Matthew Roberts (Managing Director)

My Journey into Mortgages

I started my working life in a small-town hardware store and local electrical shop, where I first learned the value of genuine customer service. It was about helping people, solving problems, and being a friendly face they could rely on. I didn’t realise it at the time, but those early experiences laid the foundation for everything I’d do later in my career.

Starting Out at Nationwide

My first step into financial services was behind the counter at Nationwide. I worked my way through six different roles during my time there. I started on the ground floor and eventually became a branch manager before moving sideways into a mortgage adviser role. It gave me a solid grounding in all areas of the business and helped me understand how to guide people through some of the biggest financial decisions they’ll ever make.

Taking the Leap into Independent Advice

In 2014, I left the security of a salaried job and took a leap into self-employment. I joined my dad, Steve, in the world of independent mortgage advice. I had no clients and no guaranteed income, but I was determined to make it work. I started building my client base from scratch and slowly gained momentum through word of mouth and recommendations.

Building YesCanDo as a Family

At first, Dad and I ran separate businesses but worked closely alongside each other. We shared the same values and approach to advice, so it made sense to bring everything together under one brand. Around 2018, my brother Sam joined us too, bringing his expert marketing knowledge to help us grow the business and strengthen our online presence. With all three of us working together, YesCanDo started to take real shape as the family-run, client-focused business it is today.

Adapting and Growing

Before Covid, we were very much local advisers, often spending our evenings visiting clients in their homes. But when the world changed, we adapted. We moved the business online and grew it into something bigger than we’d planned, helping clients all across the UK while keeping that same personal service at the heart of everything we do.

What I Do Today

These days, I spend all my time working on the business and supporting the brilliant team we’ve built. I’m lucky to be doing this with my dad and brother. We all care a lot about what we do, and we’ve worked hard to make YesCanDo a place that reflects that.

I no longer advise clients directly, but my background in mortgage advice and leadership means I’m well placed to support our advisers and guide the direction of the business.

Away from work, I’m a proud dad of two and I’m celebrating 10 years of marriage this year. Life’s busy, but in the best way.

Qualifications

• CeMAP (Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice)
  This qualification gives a deep understanding of mortgage regulations, lending criteria, mortgage products, and how to offer professional advice to clients. It’s the industry standard for anyone providing regulated mortgage advice in the UK.
• CeSRE (Certificate in Supervising in a Regulated Environment)
  This qualification focuses on leading and supervising advisers in a regulated setting. It covers the responsibilities of senior roles in financial services and ensures high standards of advice, compliance, and customer outcomes are maintained across the team.

Connect with Me

You can follow my professional journey and connect with me on LinkedIn to see what we’re working on at YesCanDo.