Lisa de Deijn

As the first associate in ING’s real estate sector, Lisa was largely free to shape her own role – and she did so with much energy and enthusiasm. And also successfully, because several more associates have since been hired for the sector.

An associate is the commercial linchpin within a team of relationship managers and lending specialists. Lisa ensures that everything runs smoothly in the team and that customers receive optimal service. “I play an important role at the start of a lending process. I take care that customers are onboarded correctly, that they can open bank accounts, and that the Know Your Customer checks get done. I also do the preparations for sales meetings, work on presentations and support customer events.”

Building your network 

Lisa moved into this role after completing a traineeship: the Young Business Banking Sales Programme. She did her first rotation in the Real Estate department. “After that, I worked in two very different positions, in very different departments. That’s the great thing about a traineeship: you find out what suits you and you build up a good internal network. I still feel the benefit of this almost every day in terms of the great opportunities it opens up for me.”

'Real estate holds huge appeal for me. It's tangible'

After her last rotation, she continued to feel drawn to the real estate sector. “There’s a great atmosphere in the team and my colleagues are fun, which is important to me. And real estate holds huge appeal for me; it’s tangible. Since moving into this role, I’ve started to see cities through different eyes. Whereas I used to only see a shop, I now notice the entire building around it. Moreover, the real estate market is very dynamic, so there’s never a dull moment working in this sector.”

Taking the initiative

When the vacancy for an associate arose, Lisa didn’t think twice about applying, even though it wasn’t yet a clear-cut role. She had no predecessor and she would initially be the only associate in the team. Therefore, she had to take the initiative and figure out a lot of things for herself. “I’m still discovering things; I learn something new every day. It helps that I was already familiar with the systems from my trainee days, and that other associates in the region are always willing to help me. Once again, my network is proving to be incredibly valuable. But it takes time to learn all about our services and our customers.”

'I learn a lot from our customers. They know exactly how the market works'

“Luckily, my colleagues have lots of experience and they’re always happy to share their knowledge – sometimes through knowledge sessions, and often in practice. For example, we go on ‘property tours’ to look at various client properties. I’m also doing an internal training course, partly thanks to the huge support of my manager. It’s great that I can continue to work on my own development. And last but not least, I learn a lot from our clients: professional property investors who have often been in the business for years and know exactly how the market works. It’s incredibly interesting to listen to them as a way of gaining new knowledge.”

Office energy

Lisa usually goes into the Amsterdam office for four days a week. “I want to physically be with the people I work with, participate in the coffee chats and pick up on potentially useful information. That’s the only way I can be proactive, which is really important in my job.” Being in the office energises her and she likes to organise things, including social activities such as drinks on a Thursday afternoon. She has clearly made a good impression, because real estate associates have now also been hired in other regions. “It seems I’ve proven my added value,” she says. That’s reassuring to know, but what she enjoys most about her role is talking to prospects and customers: “What makes me happiest of all is working with the relationship manager and having direct client contact.”