Name: Saul Conway
Age: 45
Location: London
Qualification Year: 2003
Firm: AS Financial
Specialty: Financial Services Entrepreneur
Education: Honours Degree from Manchester University in Economics and Modern History
Interests: Economics, West Ham, Golf, Leadership
- AS Financial has just unveiled a striking new brand identity – what was the thinking behind the rebrand?
AS Financial’s brand has always been about transparency and accessibility and we do not want that to change. Yet, as we have grown and can offer more services to our clients, our brand needed to represent that. Also, we pride ourselves in being innovative and at the forefront of the industry and we wanted a logo that showed modernity but what also clearly highlighted what industry we are in.
- How did you approach balancing tradition with modernity in your new design and logo?
This is a key aspect to us. We are a financial brand and as such need to exude trust and reliability. But, importantly we are not boring and wish to be seen as forward thinking. Therefore, we chose to have our logo in a couple of different fonts, one being colourful and interesting and the other showing a more stoic side of our business.
- What specific business goals are the rebrand designed to support?
We felt it was time to shout a little more about the extra services we provide our clients. We started as a residential-only advisory service and now offer buy-to-let planning, portfolio landlord planning, later life mortgages, bridging, commercial, self-build and a full suite of protection product advice.
Securing 500 five-star Google reviews is a really significant milestone. How do you think this level of customer feedback reflects your company culture?
AS Financial has always strived to be the ‘best of the best’. We believe great advice, communicated professionally by a team, is the optimum method of successful property and mortgage planning. Therefore, it’s not just the five-star reviews that matter (although 500 is amazing in itself) it’s the content of the reviews that we care about too. Our reviews highlight the professional aspect of our business, the personalised service and excellent communication. Hopefully, it proves that we are achieving what we strive for.
- With that in mind, can you share a recent client story or review that encapsulates what AS Financial stands for?
This review says it all from the 13th August:
“Dorian at AS Financial is an absolute brilliant mortgage adviser. He helped broker us two mortgage deals (one fell through due to a bad outcome on a RICS survey).
He gave us regularly updates throughout the whole process; as a first-time buyer it’s very daunting with all the processes that need to be followed, but Dorian gave us a great advise throughout.
Very professional, thorough, looking out for us (the client), very courteous, thoughtful and lastly he was very personal in the sense that he understood our requirements.
Once the deal was brokered Donna was also fantastic dealing with our conveyancer and the various issues that arose.
Thanks to all helped us at AS Financial, if I know of anyone who will be looking for a mortgage I will for sure recommend AS Financial.”
We love helping first-time buyers as they are the ones most vulnerable in the system and can get taken advantage of. We feel our unique approach allows them the space to make their own decisions but we are there with a safety net at all times and to solve problems when they invariably arrive.
- How do you think your brand identity helps differentiate you from other brokerages?
We see ourselves as an advisory firm, not a brokerage, which sets us apart immediately. Our brand is about professional advice leading to great outcomes, not about selling mortgages. Clients feel this from their first interactions with us (whether that’s being able to book a meeting directly from our website or having an actual human on our chat function) and then we back this up with our professional output and written communications.
- How have you involved your team in both the rebrand process and in maintaining the service standards that led to those 500 five-star reviews?
It is important that everyone in the company both buys into the vision and mission statement of the company and also upholds it. AS Financial is run transparently, with everyone in the company getting a say in how we are run. People are proud to work for AS Financial, and we have a 4.9 out of 5 on [employee review site] Glassdoor.
We wish to be the most trusted voice in the industry. In order to be that, service, communication and results have to be top class and continue that way. If a team is able to achieve that, then it should be shouted about and therefore the look and feel of the brand should highlight it.
- As an owner, how do you define exceptional service?
I define exceptional service as setting an expectation and then matching it. Our training scheme has a significant portion on written client communications and the section in the comms on setting the expectations of next steps. The company monitors these timescales between stages so not only do the staff have accurate timescales to give clients, we can quickly assess areas where there are issues and fix them.
- How does the rebrand reflect your view on the future of mortgage advice in the UK?
I am very confident that the role of the mortgage adviser is here to stay for the medium term. Technology and AI are certainly doing some heavy lifting in the industry but crucially client sentiment is still with dealing with a human.
On top of that, the market is so fluid, significantly changing in short spaces of time – mainly due to macro economic changes – that clients look for reassurance in their decisions. A machine simply can’t do that right now.
- What steps are you taking to ensure AS Financial’s online profile mirrors your in-person client experience?
This is very difficult. Currently, we don’t believe that doing things online is as effective or reassuring as doing things with a human adviser. Therefore it is our policy to give people quick wins online (access to good information, easy to book us/contact us) but ultimately encourage communication with an expert adviser.
- How do you see your Google review success influencing prospective clients’ decision-making in such a trust-driven industry?
It’s huge. Online reviews can make or break a business and most clients that come to us from online have seen the reviews.
- What advice would you give other mortgage brokers who are thinking about undertaking a rebrand but worried about losing their established identity?
Think carefully about what people see and understand about your current brand and what they want from your business. Then make sure that still exists in the new brand while showing what’s next.
- If you could sum up the ‘new’ AS Financial in just three words, what would they be and why?
Innovative, expert and professional. We believe in the value of our advice and expertise but don’t wish to ignore the advantages of technology to both us and the client. We wish to use technology to the best of our ability to make the consumer journey great – but not force the consumer to use it.
- What excites you most about the next 12 months for AS Financial and the mortgage industry as a whole?
Since the Liz Truss debacle the mortgage industry has struggled, seeing almost overnight drops in lending across the marketplace. With lower rates (and potentially lower to come), the government promising to open up planning and support housebuilding and increasing borrowing amounts, the next 12 months looks more positive that the last 36.
