You only need to talk about mortgages with Paul Sawford to learn that he was a mortgage advisor for many years, and therefore knows the space inside out. He is our expert in terms of remortgages and his many relationships with brokers is incredibly valuable – particularly when it comes to tailoring conveyancing packages according to the product streams that are available.
What is your working history?
My background is mainly in the Financial Services and Estate Agency sectors. I started out at Barclays Bank, before spending 10 years working in Estate Agency, progressing to Business Development Manager for Lloyds Banking Group before joining My Home Move. I’m also CeMAP qualified and have held many additional roles within the industry, including Mortgage Adviser, Premier Banking Manager and Sales Manager, amongst others.
What is your proudest moment at My Home Move?
That would definitely be winning one of our quarterly Superhero Awards. My colleagues nominated me for assisting our conveyancers during the Stamp Duty changes in March 2016. It was a great honour to be nominated, especially as I know everyone in the business pulled together to make sure our clients completed on time.
Before working at My Home Move, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Not a lot of people know this, but I did a little stint as a window cleaner back in the day. Let’s just say, I saw some pretty ‘interesting’ sights!
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to yourself before starting your career?
If experience has taught me anything, it’s to always go with your ‘gut feeling’ – it’s usually right.
What is your favourite film/book and favourite quote from it?
My favourite film is The Perfect Storm. The quote, spoken by George Clooney, is: “You just caught me on a good night. I’m doing what I was made to do – and I’ve got a feeling I’m going to do it even better this time.”
My favourite book is The Firm by John Grisham.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you?
It would absolutely have to be Daniel Craig. He’s a very similar age to me, good looking, strong (both in looks and build) and he carries an air of authority in his Bond films – not many actors would be chosen for such a role. He has worked his way up in a very tough field – acting – to become an international star. I also like that he does a lot to support various charities – which I also like to do.
Do you have a motto or personal mantra?
The two sayings I try to live by is ‘get it right the first time’ and ‘live for today’.
What is on your bucket list?
I would love to travel the world and go much further afield than I have to date. I’ve always fancied Australia and have some family living over there. I would enjoy seeing the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, some of their national parks and spending time on Bondi beach. Cape Verde is another place I would love to visit and to tour around Italy.
What is your biggest pet peeve about the property industry?
There are two things that are bugbears for me. The first is the constant change in our industry – once everything settles from one set of changes, another set come in and shake things up again. The second is what feels like constant ‘bad press/publicity’ about the industry as a whole. It always feels like the profession is being talked down, while there is nothing said about all of the good that is being done.
What are your hopes for the future of the property industry?
I hope that the government provides much greater support to our industry and works with everyone within it. More new homes and greater incentives for all movers will certainly help to get the market moving. I want Mortgage Lenders to continue to innovate with their products and underwriting, allowing would-be buyers the chance to get onto the housing ladder and move up, or even buy an investment property.