Get to know… The Black & White Bridging Team
In the 6th in our new series of ‘meet the team’ blogs, we caught up with one of our Relationship Managers Magnus Duke Dadzie, to hear more about his role and what life has been like for him so far at Black & White Bridging.
How long have you been at Black & White Bridging and what is your role?
I’ve been here for 7 months as a Relationship Director, covering London and the South regions.
What do you like best about working at Black & White Bridging?
Firstly, the togetherness of the whole team when trying to find ways to make a deal work.
I enjoy the fact there’s no friction between the back-office team (the engine room) and myself and the other RMs being front-facing with our brokers and introducers.
Brokers have direct access to the lending managers who have the mandate to make sensible credit decisions because they have the full backing and support of the Commercial and Lending directors.
I also get to discuss deals with my fellow Relationship Team members to ensure we are all on the same page when we have a complex case to place as we all work mostly remotely,
A big plus is when the RM team gets together once every fortnight to let our heads down with “a pint or two” and spend some time together. The team does benefit from enjoying time together outside of work too.
How did you first get into property lending?
Like quite a lot of people in property lending, I got into it by chance after securing my very first mortgage and thought I knew quite a few people around me who could benefit from my experience in purchasing their own homes. So, I started applying for a role as a mortgage advisor and haven’t looked back since.
What is the best thing about your role, and why?
I get to meet and impart a little bit of knowledge to those who are new to property finance but most importantly learn from others who know a lot more than I do.
I have also made friends with several individuals whom I may never have come across if I wasn’t doing this.
What motivates you?
Passion to deliver results for my. clients first and foremost. I am a very driven and determined person which will eventually manifest itself with a decent lifestyle that you get to experience after all the hard work and time away from the family that you have invested over time. Don’t get me wrong, the journey is not always as smooth sailing as it probably appears to be. Sometimes holidays are not really holidays because it is difficult to switch off when you have people relying on you to deliver their dream home and things aren’t going the right way for them. The desire to get things done is always eating away at me!
If you weren’t a Relationship Director at Black & White Bridging, what would you like to be and why?
Honestly, I am not sure, it will be a tough choice between an interior designer or a lawyer. The younger me would have wanted to be an airline Pilot though.
Tell us something about you that we don’t know.
Fussiness comes to mind (I’m obsessed with tidiness and perhaps a bit of a neat freak).
What 3 people dead or alive would you most like to have dinner with?
My Mum, my Dad and my Wife.
What do you think separates Black & White Bridging from other lenders?
We are transparent in every way, and as I have already intimated, we look for ways to make deals work although the result may not always be to the expectation of the borrower or broker especially when it comes to lower-than-anticipated valuation figures. We’re also very nimble, we’re able to make changes and improve what we do constantly, so we never stand still. Our new pricing is a great example of that, and it means we can best serve our clients even more so moving forward.
When you’re not at work, what are you most likely to be doing?
Sadly, I love having a siesta other than that you may catch me sitting in my back garden deep in thought either reminiscing or planning my future.
What are three things you can’t live without?
Money, single malt Whiskeys & Cadbury Fruit & Nut chocolates (weird, I know but that’s me!).
