ASN Bank wants to double its share of the mortgage market by making the application process extremely simple for customers, chief executive Roland Boekhout has announced. Last year, the bank secured nearly 7% of new mortgage applications, but Boekhout aims to reach a target of 15%. He emphasised that a predictable and fast process is essential for success, alongside competitive pricing and a strong brand. Mortgages form one of the main pillars of the bank, alongside current and savings accounts.
Nearly a year ago, the former Volksbank rebranded entirely as ASN Bank and dropped separate brands such as SNS. However, Boekhout stated that much work remains to be done behind the scenes. The financial institution is currently spending significant time improving its risk management and anti-money laundering measures, areas for which it received millions of euros in fines in the past.
Focus on internal operations
As a result of this internal work, the bank has little time left for innovation this year. ASN Bank will not introduce any new products for the time being and remains cautious about applying artificial intelligence. While the bank does use AI, Boekhout clarified that they absolutely do not experiment with it.
The state-owned bank previously stated its intention to simplify operations and increase efficiency. The company cut around 1,600 jobs across two redundancy rounds. The chief executive stated that there will be no further cuts because the organisation has reached its pain threshold, though he added that the bank must continue to optimise. Boekhout made his remarks at the opening of a new ASN Bank flagship store in Amsterdam. The bank previously opened a similar branch in Utrecht and plans to open another in Rotterdam later this year.
@ anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
