This week, Specialist Lending Solutions is sitting down with Olivia Burke (pictured) at Crystal Specialist Finance.

Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at Crystal Specialist Finance?

I cover London and the South East – a pretty massive area– and cover around 415 advisers in 105 firms.

What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?

I have been a people person since a very young age – it’s a personality trait that I think is extremely useful in this job, as it is all about personal relationships and communication. I really enjoy meeting a wide range of people.

What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?

Time management is always a challenge. It is hard to be disciplined enough to maintain a good work/life balance in this industry in general, and the business development manager (BDM) role in particular. It is always so busy and there is so much going on.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

The geography. It is not a negative, but covering such a large area means I need to optimise my time very carefully and make the most of every visit. The vast majority of my meetings are face to face.

What do you love most about your job?

I really love the excitement of meeting new people, and helping borrowers. I particularly love finding specialist solutions for people who previously thought they would not be able to find the right finance for their needs. That is very satisfying.

What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? Who gave it to you?

My mum has been in the industry for more than 30 years and gives me 15 pieces of advice per day, so narrowing it down to one piece of advice is almost impossible. Maybe the best advice is to believe in yourself and your ability and don’t listen to your own self-doubt.

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

You may be decades younger than many of the people you work with and encounter, and you may be a woman in what remains a male-dominated industry, but you must perceive yourself as an equal in terms of the professional respect you deserve.

How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?

I get multiple daily news updates from Mortgage Solutions, keep a regular eye on LinkedIn for changes to products, etc, and make sure I read thought leadership blogs and articles written by senior people in the industry – why not learn from the best?

What is the most quirky/unique mortgage case or property deal you’ve been involved in?

We get quite a few – one recent enquiry was from a lady running a charity looking to buy a piece of land to turn into a nature park and playground for special needs children.

Tell us about your trickiest case – what happened and how did you resolve the problem(s)?

We had a case where the lender’s solicitor had not read all of the paperwork properly – they did final checks on the day of completion and the lender pulled the offer. We entered a dialogue and managed to negotiate until they reinstated the offer and the case completed on the same day in the end.

What was your motivation for choosing this career?

It is in my blood. Both my parents are in the industry, so I have really grown up with mortgages; it’s all I’ve ever known.

If you could do any other job in the sector, what would it be and why?

Anything people-facing and not too admin-heavy.

What did you want to be growing up?

I was in a dance company from a young age until about 17, and wanted to be a singer/dancer/actor on the West End stage. But by 17, I realised it was just too hard and competitive – so I joined Connells/Countrywide instead.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I would like to have climbed a few rungs up the career ladder; maybe managing people in a key account manager or national account manager role.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I would like to know what people are thinking all the time. That way, I could keep the nice people happy and ignore the negative ones.

What is your strategy for tackling challenges?

Always take a step back out of the situation and think of the best solution. Ask for help if you need it. Do your best to resolve the problem – that’s all anyone can ask of you.

What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?

I can hold a conversation with anyone very comfortably, from a random stranger to the CEO of any company.

And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?

“Would you like orange juice with or without bits?” The answer is obviously ‘without’ and I am prepared to die on that hill.