Name: Robin Thiara
Age: 20
Location: Leicester
Firm: Hinckley & Rugby for Intermediaries
Interests: Sports (football, cricket and F1), cooking and the gym
Career and motivation
- You’ve risen rapidly in a few years. What’s the one career moment that changed everything for you?
During my time as a mortgage adviser, it became apparent that the offerings we got as brokers weren’t great and we just knew that we could do better.
When I was six months into my admin role, I handled 97 calls in one day. Holding the fort that day truly felt amazing and gave me a different level of confidence that I could be successful as a Telephone BDM.
- What was the biggest lesson you took from your early days as a TBDM?
The biggest lesson I learned is that when you work for a more specialist lender, you have to know the full story and take a common-sense approach.
It is not just a yes or no decision based on criteria. Every case is different, and you need to understand the client’s background and the broker’s rationale to get to the right outcome.
- What first drew you to Hinckley & Rugby?
The opportunity and space to learn. Starting in an admin role gave me the chance to see exactly what Hinckley & Rugby for Intermediaries offers and the direction I wanted to head in. Since joining, it has helped me develop stronger relationship management skills and improve my ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment. I was also drawn to the Society’s flexible approach, whether that is Income Flex for contractors and self-employed clients, support for foreign nationals, or the first-time buyer and joint borrower sole proprietor range. It is a place where you can genuinely find solutions.
- How would your broker partners describe your style as a BDM?
Persistent. I do not like saying no to a case and will always look to get you the best possible answer as efficiently as I can. If there is a way to make it work within policy, I will find it.
- What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about specialist lending since joining Hinckley & Rugby?
How nuanced and solution-focused it is. It is far less black and white than I expected. Every case has its own complexities, and underwriting looks at the bigger picture rather than just credit scores. I see how important flexibility, strong broker relationships and truly understanding a client’s story are in delivering the right outcome.
- If you hadn’t gone into mortgages, what career do you think you’d be in today?
Car salesman. I love cars and have always wanted to be in sales, so those two go hand in hand.
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given in the industry?
A broker is more likely to remember you than your criteria. Be memorable so that a broker picks up the phone to you with a case.
- What part of the job gives you the biggest buzz?
Getting deals out of the door. Getting a case agreed and over the line is the best feeling. I am a big numbers fan, so the more I can assist, the bigger the buzz.
- What’s one myth about specialist lenders you wish the industry would drop for good?
That specialist lenders are just a last resort. Specialist lending is about flexibility and understanding complex cases. We provide solutions for clients who do not fit mainstream criteria, and often that is down to circumstance, not creditworthiness. It is about common-sense lending, not ticking boxes.
Skills and experience
- Looking back at your career, what experiences have shaped you the most (so far) and helped you become the BDM you are today?
Handling all those calls in a day was definitely a big one. However, the opportunity I was given to attend and present at round tables in Exeter was a tremendous experience as well. It was my first event presenting on my own and, at 20, that was a big responsibility. It paid off in terms of experience and confidence.
- How do you switch off after a busy week?
I watch a lot of sport. F1, football and cricket. If the British weather allows, I go to the park to play football and cricket with my cousins.
- Favourite place to grab a coffee or reset between broker meetings?
Just a regular tea for me, but I drink it while sitting on the balcony at the head office. It is a nice area with single-seat sofas looking out into town. You see a mix of buildings, trees and sky as the cars go by.
- What’s the one thing brokers can do that makes your job ten times easier?
Let’s be honest – sending a fully packaged case with a clear summary in the notes section. When the background, rationale and supporting documents are all there from the start, it allows us to assess the case quickly. It speeds everything up and ultimately delivers a better outcome for the client.
- If you could change one thing about the mortgage market overnight, what would it be?
It has to be the perception gap around specialist lending. Too often it is seen as a backup option, when in reality it is a proactive solution for complex or non-standard cases. If the wider market recognised specialist lending as a strategic choice rather than a last resort, more clients would access the right product sooner and brokers could place cases more confidently and efficiently.
- What’s your hidden talent that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about?
I can fully operate an ice cream van, from putting the machine together to pulling the perfect 99 Flake.
