Celebrating Darren Parfitt joining the team as conveyancing Business Development Manager 

With a broad range of experience in varied roles across different industries, including a senior negotiator and valuer in the property market, working in construction civil engineering and within new-build and probate property solutions, Darren is an experienced business development and customer relations professional.

We are delighted to welcome Darren to the team, importantly he brings a unique insight into the pressures conveyancers and estate agents face and how, importantly, we as conveyancing indemnity insurance providers can ease that pressure to provide exemplary customer experience.

What do you think your experience in the property market brings to your role as conveyancing Business Development Manager? 

I got to know the pressures of the property market – the hard way. My first job in an estate agency was in 2007 when I joined as an office junior, but I quickly progressed to senior negotiator and valuer, which was just when the market crashed. The market was tough; I learned to sell in some of recent history’s hardest periods, what’s more, I learned to  negotiate and value keenly in order to remain competitive. 

By the time I left that role, to go travelling around Europe, it was 2016 and the market had picked up, but the experience I gained was a solid grounding in what matters to house buyers, sellers, agents and conveyancers in terms of quality, and efficiency, of service.

Tell us about working in construction, the online property market and returning again to an estate agency

I moved to Wales to work in construction civil engineering before a time working in the online property market. It’s been varied and interesting working across different industries; gaining an awareness of how one person’s worry can be not even a thought to someone else. We all face different pressures and it’s important to understand the specific industry pressures, in our case, on solicitors and licenced conveyancers, so we can deliver exactly what they need. 

Is there an appeal for you, Darren, about the ‘people’ side of the business?

Definitely. That’s one of the reasons I left the online property market – I missed the people side. I love speaking to people and understanding what’s important to them and the challenges they want to overcome for their own clients. A ten-minute call for me to a client is, to some extent, a personal chat and insight into what’s going on for them, as well as how we, as conveyancing indemnity providers, can make everyday life and work pressures easier. 

Describe your day-to-day role and main challenges

My role is prospecting new clients into the business, generating new clients, introducing new clients to our products, as well as ensuring clients know fully how to use our product and get the most out of it. I spend a lot of time chatting with new and prospective clients about our products and how we can help them make their conveyancing processes more efficient and less pressured. This means as team, we can continue to evolve our offering. We’re not afraid of challenging the norm – client feedback is crucial for this as we always aim to improve and expand our offer. We pride ourselves on being highly responsive to the market.

The challenge is, in a crowded conveyancing indemnity market, to differentiate ourselves and our offer to clients. How do we make our offer more appealing, worthwhile and fun to use? That’s my challenge as a business development manager, and one I’m already loving getting to grips with. I’m here to sell a product but it’s about keeping communication always open with clients so we can respond with the portal changes and innovations they need and make them feel valued.

What are the particular challenges in the conveyancing market at the moment? 

Burnout is a big thing in the last three years – and with it the huge build-up of work. Everyone is six months behind. It’s difficult for conveyancers and estate agents. Work-life balance has really taken a knock. I’m very much a campaigner for mental health well-being and a healthy work-life balance – I see us as being in a good position to help with the burnout. How can our portal help? How can we support each other? These are always the questions I ask – I’m big on collaboration and working together. 

When you’re not working, Darren, what do you enjoy? What does your average weekend look like?

An average weekend for me, where we live in Newcastle, is spending a relaxing Saturday morning taking Dougie and Diesel, our German short-haired pointer/cross springer spaniel and labrador, for a walk. They’re pretty energetic, but I wouldn’t have them any other way. 

After that, a cooked breakfast for me and my partner before enjoying the football. I’m an avid West Ham supporter. We also love gaming, so we spend a lot of time relaxing with the console on a weekend. 

And, if you didn’t live in Newcastle, but could live in any city in the world, where would it be?

New York. I love the hustle and bustle of a big city. Plus, my partner and I both enjoy musicals, so it’s the perfect place for us to catch the latest show. This is why we’ve chosen it for our honeymoon destination this July!