In Profile.
The Right Mortgage & Protection Network Jessica Bird speaks with Martin Wilson, CEO of The Right Mortgage & Protection Network, about the importance of protection, and why trust and longevity are primary concerns
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ounded in 2015, The Right Mortgage & Protection Network (TRM) works in partnership with its members across mortgages, protection, and general insurance, with specialist propositions for equity release and private medical insurance (PMI). In the current market, with Consumer Duty regulation now a reality and customer needs becoming more complex, providing this range of expertise is becoming increasingly important. The Intermediary caught up with CEO Martin Wilson to discuss how TRM has redoubled its focus on supporting its members, and why protection must come in from the side-lines.
Introducing the business
TRM is, at its core, a long-term business, run on the premise that it should still be around in 30 years’ time. Wilson says: “We’re passionate about duty of care. Having been in the business for 40 years, we’ve got younger members of staff who will take our business forward with the culture that we’ve built – giving mortgage brokers a home for the long term, and at the same time working with them to make sure we’re all getting it right. “Our ambition is not to sell the business, but to be there long-term.” For TRM, embedding culture even during difficult and turbulent times – fuelled by rising inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, and an increasingly uncertain international stage – means having core values surrounded by a flexible approach. It also means working with the right people, and in some cases, not working with those who do not fit the bill. “We’re not a prescriptive type of network,” Wilson explains. “There are those who can’t work with us, and I think generally they will go somewhere else. But there’s people who want to work with a network that is there to help and support them – we’re that sort of network. They understand that we’re very passionate about who our customers are, who we look after, and who our 86
The Intermediary | August 2023
MARTIN WILSON
members are, both directly authorised [DA] and appointed representative [AR].” The business is built on the premise that the market is full of good people who thrive on trust, consistency and honesty. Wilson adds: “That’s how you make a reasonable living in this industry, you look after your customers well, talk to them on a regular basis, and make sure they’re happy with your advice.” This is consistent across its dealings with both DA and AR firms, which receive the same package of support, benefits and resources. Part of that package is the ability to have confidence in referrals, says Wilson: “Trust takes a long time – we get more referrals now than we did three years ago, because we’ve sung the same song, been honest, and stuck to what we’ve said. “For some of our members, these will be customers they’ve built relationships with over a long time, and we honour that. Trust is not built in a day – saying it means nothing, you have to prove it and that’s what we’re doing day by day.”