Mariya Petkova, Manager of Creditchoice and Deputy Chairman of the Association of Credit Intermediaries in Bulgaria
An interview with Mariya Petkova in the online magazine Bulgarian Entrepreneur:
Hello, Ms Georgieva! Tell us about yourselves.
Hello, we are Creditchoice Ltd. – an **independent credit intermediary**, a member of the Association of Credit Intermediaries in Bulgaria. We have been offering our services since 2017, but our team consists of specialists with long-standing banking experience; some of us have more than 15 years. Our high expertise and quality of work help us find the best loan for our client! We do not have our own product; instead, we perform a free intermediary consulting service between clients, on the one hand, and other financial institutions. We are the only registered and independent credit intermediary in compliance with the requirements of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) that works with 14 banks in Bulgaria!
What is the essence of your activity, and why did you decide to pursue it?
We provide a **Credit Consultant** service that is free for the client at various stages—from collecting, comparing, and analysing bank loan proposals, submitting the loan application, its approval, the accounting, and even afterwards, we are available to the client. We affirm that we always achieve the lowest interest rates for the loan according to the client’s profile.
This activity is very beneficial for many clients with their busy daily lives. We save their time, money, and stress. Instead of them, our consultant performs all the activities related to waiting in bank queues, figuring out which document to submit where and how, where to direct the client, which bank has the best terms, where the client’s profile will be approved, how long they will wait, and so on.
I decided to pursue this activity after being responsible for third parties for a long time, and I saw the benefits and the client’s need for such a service in the market.
Why in Bulgaria?
Why in Bulgaria😊 – because this is our home. Regardless of the difficulties, you know that all the efforts invested are worthwhile. Our country has a future, and that depends on all of us. Many business opportunities and ideas are offered here; the fact is that the unemployment rate is well below the EU average, and we rank second in terms of the most favourable conditions for starting a private business. I believe in the potential of people who want to work and develop here in Bulgaria.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in the profession?
The biggest challenge was to gain public trust and attract clients to learn about our **Credit Intermediary** service, to trust us, and to receive an informed choice with the opportunity for them to compare offers from different banks (a minimum of three offers).
How did your clients, partners, and you cope with the new COVID-19 reality?
As you know, the COVID crisis required every family to ask for an increase in the premises in their own home or office, so that everyone could have the necessary space for a Home Office regime. This led to a record growth in mortgage lending, and this year, 2021, will be a record year in terms of growth in demand for mortgage loans for the period since the existence of the mortgage market in Bulgaria until today. The global COVID pandemic is not a reason for clients to postpone their plans and dreams for a new home or office. On the contrary! With the assistance of **Credit Consultants**, applying for a mortgage or consumer loan is easier than ever. Moreover, when a client decides to seek several offers from banks, they do not need to visit them, as this is done through a Credit Intermediary. This way, they will limit contact and consequently, the risk of infection. We can collect bank proposals remotely and within a single working day.
Source: Bulgarian Entrepreneur
