OREANDA-NEWS. March 29, 2011. SEB is set to become the first bank in Estonia to offer home loan consultations via Skype: starting in the near future, clients who select seb.eesti will be able to speak to an administrator ‘face-to-face’ online, reported the press-centre of SEB.

Skype-based consultation will suit those who may not be able to make it to a branch during the working day, with the service being offered between 5.00 pm and 9.00 pm Monday to Friday and from 12.00 pm to 3.00 pm on Saturday. Clients will be able to speak to the administrators via video call or text.

“Video calls definitely have an important role to play in the future of customer service,” said Eerika Vaikmae-Koit, head of SEB’s Retail Banking and Technology Division. “People make plans for the future when they’ve got time to sit down and think about them, and even then they normally don’t have time to talk them over with specialists. So what we’re looking to do with Skype is to show our clients that we can offer them personal service at a time that suits them.”

Vaikmae-Koit says many people still tend to view their chances of getting a home loan as limited. “But for a lot of clients now could be the best time to take that step and do something to improve their living situation, since the price level at the moment is just right,” she explained. “We’re launching these new marketing channels because we want our clients to know about the options that are actually open to them, which is to say overturn the idea that’s taken hold that home loans are a non-starter at the moment. It’s important that people make informed choices. And to promote these issues, we’re also launching a special home loan campaign today.”

Despite the fact that activity on the Estonian home loan market has been somewhat restrained in the first part of the year, SEB is convinced that things will improve. The bank is also convinced that it makes the best home loan partner because of the insurance cover it offers. “The recession taught us that one of the most important things you can have when buying a home is a sense of security – that the bank is with you, not just in giving you the loan in the first place, but every step of the way,” Vaikmae-Koit said. “Most people take out loans for 20 or 30 years, and it’s only natural that in that time people are going to face setbacks. But thanks to the unique insurance cover we offer, our clients will enjoy a true sense of security even when money’s tight.”

Vaikmae-Koit lists SEB’s recommendations to borrowers in terms of reducing their risks as much as possible when buying a home so as to avoid later worry:

Don’t rush into buying – it almost always serves no one’s interests but the seller.

Ask several banks for quotes on the same loan. Don’t only think about price, but also about reducing risks – if you don’t want to endanger your savings or you don’t have a lot to begin with, insure yourself.

Don’t allow yourself to be talked into merely buying one product i.e. taking out a loan – look at purchasing a home as a need for a comprehensive package of bank services.

Approach your dream home one step at a time. You have to be able to cope with the amount you borrow – use SEB’s Financial Planner to keep an eye on your family budget.

You should check your bank’s past conduct with its clients in addition to interest rates and contract fees. SEB is always open to negotiations in terms of loan conditions, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that the loan will end up costing you more.
 
For further information please contact: www.seb.ee/kodupank