Metropolitan Finance: Born winners
December 31, 2007
One of the nation's oldest mortgage brokerages is Metropolitan Finance, which was formed in 1987 by Jane Myles. Customers can be assured of the best service and advice when they call to any of the three full branches now based in Monaghan, Carrickmacross and Dundalk.
Metropolitan Finance covers a customer's every need as staff experience combined is in excess of 150 years, and they have 30 agencies and full branches (as distinct from either franchises or shared office facilities).
The burgeoning business offers an international service and has thousands of clients who have greatly benefited from its services over the years.
Like the Monaghan county footballers, the team at Metropolitan Finance are born winners that work hard to achieve their goals and show a determination and dedication that is second to none.
Football in the county has seen a resurgence in the last few years and many have not felt this feeling since the dizzy heights of the mid-eighties, which is around the same time that Jane began her quest for glory.
There are big expectations for Monaghan footballers in 2008 and having reached the Ulster final and All-Ireland quarter final this year, the general consensus is that the forthcoming campaign can result in some silverware being brought back to the county and the team at Metropolitan will be backing them all the way.
All Metropolitan advisory staff are fully qualified and have been drawn from the ranks of such prestigious previous employers as Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland, Bank of Scotland, Irish Life, IIB and Friends First to mention just a few.
Jane had many years experience in the industry before deciding to branch out on her in 20 years ago. Her main objective was to focus her energies on providing options to people trying to buy their homes. Straight talking aligned with a desire to get the job done correctly and without any fuss has been a company policy that all staff follow through.
In 2005, two further full branches were opened in Carrickmacross and Dundalk. Branch manager in Carrick is Denise Swinburne, who also has many years experience in financing. Denise worked for 15 years with the Ulster Bank before leaving her position as manager to spearhead operations in the new branch, which has been a huge success providing service and choice to the people of the locality.
This year the Dundalk branch moved to new premises where Rose White is now branch manager. Rose worked with Irish Life before joining the Metropolitan team in 2005.
Life Manager Gerry Burke was with the Bank of Scotland before joining the Metropolitan team two years ago also. An intelligent outlook together with the wisdom that can only come from years of experience, Gerry services all three branches of the company. He provides excellent advice on protection and investments.
Along with a team of highly trained and efficient staff, Metropolitan Finance is at the forefront of its field of expertise, delivering an expert, efficient and reliable service to a wide range of customers.
Metropolitan work to their customers needs and provide a flexible service where clients can choose an appointment, whether it is during the day or in the evening, there will always be someone to offer expert advice.
Constantly endeavouring to improve service and choice to customers, Metropolitan Finance has an interactive website www.metropolitanfinance.ie which allows access to all their services 24 hours a day.
The company was established long before the boom in the property market when choice was not available in the finance field. Metropolitan was among the first to offer choice to the people not alone of Monaghan county, but on a nationwide basis.
Believe it or not, the criteria for obtaining a mortgage in 1987 was 10% of the purchase price saved over a period of no less than two years on deposit with the financial institution - and then clients could only borrow 2.5 times their income.
Let's be honest such strict criteria would not be entertained today when institutions can on occasion give approximately six times annual income as a mortgage to anyone who can prove their earnings - indeed on some occasions customers don't even have to prove their income, they can simply self certify.
The reality is that financial institutions made it easier for buyers to borrow money during the 90's. With prices rocketing and existing homeowners suddenly becoming wealthy as a result of equity in their homes - it was a natural progression.
Look what happened in the financial services field at the same time. The mortgage business was booming. More and more new mortgage brokerages were opened right across the country. Metropolitan has always viewed competition as the art of trade. There is nothing like a competitor opening doors in any business to make a company respect and appreciate their clients.
So while many brokers are focused on obtaining new business Jane and her team has always looked after existing clients. They value their clients. Metropolitan welcome every new client and believe that they can offer them not just choice for their particular need at the time of first inquiry, but choice throughout their working life as their needs and the needs of their families grow and change.
Metropolitan Finance is more than just another mortgage brokerage: the company will provide for the customer's lifetime financial changing needs through quality, service and choice.
The Financial Regulator has brought in compliance issues for both life and financial business and this is embraced by Metropolitan Finance as a positive step towards providing the best service to clients.
There are now warnings that must be placed on adverts, which enlighten prospective clients on the risks that can be associated with refinancing and any type of mortgage transaction. The life industry has been completely overhauled.
Clients can now expect full disclosure of commissions, terms etc and always be provided with a 'reasons why letter' for any mortgage facility processed for them by any broker. Potential investors have rights as clients: something which Metropolitan Finance understood long before regulatory procedures came into place.
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