RomaTalks

🎙 Meet Adam Tyler – CEO of the BDLA, as he shares his 40‑year journey across estate agency, mortgage advice, property development, high street banking and trade bodies. 🏛 The BDLA’s Role & Growth – Adam discusses how the association has evolved, its focus on setting standards across short‑term lending, and the surge in membership enquiries, alongside the introduction of annual member statement...

🎙 Meet Andy Shields – Founder of Barcadia Media, Andy joins Michael Allison, Commercial Director at Roma Finance, to discuss how growing complexity in the mortgage market is reshaping the role of brokers and specialist lenders. 📊 A Changing Mortgage Landscape – With specialist lending now making up around a third of all mortgages, Andy and Michael explore how evolving borrower profiles and income...

🎙 Meet Steve Hammond & Shane Traynor of TDN Birmingham, joined by Michael Allison, Commercial Director at Roma Finance, as they explore property development, partnership and the power of community. 🏗 From Trades to Development – Steve shares his journey from builder to high‑end developer, while Shane explains his move from IT into property, launching the Property Developer Buying Club and a CG...

🎙 Meet Sam Jackson – Partner at Kuits Solicitors, joined by Lorraine Hart of Roma Finance, as they explore the vital role of legal expertise in specialist property finance. 🤝 A Trusted Partnership – Lorraine and Sam discuss the long-standing relationship between Roma Finance and Kuits Solicitors, reflecting on Roma’s growth and the collaborative approach that helps get deals over the line efficie...

🎙 Meet Fiona Kennedy-Williams — Roma borrower and property developer, Fiona joins Victoria Henry, Relationship Manager at Roma Finance, to explore career pivots, investing with confidence, industry community, and the strength of a great borrower–lender partnership. 🏡 From Nurse Practitioner to Property Investor — Fiona shares how a spontaneous auction purchase (made while on a ski trip) kickstart...

🎙 Meet Tom Sumner — Property developer, investor and multi business owner, joining Michael Allison on RomaTalks to share his journey from military service into property and business ownership. 🪖 From the Military to Property — Tom reflects on his background as a paratrooper and bodyguard, and how he began investing in property alongside his military career, building resilience and commercial disc...

🎙 Meet Dave Symondson – Co founder of Rise Up Development, Dave joins Michael Allison, Commercial Director at Roma Finance, to explore how tradespeople can confidently transition into successful property developers. 🏗 Rise Up Development Explained – Dave breaks down how their workshops support trades and contractors through every step of the development journey — from finding sites and running fea...

🎙 Meet Jaz Dhaliwal – Conveyancing solicitor with a decade of experience and newly published author. Jaz joins Michael Allison to discuss conveyancing today, financial education, and life in property. 🏡 A Career Inspired Early – Jazz shares how childhood trips to auction houses with their father shaped a natural path into conveyancing, and a long standing passion for property. ⚖️ A Modern Approac...

🎙 Meet James Rogers – Founder of Property and Poppadoms and broker at 978 Finance. James shares his journey from tradesman to property investor, network host, and finance professional. 🔄 From Trades to Finance – James opens up about his shift from painting, decorating, and plumbing into the world of finance after major life changes. 🍛 Inside Property and Poppadoms – Discover how a small, informa...

🎯 Meet Richard & Josh – Richard, Senior Business Development Manager, and Josh, Senior Relationship Manager at Roma Finance, share their journeys and insights into the world of specialist lending and development finance. 💼 From Broker to Roma – Richard reflects on his 17-year journey in the specialist lending market, while Josh shares his experience as a broker for five years before joining...

🎯 Meet Tammy Hart – Roma borrower and Managing Director of Brick and Beam, Tammy joins Katie Devine, Senior Underwriter at Roma Finance, to dive into a recent project and the journey behind getting the deal across the line. 🏗 Challenges & Solutions – Tammy discusses the issues faced throughout the deal, the hurdles that arose, and how Roma stepped in to support and find a way forward. 📄 From...

🎯 Meet Vicky McCulloch – Editor of Blue Bricks Magazine, Vicky joins Sam Cooke, owner of Blue Bricks Magazine, to share insights into her role and journey within the company. 📰 From Introduction to Leadership – Vicky discusses how she first met Sam and quickly became an integral part of the Blue Bricks team, shaping content and driving the magazine’s growth. 🏡 Property & Experience – Coming...

