Matthew Roberts Shares Insights on Scaling a Mortgage Brokerage

Hampshire, England — Growing a mortgage brokerage presents unique challenges, but Matthew Roberts, managing director of YesCanDo Money, believes it is achievable. Roberts, along with his father, Steve, the founder, and brother, Sam, the marketing director, have overcome obstacles to expand their firm.

YesCanDo was established over 20 years ago with the goal of being the largest fee-free mortgage brokerage in Hampshire. With the onset of the pandemic, the family pivoted to online tools, enabling the company to double in size and hire more advisers. Currently, YesCanDo is recruiting new brokers to increase its team to nine.

“It’s interesting; it’s like there’s an adolescent stage of a business, where you’ve got to go somewhere,” Roberts told Mortgage Introducer. “We’ve moved out of that adolescent stage into being a bit more grown up.” The firm has developed a robust lead generation strategy to ensure that advisers are adequately busy.

Roberts recalls a time when the company relied solely on organic leads: “I was always proud of that when I sat in front of BDMs or anyone who was asking about our business. But then the market collapsed, and we realized we were in a bubble.”

The brokerage now employs a full-time lead generation specialist who feeds leads to advisers, utilizing multiple sources to ensure sustainability in their marketing efforts. “You need lots of legs of the table when it comes to marketing,” he explained.

Despite the potential for long-term profit, Roberts acknowledged that expansion can be costly. The firm has also added protection advisers to enhance its service offerings. “Our goal isn’t to take more money from the business as directors; it’s about putting everything back in,” he stated.

YesCanDo operates on a fee-free model, which Roberts finds challenging yet crucial for client retention. “We keep just under 80% of our clients,” he noted. Although some staff enjoy hybrid working options, most prefer the office environment. Following an initial expansion, the business has downsized its office space, learning from past decisions.

“It’s a balancing act because you want a really nice place for people to work,” Roberts said. With the business gaining recognition on TrustPilot, Roberts advises others in the industry to seek business coaching and understand their numbers. He emphasizes the importance of continuous self-development, noting his admiration for business strategist Tony Robbins.

Roberts reflects on the choice to scale the business, stating, “It would have been easier, less stressful, and by and large, we’d be personally earning more money if we’d stayed as two advisers, but we want something more.”