? Email the author with your details.
