Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

Ben Lavelle Discusses BDM Role at District and County Investments

Ben Lavelle, business development manager (BDM) at District and County Investments, covers the North of England and works with a wide range of brokers, introducers, and property finance advisers. His role focuses on building broker relationships and structuring deliverable deals in bridging, development, refurbishment, development exit, and other short-term property finance scenarios.

Lavelle describes his approach as less about managing a fixed number of accounts and more about identifying good-quality opportunities early. He works closely with brokers to translate scenarios into clear lending propositions, considering leverage, security, borrower profile, exit strategy, and credit concerns.

He highlights the importance of communication, aiming to be direct, commercial, and clear. Lavelle is focused on developing his network, raising his profile, and being proactive with broker engagement and market updates. He also aims to present complex deals in a concise, credit-friendly way.

Lavelle identifies managing expectations as a key challenge, especially when deals are not straightforward. He notes that balancing commerciality with discipline is essential to achieve the best outcomes. The variety of the role, working on different types of property finance deals and collaborating with brokers and developers from the earliest stages, is what he enjoys most.

Lavelle addresses a common misconception that a BDM is simply there to sell the lender, explaining that the role also involves acting as the first layer of credit assessment and identifying potential issues early. He emphasises the importance of honesty when a proposal is not deliverable.