Marie Grundy - Managing Director of Residential Mortgages and Second Charges

Growth means nothing without service, speed and strategy

When West One Loans folded its residential, buy‑to‑let and second charge functions into a single mortgage division, it wasn’t just a structural reshuffle. For managing director Marie Grundy, it marked the beginning of a much larger challenge: how to grow fast without losing what makes a specialist lender valuable in the first place.

With more than two decades in second charge lending and broking, Grundy has seen firsthand how operational cracks can appear when demand outpaces infrastructure. “Service can be compromised very easily,” she said. “Especially when you’ve got brokers using you for the first time, if that experience doesn’t land, you don’t get a second shot.”

Scaling without slipping

The pace of expansion across specialist mortgages - particularly in residential - has outstripped expectations in recent years. But growth, Grundy said, isn’t the hard part. Maintaining control is.

To keep turnaround times within 24 hours, West One leans heavily on cross-training teams and expanding its geographic footprint, including a new Manchester office to access broader underwriting talent. That flexibility means resources can shift where they’re needed most.

External forces add further pressure. “We have to be able to react quickly,” Grundy said. “That could be responding to market volatility or taking advantage of opportunities. Agility is essential, not just operationally but culturally.”

Consistency is equally important. When service levels drop during peaks, whether due to resourcing, supplier lag or process friction, broker trust erodes quickly.

Building resilience into the process

To avoid the common pitfalls of overextension, Grundy pointed to three practical strategies: design smarter processes, automate with purpose, and never lose sight of human judgment.

West One regularly engages brokers for feedback, and small operational tweaks often emerge from that dialogue. One example is shortening the lifespan of document requirements, such as payslips, to avoid re-requesting items mid-process. These details matter when brokers are trying to move quickly.

Technology plays a role, but Grundy is clear about its purpose. “We don’t want tech to replace underwriters,” she said. “We want it to complement what we’re doing.” Because the firm develops its own in-house systems, it can build custom functionality - from income automation to affordability modelling - that supports human decision-making without automating complexity out of the process.

Third-party partners are held to the same expectations. Legal suppliers, for instance, are briefed on growth plans so they can scale accordingly. “They’re an extension of our service,” Grundy said. “If they fall behind, we fall behind.”

Growing the right team, not just a bigger one

Attracting and retaining experienced underwriters and case managers remains one of the most competitive aspects of specialist lending, and the stakes are high.

Grundy believes the best results come from developing people internally. West One’s graduate programme and entry-level training routes have helped turn administrators into strong underwriters and supported a culture of progression.

Still, external hires are important, particularly as the business diversifies. The launch of a second office has widened the recruitment pool, while a newly appointed Chief People Officer now leads the firm’s internal recruitment function and formal people strategy.

“The market is competitive,” Grundy said. “So we’re building infrastructure that helps us compete on more than just salary, we want to be known for culture, development and consistency.” 

Technology as support, not substitute

The temptation to lean on automation is strong, especially during rapid growth. But overuse, Grundy warned, can do more harm than good.

She sees the best use of technology in early-stage certainty: reading documents, flagging issues, and improving the quality of upfront decisions. “One of the frustrations we heard from brokers,” she said, “was getting a green light on affordability at the start, only to be declined later after full document review. We wanted to change that.”

Not all brokers want a hyper-digital experience. Some prefer direct lines of communication; others value hybrid workflows. West One has shaped its platform to support both.

The key, Grundy said, is not assuming what brokers want, but asking. “Every system change is tested against that feedback. What we think is right has to align with how brokers actually work.”

Growth, she added, isn’t just about volume. It’s about building a business that can scale without breaking the broker experience.

Credit: Bryony Garlick, Mortgage Introducer, “How specialist lenders grow fast without breaking broker trust.” (October 2025 Edition)