Q&A with Alex Ewen, Bridging.com
Why did you choose Tower Street Finance as your first strategic partner for probate lending?
We are always looking to work with the most innovative lenders in every specialist area of the market. When it came to probate and inheritance loans it was clear that the team at Tower Street Finance have designed and developed genuinely unique, customer focused products.
What do you think of its Inheritance Advance IHT Loan products?
Prior to their launch last year it’s obvious that Tower Street Finance carried out extensive research to determine exactly what types of product the market needed. Their attention to detail is meticulous and as a result they offer loan products that are transparent, accessible and which deliver maximum benefit to administrators, executors and beneficiaries.
How do Tower Street Finance stack up against competitors?
Any lender that is as strongly customer focused as Tower Street Finance is destined to be a market leader in its chosen sector.
What kind of search volumes do you see each month for inheritance, probate products?
Our No1 google ranking for probate finance ensures we see plenty of enquiries but I wouldn’t wish to give away any commercial secrets so I’ll pass on this one if I may!
Do you see this as a growth area for bridging.com?
Absolutely. Bridging.com is a truly market leading, digitally enhanced Umbraco site which is already achieving multiple top rankings on google having been launched less than a month ago. Amongst these top rankings is of course probate finance. With monthly visitor numbers expected to grow from 3,000 to well over 100,000 per month by year end and an estimated one in three Brits relying on inheritance to improve their lives, as Tom Hanks would say, “you do the math!”
As an online broker what kind of technology are you using to match your visitors with lenders?
We are ambassadors for Microsoft and signatories to their charter whilst a number of our team are ex-Google employees, and all of our key authors are Google accredited. Consequently, our content is all customised and backed up by bespoke in-house analytics. We can therefore drive lead generation that is uniquely tailored to each lender partner and maximise conversions as a result.
And a bit about you
42 years of age, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, unicyclist, fixed wing and rotary pilot, sky diving enthusiast, motorcyclist and for relaxation, I can juggle with 4 balls! I also really enjoy meeting new people setting myself crazy challenges and always pushing the envelope!
What’s your dream job?
Apache Helicopter Pilot delivering a mortgage application in a rocket!
What does a great day look like for you?
Having just qualified as a helicopter pilot maybe one that involves a quick trip across to Le Touquet for a spot of lunch with my girlfriend (if I had one!) and then onto Monte Carlo for a night on the tiles
If you could take credit for any great piece of art, song, film, book etc what would it be and why?
Coming up with the following quote: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”
You’re on death row – what’s your last meal?
2 fried chicken steaks with gravy and onion, a triple bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelette with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos, three fajitas, a meat-feast pizza, a bowl of fried okra, a pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white bread, peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts and a pint of Blue Bell ice cream all washed down with three root beers.
Ideal dinner party guest?
Tim Peake. Let’s face it, dinner with Tim would be out of this world!
Guilty pleasure?
Biting both ends of a Cadbury’s finger and sucking your tea through it like a straw.