of-living crisis, Bluestone proactively engaged with every customer, signposting them to charities if needed and encouraging early dialogue if they have any concerns.” Quite simply, Bluestone cares about its clients, and this has become even more evident as it attempts to successfully navigate the recent cost-of-living crisis that has swept through the UK. With more people facing complex financial situations due to the rising costs of everything, from food and energy to heating and clothing to fuel and lifestyle activities. However, even in financial difficulty, borrowers must know that options are available and that Bluestone can guide the way. Another industry challenge that Steve has noticed lately is that non-bank lenders are often funded through the capital markets and have experienced an uphill battle with the swap rates and market volatility throughout 2022 & 2023, eroding the expected margin on mortgage loans. The recent sale of the Bluestone business to Shawbrook Bank will provide the firm with significant support in overcoming this challenge. Steve quickly praises his dedicated team, whom he describes as “integral” to the business's success and daily facilitating of strong customer outcomes. “By leveraging human input at almost all customer journey stages, our team ensures our outcomes are clear, efficient, and robust,” he enthuses. “Our internal culture supports this; we’re committed to ensuring staff are professionally fulfilled and are huge advocates of internal progression and opportunity creation.” The qualities that Bluestone looks for in new talent include communication and technical skills, teamwork ability, demonstrable experience, and a clear synergy with the firm’s philosophies and beliefs toward supporting customers in the mortgage sector of the financial services market. Potential recruits must also possess the ability to be flexible and change with the internal and external factors (macroeconomic) of the industry, as well as respond to the robust governance and process management of it all to ensure that customers are well served. In particular, a skill that Steve feels is essential to the complex credit financial market is empathy, often lost in financial services when clients are viewed merely as a number rather than a person. Once again, this is where Bluestone differs. Recently, for its dedication and commitment to helping customers who have been adversely affected regarding obtaining a mortgage, Bluestone gained notable recognition in the UK Finance Awards 2022 and was crowned with the prestigious title of Best Complex Credit Mortgage Lender – England. However, this worthy accolade is just the beginning as Steve continues to tell us about the firm's future, including its exciting growth plans and initiatives, which include a robust product development pipeline with several offerings scheduled for release in the coming months and beyond. With the support of Shawbrook, we aim to accelerate these plans,” he says proudly. “Both organisations share a common approach of providing specialised finance on a large scale, combining technology, data, and personal interaction. “This fusion of models, leveraging technology and human touch, will deliver a seamless digital experience with fast decision-making and guaranteed funding.” Contact Details Contact: Steve Seal Company: Bluestone Mortgages Web Address: www.bluestonemortgages.co.uk
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