The number one thing you must be doing as a mortgage broker

In the past, clients would come to advisors for information and advice. However, today, information is available in abundance – mostly via the internet. Advice is being commoditised too. So what is your main role as an advisor if it’s not to provide information and advice?

Allegedly, Leonardo Da Vinci said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. I think it’s a perfect reminder for how to deal with clients. I believe a successful advisor makes seemingly complex situations/decisions as simple as possible. Simplicity aids understandability and clarity and that gives clients’ confidence (in you and their decisions). Simplicity can be achieved by saying what you need to say in 1 sentence rather than 5, by making clear and confident recommendations, by offering one solution rather than comparing two or three and asking them to choose, use stories and case studies to explain concepts and so on. Sometimes how you communicate is more important than what you communicate.

Complexity is easy because you don’t have to decide which information is important – just bury the client in information and let them decide. Complex problems don’t always require complex solutions. In fact, simple solutions are often the most effective. But achieving simplicity is nearly always challenging.

So remember to ask yourself “can I make this simpler” every time you communicate to a client. Less is often more.