Chairman's Foreword

By Adam Tyler, Executive Chairman, FIBA

They say that you know you are getting older when you look up and find that the year you thought had only just begun, is already drawing to a close. That is certainly the case for me because, as we approach 2019, almost an entire 12 months will have passed since I officially launched FIBA at our inaugural conference on 17^th January in London.

It has been a busy year, but thanks to the support of the SimplyBiz Group and the work of many people behind the scenes, I can look back on 2018 with a great deal of satisfaction. Most of the ‘to do’ list that I talked about at that conference has been checked off and we are on course to meet and exceed the targets we set ourselves at the beginning of the year.

What has been evident right from the start is that our strategy of reaching out, not only to all advisers involved in the specialist property finance market, but also to those who have been looking for guidance and help in getting to know our Lender Partners, was the right one. We always wanted to ensure that FIBA was open to every adviser with an interest in the specialist finance market and we have actively encouraged brokers from different sectors to become part of FIBA because of the benefits we can offer to help them grow.

Some of our highlights this year include:

• Attending over 35 different events up and down the country, many organised by FIBA. We have welcomed hundreds of brokers unfamiliar with what a trade body could provide and, as our member benefits have evolved, we have been able to demonstrate just how many advantages can be derived for such a small monthly investment.
• Our Live Deal Room facility at each of our roadshows - where brokers brought along deals that they were working on and presented them to the invited lenders to make initial evaluations - has seen a number of deals actually completed as a result of these events.
• Our work with other trade bodies and, in particular, our close collaboration with the ASTL, led to several joint forums between members of both organisations and resulted in positive actions being agreed. These included setting up a register of vetted legal firms who have a track record of successful work on commercial conveyancing.
• Our lender panel has doubled since January.
• We have established a comprehensive Members’ Benefits package which includes a dedicated regulatory support service, marketing and PR services, as well as access to third party assistance with wills and probate, life assurance and other services to enhance your practice, in addition to complementary subscriptions to Business Money and Business Moneyfacts.
• From a standing start in January when we had no paying members, our membership now registers in the hundreds.

We are also about to announce a block PI policy for FIBA members, which I hope to formally launch in early January.

Equally important has been the positioning of FIBA as a means by which you, our members, can have a voice in shaping the future of our industry. FIBA is now represented at the highest levels in meetings with government, regulators and our colleagues in other trade bodies.

As we near the start of what promises to be a challenging year for the country, I am committed to ensuring that FIBA continues to apply its strategy of enhancing our Lender and Professional Partners and engaging in discussions to ensure that our industry benefits, while continuing to build our proposition to the point where it is seen to represent the best value to members old and new.