An experienced home loan manager places emphasis on cooperation with the client

Liina Mäsak, Home Loan Manager at LHV, is an active, kind, and helpful person who has learned to place an emphasis on cooperating with the client in her more than 20 years of experience as a loan manager.

Liina’s journey in banking started as a teller in 1996; a little later, she moved on to dealing with home loans at Merita Bank, the predecessor of today’s Luminor. Liina joined LHV in 2021, and since then she has been the best partner in the financial world for hundreds of home buyers.

The choice to dive into banking came by chance, but today, Liina cannot imagine herself doing anything else. Curiously, she has a degree in business administration. And while this knowledge is useful in her daily work, a loan manager must also possess great communication skills, analytical abilities, speed, and the willingness to do the job.

After all, the job of a home loan manager is mainly about communicating with people – which fascinates Liina the most – but also about good teamwork. ‘I consider myself a people person,’ Liina enthuses. ‘I like the immediate communication and direct contact with clients. Nowadays, as banking has moved to the online environment, I sometimes really miss the face-to-face meetings of the old days,’ says Liina.

She is particularly happy when clients from years ago find their way back to her and the cooperation continues in a new form. It also makes her happy when clients share news from their private lives after concluding a contract, such as news about new family members or a new job. When interacting with clients, she often puts herself in the role of the client, or puts herself in the client’s shoes, as she likes to say. All this, of course, to provide the best solutions.

Potentially suitable solutions are also discussed daily within the team and the whole department: ‘After all, each application is unique, the nuances are never the same, and having another perspective is great. We know each other’s clients and each other’s ‘handwriting’ – for example, we know how to take over communication with a client when substituting for someone who is on holiday,’ says Liina. In total, LHV employs more than 30 people dealing with home loans.

What are Liina’s recommendations to the client?

According to Liina, the job of a home loan manager today is one of nuance: you need to see the bigger picture, as clients have very different wishes and means, and the real estate market is constantly evolving. In this situation, a loan manager should be someone the client can trust and who can highlight the benefits of a home loan from LHV, specifically. What Liina appreciates the most is when she feels that she is able to work together with the client. As such, her recommendations for a home buyer today are also based on this.

Firstly, she advises clients to be honest and open with their home loan manager: if the loan manager knows the details and the purpose of the loan, they can make the best offer for the client. ‘I always give recognition and praise to clients who answer our questions very thoroughly. There may be many of these questions and they may seem insignificant, but they contain valuable information for the loan manager. Similarly, I am grateful to those who take a very close look at the contract, and ask a lot of questions themselves. This shows that the person is committed to the topic at hand, and gives the loan manager a feeling of certainty,’ adds Liina Mäsak. After all, a loan is taken for a long period of time.

Secondly, the loan manager recommends that clients thoroughly familiarise themselves with the loan and the accompanying terms and conditions. ‘People’s awareness varies. Using plain language, I try to explain all the terms and conditions to my clients as simply as possible: how the interest rate is formed and changes, what costs and obligations accompany the loan, what other activities lie ahead for the client in connection with the purchasing of the property, and what the bank expects from the client in return. Cooperation should be mutual,’ Liina stresses. ‘My aim is to be an advisor to home buyers, to provide options and to work together to achieve the best possible outcome.’ It is worth knowing that comparing your own home loan to that of a friend or neighbour is not quite right. ‘We are all different – we all have different incomes and responsibilities, different real estate, and different backgrounds. We still make all offers to the specific client, and we give it our all to make this offer the best!’ says Liina.

Home Loan Manager Liina’s message to young people is that many dream of having their own home, and most prefer to live in an apartment or house that belongs to them. Even though it is popular and easy to rent a home nowadays, it is still worth considering having a home that is truly yours. Why not choose a suitable property and pay loan payments instead of rent? That is what a loan manager is for – someone to turn to, to discuss your options, and learn about loan conditions.

Balance between saving up and living life

Liina has also tried to teach her children, who are now adults, the necessity of saving up and understanding the value of money. ‘The magic of saving reveals itself when you area able to put the funds to use – as the down payment for your home, for example. Your first home does not have to be your dream home; you can start with a smaller and simpler one. Financially, it is the right idea not to live beyond your means,’ Liina reflects.

But at the same time, is it not important to enjoy the moment? Liina’s adventurous attitude to life is what makes her stand out to her colleagues, and she admits that you really need to find a balance between being adventurous and being frugal. ‘We only live once!’ she says. Liina loves cats and knows that even a little piece of chocolate makes the day better. Liina likes to travel; she is brave and active. This is exhibited in the fact that you will not find her lounging on a beach in a warm country. Rather, she prefers climbing in the mountains or hiking with her partner. As such, she has crisscrossed the island of Malta on a bicycle. Or travelled in Vietnam in such a way that no morning can tell where the day will take her.

But she also finds adventures in Estonia. ‘I really enjoy water. I have completed the Võhandu Marathon in nine hours, and paddling 100 kilometres on the river was a great challenge for me, but also a wonderful experience and an opportunity to put myself to the test,’ Liina recalls. After a long day at work and interacting with home loan clients, you can find Liina rowing on the Pirita River. ‘Every night, it’s a place where it’s just me and the water, and you can’t even think about anything else,’ says Liina with a smile.