Mortgages By Design: Episode Eight - Evolving Client Care in Financial Services: A Conversation with Award-Winning Adviser, Sarah Mills.

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Mills, Business Standards Manager and Mortgage Adviser at Bright Advice, and winner of the 2026 Most Instrumental Financial Services Businesswoman in Cambridgeshire, to explore how client support in financial services has evolved—and why it matters more than ever.

Drawing on her experience at Bright Advice, Sarah shares how changing regulations, shifting market conditions, and rising client expectations have transformed the way advisers support their clients. From navigating today’s complex mortgage landscape to providing long-term financial guidance, this conversation highlights the growing importance of expert advice in securing not just the right mortgage, but lasting financial wellbeing.

We also discuss how client needs have changed over time, whether people are more informed or more reliant on professional guidance, and what truly sets great financial support apart in today’s environment.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

We have with us today the 2026 winner for most instrumental financial services businesswoman in Cambridgeshire. Sarah Mills, welcome.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Hi Johnny, how are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:20

That's a big introduction.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

It was very big, very big.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Come on, you're you're um not someone who would shout about themselves. And how long have you been at Bright?

SPEAKER_01 0:31

I've been here now 17 years.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

So 17 years of being amazing, and you've won an award.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

I know it's so lovely, really lovely. Um it's a bit of an honour to be honest. Um, but I think it's more for the team as it is for me, or as much for the team as it is for me, if you like.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

That's what everyone says. I'd take it just for you if I was you.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Yeah, no, it's really nice, and it just, you know, there's a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and it it's nice to feel that that's been reflected in some way.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

So 17 years, how how has the service you offer changed over time?

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Um, massively, massively. So the the landscape for financial services changed enormously over the years. Um, so have clients' needs and expectations, the way we work, how we work. So we continually have to evolve, reevaluate how we do things to make sure that we're getting the best for our customers and offering that service that's you know above and beyond. Um, regulations have become much more robust, which is positive for consumers because obviously it protects them, but it also protects us. Um, and it does mean sometimes it's a bit more arduous and time consuming, collect collecting documents, reviewing documents, but it means that we can get to the heart of what the customers want, not just now but in the future.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

In today's market, the client needs so much more support than they used to need. And how's that changed as well?

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Yeah, the level of support is incredibly important for the customer, um, because people can go online now, which a lot of people you know find it helpful, there's a lot of research to do, but actually it also causes a lot of anxiety and confusion. Um, and sometimes the client doesn't necessarily know the question to ask if they were to do it. So to actually have you know a person to speak to um to understand the situation, not now and what they're aspiring for in the future, it just helps us consider all those options and present them to the customer and look at things sometimes slightly differently, which I don't think you get if you were to do that online.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Yeah, I think clients in some respect become a bit more hands-on using the internet, but they still rely so heavily on the expert guidance.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'll always say to our clients that you know there's no question too big or too small. We might not always have the answer, but we'll always know somebody that that does, um, and we can go away and find the resource for the customer. With regards to the legal paperwork, a lot of clients don't understand what they're they're signing for again. So it's good for them to have somebody to speak to any frustrations that they might have. It's quite a stressful seeing when you're moving home, refinancing, whatever you're doing, it's it's quite stressful to have you know, either the advisor or the support team in the background help hold the hand all the way through that process. I think so important.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

So that level of support now, I mean, there's so many documents for one. Um I think people I think people are a bit overwhelmed, aren't they?

SPEAKER_01 3:49

That's one of the reasons that I I started advising. I wanted to advise, I was looking for children. There's you know, very education in the school system with regards to how they're taught, you know, the basics, the fundamentals, budgeting, spending, income expenditure, all of those things. And actually, I thought it was really important that as my children go up, they had somebody around them to be able to help and guide them.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Well, congratulations on your award. Um and also congratulations on 17 years.

SPEAKER_01 4:22

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

And I look forward to uh having you on as a guest again.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Lovely, thanks, Johnny.