Worried AI might take your job? Don't be.
Steve Dolmor, Head of New Business at Somo, explains tech doesn’t replace people, it supports them. Just like spreadsheets didn’t make accountants redundant, AI won’t make brokers or sales teams disappear.
At Somo, people come first. Relationships, trust and real conversations will always matter more than algorithms. We use tech to make life easier, not to take the human out of the process.
After ten years working alongside brokers, introducers and borrowers in the specialist bridging finance market, I’ve seen one thing remain constant: when it matters most, people matter. Yes, technology is changing the way we work, but it will never replace the relationships and day to day, human to human contact that’s at the heart of our business - the very thing that gets me up and into work every morning!
What AI will - and won't - replace
We’ve all seen headlines: artificial intelligence is everywhere, showing up in our inboxes, social feeds and workflows. I can’t pretend that I haven’t found it a little unsettling. Will AI replace traditional Sales and Underwriting roles? Will borrowers, brokers or lenders plug into a system and get instant answers without humans?
I think the answer is Yes - and No.
And that’s something I’ve seen first-hand over the years. Tech doesn’t get rid of jobs, it just changes them. Think about builders and power tools. The tools didn’t replace the tradespeople, they just made the job quicker and more precise.
It’s the same story with AI and automation. They’re tools that should make life easier, giving our teams and brokers more time to do what really matters: understanding, advising and getting deals done.
Where human judgment still wins
At Somo, we’re a people-first business. Behind every deal, every enquiry and every case, there’s a conversation, a bit of back-and-forth, a relationship, a “good win on Saturday” and “did your lad get the grades he wanted?". Then we solve a case together.
Sure, automation has its place. It’s great for data checks and admin, helping things move faster. But it’ll never replace the human side, the judgement, the detail and the trust that only comes from real experience and partnership.
When a deal’s not straightforward, the numbers don’t quite line up, the borrower’s story needs telling or there’s something unusual about the exit that’s where our Sales Team, our Relationship Directors and our brokers really come into their own. We look at every case from all angles to find a way to make it work.
Take a recent case: a second charge loan where the borrower had adverse credit and a tight completion deadline. An algorithm may have rejected the case at face value but our team look at the property value, the exit strategy and the borrower's track record and we found a way to say yes. That's the kind of thinking AI can't replicate.
How Somo uses tech (without losing the human touch)
Don’t get me wrong - we’re all for tools that make life easier. At Somo, we invest in systems that take the pain out of admin, speed up turnaround times and give our brokers a smoother experience. But there’s a big difference between efficiency and empathy. Just because something can be automated doesn’t mean it should be.
We’ll never let AI do the talking for us or pretend it can replace real conversation. We value genuine broker-to-lender relationships - the kind built on trust, honesty and collaboration. In our world, trust isn’t something you can automate, it’s earned. And you earn it by showing up, picking up the phone, having a chat and finding solutions together.
The bottom line: People + tools, not people vs. tools
The so-called AI revolution in bridging isn’t a takeover, it’s a ‘evolution’ of how we get things done. Tech doesn’t replace people, it helps them do their jobs better, giving us and our brokers more time to do what they do best: think outside the tick-box, solve problems and get deals done.
At Somo we'll keep investing in both - the tech that speeds things up, and the people who make things happen. Because that's what makes bridging finance work: people, backed by tools, not replaced by them.
Want to experience the difference a people-first lender makes? Get in touch with our team - we're always up for a chat (and yes, a real human will answer).
📞 0161 312 5656
Categories: Broker News