🎯 Meet Paul Rawson – Founder of Express Mortgages, Paul joins Daniel Hill, Senior Key Accounts Manager at Roma Finance, to share insights from his journey in the world of property finance. 📈 From Accountancy to Mortgages – With a background in accountancy, Paul transitioned into property finance, bringing analytical thinking and financial precision into the brokerage space. 🏦 What Brokers Look...

🎯 Meet Tony Walker – Founder of Help Build and returning RomaTalks guest, Tony is a seasoned expert in project management, cost estimation, and property development. 🔧 From Project Management to Innovation – After years of hands-on work budgeting, estimating, and managing build costs, Tony transformed his on-site expertise into something bigger: the Refurb Calculator. 🚀 Introducing the Refurb C...

🎯 Meet Sam – A driven and dynamic leader in bridging finance, Sam’s career spans law, banking, and property investment, bringing depth, experience, and passion to her role at Roma Finance. ⚖️ From Law to Lending – After earning a Law and Accountancy degree, Sam initially set her sights on a legal career before moving into banking, where she became the first female Regional Manager. 🚀 Evolving wi...

🎯 Meet Tom & George – Tom, Director at Beat Finance, and George, Senior BDM at Roma Finance, share their story of friendship, partnership, and success in specialist finance. 🤝 From Schoolmates to Colleagues – Friends since they were 11, Tom and George have grown up together, worked side by side in previous roles, and now collaborate as broker and lender—built on trust, respect, and shared va...

🎯 Meet Tim Loughman & Claudine Reynolds – Tim, a seasoned developer and Roma’s borrower, joins Claudine Reynolds, Relationship Manager, to walk through one of his latest development projects. 🏗️ From Joiner to Developer – With over 30 years in the trade, Tim started as a site joiner and apprentice back in 1997. He’s since built an impressive career in property development and manages a buy-to...

🎯 Meet Samm Piper – Lender Account Executive at Legal & General Mortgage Club, bringing creativity, connection, and deep industry knowledge to the mortgage space. 🏡 About Legal & General – One of the UK’s leading financial services companies, supporting advisers, lenders, and borrowers through innovation and collaboration. 💃 From Disney to Data – Samm began her career at Disneyland Pari...

🎯 Meet Glenn Franklin-Jones – Director of Lender Relations at Brickflow, Glenn brings 10 years of experience across banking and broking, helping shape the future of property finance. 💡 Brokers, Lenders & Borrowers – Glenn explains how Brickflow assists brokers in sourcing and placing deals while providing data insights, and how the platform saves lenders time on enquiries and applications by...

🎯 Meet Colin Horton – Co-founder of Project & Co Surveyors, Colin brings 15 years of experience in property, starting from asset management and growing into a true passion for helping people get their deals done. 💡 Surveying with Personality – Colin shares the behind-the-scenes of property deals, explaining why his job isn’t just black-and-white and how empathy often gets overlooked in the s...

🎯 Meet Chloe Farrelly – Property entrepreneur, investor, event host, and mother of three, Chloe shares her journey navigating family, business, and property with energy and insight. 💡 Mum’s in Property – Chloe co-hosts the podcast Mum’s in Property with her close friend Jade, where they share real-life experiences of juggling motherhood and a career in property, building a community of like-mind...

🎯 Behind YB Financial Advisory – Meet Paul Grace, director of YB Financial Advisory, as he shares his journey from 25 years in banking to launching his own advisory firm in the midst of COVID. 💡 From Banking to Business – With decades of experience in finance, Paul transformed his knowledge into YBFA, a business built on relationships, trust, and delivering value to clients. Discover the secrets...

🎯 Behind DeskVal – Meet John and Sabina, the dynamic duo behind DeskVal, as they share their journey from individual success stories to launching an exciting PropTech tool 💡 From Backgrounds to Breakthrough – With John’s data-driven mindset and Sabina’s sharp industry insight, the pair combined their skills to create DeskVal, a game-changing automated valuation model (AVM) designed for today’s f...

🎯 Inside a Roma Case – High Street Regeneration with Isaac Maynard-Smith & Jay Habib - Join us as we dive into a real-life case with Roma borrower Isaac Maynard-Smith and Business Development Executive Jay Habib. 🏘️ Bringing the High Street Back to Life – Isaac approached Roma Finance with a unique case, a vacant high street property formerly home to a Mr Simms Sweet Shop, with the goal revit...

🎯 Meet George Tuffin – Senior Business Development Manager at Roma Finance, who’s been a driving force in the business for over 8 years, helping shape its success in the specialist lending space. 📚 A Journey Through Finance – From working with a packager and brokerage to joining Roma, George shares his path into the industry and how each step prepared him for his role today. ☕ An Unforgettable...