According to a survey carried out in 2020 by the Professional Association of Credit Intermediaries or APIC, the majority of the professionals suffered a decreased activity by more than 25%, and for 14%, this drop in activity exceeds 50%.
The health crisis linked to COVID will not have spared the activity intermediaries in Bank transactions, of the brokers, as well as agents. The Professional Association of Credit Intermediaries or APIC conducted a survey of its customers to determine how professionals in the sector experienced this unprecedented situation. According to this survey, the majority of the professionals suffered a decreased activity by more than 25%, and for 14%, this drop in activity exceeds 50%.
According to the President of APIC, Bruno Rouleau, activities in 2020 were affected by the health crisis, as well as by the choice of funding organizations. On the one hand, confinement has put most of the real estate projects, especially at the level of customers who require support in their project, in decreasing the number of files processed. On the other hand, some banks have decided to stop the study of real estate loans, to the detriment of a elongation of the time limit of answer, increasing the drop of sales figures brokers and agents.
For to counter the crisis and the decreased activity, the majority of professionals applied a Partial unemployment to keep a minimum of trained staff. According to the assertions of Bruno Rouleau, nearly a third of the members had to realize of the workforce reductions, especially in the modest facilities, due to the drop in activity, despite the government aid, which allowed several professionals to avoid disaster.
The spread of COVID has disrupted the French economy, forcing businesses to adapt so as not to go out of business. Many brokers and agents have varied their turnover by suggesting new products, such as professional credit, the consumer credit, the repurchase of credit, insurance of ready and others insurance, the advice of management of heritage, the sale of new, etc.
If most were not yet adapted to the digitalization, the health crisis highlighted the importance of being able to to treat the files has distance, thanks to digital equipment. Currently, more than 80% have established these tools, compared to only 35% before the health crisis.
Regarding credit activity in 2021, 80% of professionals think that it will be subject to a drop or to a stability compared to 2020, while only 20% estimate that it will be in rise.
