In just three years, landlord‑turned‑BDM Isaac Kikabi has become one of BM Solutions’ rising stars – transforming how 900 brokers think about buy‑to‑let
When Isaac Kikabi bought his first property in 2018, he had no idea it would ultimately redefine his career. The purchase – initially just a home – turned into an unplanned rental when his partner’s new job took them further afield, nudging him into the world of landlording.
That experience lit a spark. As he navigated mortgages, brokers and the realities of providing homes, he realised how much he enjoyed the subject matter – far more than his then role in commercial operations and middle office trade.
“The pandemic played a massive role,” he explains. Like many, he used that period to ask whether his day job truly matched what motivated him outside work. The answer was no – and it pushed him to align his “external” passions with his “internal” career by looking in earnest at real estate‑related roles.
When a position came up at BM Solutions, the buy‑to‑let arm of Lloyds Banking Group, something clicked. He already understood buy‑to‑let from the customer side, had worked with brokers and knew he was good at building relationships. The role offered both familiarity and stretch: a chance to deepen his understanding of the mortgage market while using his existing strengths.
Discovering the power of the intermediary channel
On joining BM Solutions, Kikabi quickly realised there was more to the mortgage landscape than he had ever appreciated as a landlord.
“Before BM Solutions, I did not know the intermediary market existed,” he admits. When he used a broker for his own property transactions, he assumed they simply had the same access to lenders he did, but with the time and expertise to navigate the choices.
Researching BM Solutions and the broader ecosystem opened his eyes: how networks function, how the mortgage market is structured, and just how significant a share of UK mortgage transactions are originated through brokers.
That discovery chimed with another long‑held ambition – to be firmly in a business‑to‑business environment. Having spent years in consumer‑facing roles, he wanted to become more of an adviser and consultant to businesses. The intermediary channel, and BM Solutions’ position within it, offered exactly that.
A BDM who starts with questions, not pitches
Today, as a business development manager at BM Solutions, Kikabi is responsible for a sizeable panel of brokers across his patch – around 900 firms in all.
His remit is broad. He spends much of his time:
- Educating brokers about the BM Solutions buy‑to‑let proposition;
- Exploring their business models in depth, looking for ways the lender can support growth;
- Discussing regulation and market change, from supervisory shifts to evolving landlord needs; and
- Sharing insights on technology, including how CRM systems and digital tools are reshaping the broker journey today and into the future.
He also acts as a vital bridge back into the lender – bringing the “voice of the broker” into BM Solutions to influence products, processes and service, and stepping in on escalations when things go wrong.
But what he believes truly differentiates him is how he starts every interaction.
“I spend my day asking questions,” he says. Rather than opening with a product pitch, Kikabi begins with the human and commercial context: How is the broker? How is business? What’s changed? What’s new? What are they thinking about next?
Only once he understands those answers does he move towards product and proposition. If, for example, a firm mentions a sudden surge in HMO (house in multiple occupation) enquiries and challenges placing those cases, he can directly plug that gap – offering relevant solutions and explaining how BM Solutions approaches that part of the market.
In his own words, the job is less about “talking at” brokers and more about learning, listening and then matching.
Beyond buy‑to‑let: a collaborative approach
BM Solutions is a specialist in buy‑to‑let lending, and that is the core of Kikabi’s mandate. But his role doesn’t stop at the boundaries of one product set.
Where clients have broader needs, he regularly undertakes joint visits with colleagues across Lloyds Banking Group – Halifax on the residential side and Scottish Widows for protection – to ensure advisers can deliver a truly holistic proposition to their landlord and investor clients.
This cross‑brand collaboration not only improves outcomes for brokers and their clients, it also gives Kikabi a wider view of the market – from residential homebuyers to landlords building portfolios and safeguarding their families.
Rising star recognition
That combination of curiosity, cross‑functional collaboration and a question‑first style has not gone unnoticed.
At this year’s Mortgage Introducer awards, Kikabi was named Rising Star for Lenders and Service Providers – a moment that took him so much by surprise that he was mid‑conversation and not even tuned in to the category announcement.
“When I heard my name, it was a shock and at the same time a moment of pride,” he recalls. For him, the recognition was validation that the hard work, the willingness to challenge internally when needed, and three intense years of learning and maturing in a new market had all been worth it.
Advice for Newcomers: Don’t Try to Be the Smartest in the Room
Asked what guidance he would offer to people new to mortgages or those hoping to break into the industry, Kikabi’s answer is simple: ask better questions.
“Ask great questions – real, intentional, meaningful questions,” he says. Don’t try to be the smartest person in the room; instead, focus on learning, gaining perspective and building empathy.
For him, value comes from linking the “little that you know” to what you’ve learned from others. Only once you truly understand a broker’s business, a client’s ambitions or a colleague’s constraints, can you bring something genuinely useful to the table.
Looking ahead to 2026: cutting through the AI noise
As the market looks toward 2026, Kikabi sees technology – and especially AI – dominating broker conversations. But he wants to go beyond the hype.
AI has already transformed the way he works day to day for the better, and there’s strong encouragement at BM to experiment with new approaches. By turning reactive processes into strategic, data-driven workflows, AI is “enabling faster insights, better prioritisation, and improved business outcomes – all things I can help brokers explore.”
“Tech is obviously a big question,” he says. “AI is talked about a lot.” His focus with brokers is to strip away the buzzwords and ask a more grounded question: What does your business actually need, and what do your clients need?
In his view, many firms already have more than enough tools at their disposal to navigate a fast‑changing landscape. The differentiator will not be chasing every new platform, but using existing systems and data more intelligently, guided by clear client‑centred thinking.
That philosophy – pragmatic, curious and firmly anchored in real‑world needs – mirrors his broader approach as a BDM: listen first, understand deeply, then act.
