Working on the housing future of the Netherlands

"I started as a trainee at Rabobank in the Wholesale branch, where I worked on financing the large food and agri companies. That's where I really learned the banking business. After 8 years it was time to broaden my horizons and I switched to the retail branch that focuses on private clients. Now I am Tribe lead Housing and responsible for everything Rabobank does around housing. These days, that's much more than just providing mortgages."

"At Rabobank, we work in Tribes which are themselves made up of Areas. The Housing Tribe consists of 8 Areas. Our services are very broad: from orientation and advice to the arranging mortgages and the service and management thereafter. In the coming years, we will be working towards greater speed and digital convenience for our customers, without losing sight of human contact. You can have a conversation with our advisors both online and face-to-face.

Tribe Housing: more than a mortgage lender

“We work hard within Tribe Housing, but we also pay close attention to each other. We have a very open culture. Once every two weeks, we get together to celebrate what's going well, but we also look at what's not going so smoothly. That's where you learn from and see how you can do things differently next time."

"The Tribe's mission is 'Living Sustainably and Financially Healthy Together.' We help our customers to keep their financial situation sound. For example, offering more insight into the status of their mortgage or online advice on sustainability. Our ambition is to be more than a mortgage lender."

Solar panels and sustainable, affordable housing

"When talking about housing, a number of social transitions in the Netherlands are very relevant. For example, access to the housing market is a very current issue. But climate risks and making homes more sustainable are also subjects that we are concerned with. It is the combination of innovation and enterprise that makes this subject so interesting."

“How can we help make homes more sustainable, for example? You can advise your customers on solar panels or insulation and how to do it, but we really take that a step further. As a cooperative bank, we want to make an active contribution to improving the housing market. To this end, we have set up a campaign in which we think along and contribute to a better housing future in all sorts of ways."

The financing, but also ensure, via a partner, that they are installed on the roof. It is a huge success: 30,000 customers have signed up so far."

We are working with a project developer to build 15,000 affordable rental homes together with BPO, our subsidiary and largest area developer in the Netherlands. We also have the ambition to build 12,000 SmartBuilds: sustainable, temporary rental homes. And because, as a cooperative, we are not looking for maximum profit, we can also guarantee an affordable rent. As far as I'm concerned, this goes further than what a bank would normally do. We really want to participate in solving the housing problem."

Driven by social motivation

"I have always had a great affinity with the bank's cooperative mission. I would like to give meaning to being a banker in a socially responsible way. As far as I'm concerned, a good banker is a person of trust with whom you can discuss your financial possibilities and opportunities, but also concerns, in order to achieve your own ambitions."

"Having a sense of social issues is very important. Contributing to a financially healthy life or increasing sustainability is what motivates people to work here. Personally, I have that motivation as well. I was raised with the idea that together we can make the world a little better and that it is good to take care of each other. I am really proud of what we are building as a bank."