Mortgage Soup fires the questions at Steve Emblem, area sales manager for the Midlands at conveybuddy.
Mortgage Soup (MS): What does your role involve?
Steve Emblem (SE): My role is all about identifying opportunities, engaging with brokers, and securing their commitment to using our market-leading conveyancing portal. But it doesn’t stop there. Once that commitment is in place, I focus on building long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships that help both sides grow.
It’s just as important to develop strong partnerships with the solicitor firms on our panel. By fostering close relationships with both introducers and solicitors, we can deliver a robust proposition that benefits everyone – conveybuddy, our broker users, and our panel law firms.
MS: What initiatives can we expect to see from conveybuddy in 2025?
SE: I believe 2025 is already proving to be a big year for conveybuddy. We’re well-positioned to really shake up the conveyancing portal market with our key differentiators. We plan to continue refining what makes us unique and delivering those differences to brokers and estate agents who are tired of the same old propositions.
We’re adding quality law firms to our panel, we’re ensuring greater price transparency right across the board, we’re helping brokers secure strong income lines from delivery of conveyancing advice, and we are ensuring a quality service for all those customers.
MS: How does conveybuddy differentiate itself from competitors?
SE: Our independence is one of our greatest strengths. We’re not tied to any corporate owners or law firms, which means we can make decisions based on service quality and value alone. Transparency is also vital – as mentioned, there are no hidden fees with us. We offer solutions at a fair cost that benefit everyone involved: brokers, solicitors, and most importantly, the customer.
MS: Can you share more about your approach to working with brokers?
SE: I aim to become an extension of each broker’s business. An enabler for them to grow their fee income. That means helping them facilitate financial recompense for the hard work they put into serving their customers’ needs. I’m not just there to support them; I’m there to help them succeed and thrive.
MS: What trends are you currently seeing in the market?
SE: The housing market has shown remarkable resilience in recent years, even under some very challenging conditions. I think brokers, estate agents, and solicitors all need partners who can adapt and respond quickly to changes in the market. We saw that in the first quarter of the year, with the increase in business seeking to complete before the change in the stamp duty thresholds.
Now post-the end of March, we have a slightly softer market to deal with, but I fully anticipate that all stakeholders are going to see activity levels strengthen. Certainly lenders are pricing their mortgage products in order to incentivise activity, and I believe we’ll see further cuts to rates in the weeks and months ahead that will further drive demand.
Conveybuddy is well-placed to ensure brokers have the support and solutions they require, no matter which direction the market moves in.
MS: How is conveybuddy expanding its partnerships?
SE: We’re a forward-thinking business, led with energy and dynamism. I expect us to continue looking at all opportunities that arise, whether that’s forging new partnerships or developing new initiatives to grow our business. We’re never standing still; we’re always looking for ways to add value for our brokers and panel firms.
MS: Finally, how do you unwind when you’re not working?
SE: Family is my number one priority. I’m happily married with two sons and a dog, and we live in Worcestershire. Even though the boys have left home, we’re still a very close-knit family. Football is a big part of our lives, and I love watching both my sons play during the week and at weekends. For me, unwinding is all about spending quality time with my family.
