Meet James, Our Business Development Manager

In this Q&A session, we sit down with James to learn more about his role at Acre and more!

‍

What were you doing before joining Acre?

Before joining Acre, I started out as a mortgage adviser at one of the UK’s largest fee-free brokerages. It was fast-paced, high-volume, and a brilliant place to learn the ropes. I got to work with a wide range of clients and saw just how important tech and efficiency are in this industry. After a year or so there, I made the move to a much smaller, wealth-focused firm. It was a completely different environment; more personal, more tailored and I was brought in to help support the mortgage side of their business. It gave me a whole new perspective on how firms operate behind the scenes, especially when they’re looking to scale up or improve their processes. Both roles gave me a real appreciation for the different

ways firms approach advice and ultimately, that’s what drew me to Acre.

‍

What do you do at Acre?

My days at Acre are pretty varied, I spend a lot of time running demos and showing firms how our system can make their lives easier. I also work on email campaigns to keep in touch with the wider industry and share what’s new. But it’s not just sales stuff, I’m always chatting with other teams, sharing feedback from clients and helping shape onboarding plans. Having been a mortgage adviser myself, I really enjoy bridging the gap between what advisers need and what our tech can do.

‍

What's your favourite thing about working at Acre?

What I love most about working at Acre is seeing the direct impact our system has on firms. From that first lightbulb moment in a demo to watching a business streamline its entire process, it's incredibly rewarding to be part of that journey, especially when you’ve been on the adviser side and know how much difference the right tools can make. One of the firms I dealt with recently has gone from writing 10 cases a month to 18 on average, and said he feels like he is working less hard now than he was before. Just goes to show the power of having the right system in place!

‍

What feature do customers love the most during demos?

One feature that really stands out is our client portal. When firms fully adopt it, the portal takes so much of the back-and-forth out of the process, clients can upload documents, provide key information, and even access their credit report free of charge, all without needing to spend ages on the phone with their adviser. Another thing that always goes down well is our stance on bolt-on features, everything you need to run a business is included: Unlimited free eIDV checks, unlimited Credit reports, mortgage sourcing, protection sourcing, RMAR reports, the list goes on.

‍

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me at Ashton Gate on a Saturday. I’m a season ticket holder at Bristol City and very rarely miss a home game. Sundays are a bit slower-paced and usually involve long dog walks with my wife and our dog, Nellie, who is a big fan of exploring new places (and an even bigger fan of coffee shops serving dog biscuits), so our Sundays are usually fairly slow-paced and coffee-fuelled.

‍