There's no question Blake Buchanan would be one of the most trusted and respected leaders in the mortgage and finance industry.

Having started in the industry over 20 years ago as a broker and subsequently moving into distribution and aggregation, he has accumulated significant knowledge and wisdom, which he imparts in this interview.

Some of our discussion points with Blake include:

• That being a successful broker isn’t necessarily just about writing more volume or growing, and it can definitely be about achieving and enjoying quality of life, not just quality of income

• Insights on the strategy sessions he runs with brokers – where he asks brokers about the # of active clients in their book, knowing their trail income and understanding their P&L and how often it is reviewed against their goals and target

• The $4 billion dollar curse and how the principle applies to firms of all sizes

• The systems, support frameworks and value proposition for a broker’s firm to operate a sustainable, profitable and effective firm

• The capacity thresholds brokers should know so they can forward plan for growth

• And more….

As the founder of Home Loan Experts, Otto Dargan, or at the very least, the firm he built, would be no stranger to a lot of mortgage brokers.

In today's conversation with Otto, he elaborates on how he has developed his own leadership skills and he shares some mistakes insights and perspectives that have enabled him to grow personally and professionally and contribute towards the culture and environment that is enabled Home Loan Experts to be one of the more revered broking firms in the country.

From sharing his perspective around hiring motivated people, to recognising and playing to his strengths, to putting himself and his team into testing situations and establishing a shared vision, Otto talks through a number of components that have contributed to organisation success such that he was able to appoint a CEO and step out of the day-to-day operations and focus on other goals and objectives.

If you're interested in having your team members elevate their contribution and potentially create the opportunity for you to write less loans or step back from the tools altogether, I hope you enjoy this episode and it provides you with some specific actions you can take and apply in your own breaking practice.

With a penchant for speaking the truth, there’s a reason Jamie Holroyd has built a trusted reputation as an advisor and confidant to his clients.

This would have to be the most candid interview I have done in terms of a guest speaking freely about the constraints or challenges that impede their ability to deliver the service, results and experience that clients have come to expect from the 3rd party channel.

As a broker, when you listen to this interview, I have no doubt you will resonate with Jamie’s concerns and frustrations.

It is important to recognise and appreciate the depth of experience Jamie brings to this interview courtesy of an expedited career in banking where he assumed significant responsibilities at a young age before choosing to back himself in and pursue his own endeavour.

When you hear Jamie speak, you won’t be surprised as to why his firm is both successful and sought out by a variety of clients who seek guidance for business strategy, debt structuring and growth decisions.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did having Jamie Holroyd as a guest.

If you would like to reach out to Jamie, the best place to start would by his company website.

Unlike most of our guests, Andrew Stevens is a well known and respected supplier to the industry rather than a broker from within the industry.

Andrew has established Online Broker Think Tank, which is both a broker-specific Facebook group as well as a brand that’s become synonymous with providing value and insights to brokers.

By way of prior experience, Andrew did write loans many years ago, and moreover has a wide range of life experiences that hold him in great stead to provide guidance, support and assistance to other brokers who are looking to run a more profitable, rewarding, and impactful broking practice.

In our conversation we discuss some of the beliefs, behaviours and qualities that are more regularly exhibited by higher performing brokers and provide some strategic and tactical insights for you to take and apply in your breaking practice.

Originally, this podcast was recorded on zoom as a live interview with several dozen guests in attendance, and for that reason, the structure sounds a little different to what you’re accustomed.

All the same, I hope you find it either insightful, educational or inspiring.

When you’ve assessed and approved over a billion dollars in lending within the banks, it is more than just a good apprenticeship to set you up for a life in broking, it’s the foundations to a rewarding career.

In this interview with Charles Zerafa, he takes up through a career assessing commercial transactions before making the switch to broking and becoming the trusted advisor to a portfolio of high quality clients who lean on his expertise to help them fund their and facilitate their business growth objectives.

Charles outlines how the benefits of being a broker enable him to offer a level of depth and value to his clients in terms of how he could represent and facilitate their funding needs.

And, like many a good broker, he talks about how his service has earned him introduction to the personal networks of clients that never availed themselves whilst he was in commercial banking.

If you would like to connect or chat with Charles, a great place to start would be his LinkedIn profile.

It’s seldom you come across a person who has started a movement, though that’s exactly what Philip Robison has done.

As the the founder of Saving Brothers and a property professional, Philip is driven by the desire to impact people for the better.

Not just in their hip pocket, but equally if not more so to look after one’s health and wellbeing - and with the scars and war stories he’s gathered, Philip is empathetic, compassionate and insightful.

In our interview, we talk about the highs and lows of his journey, his love for regional property and how people can live their best life.

If you’d like to reach Philip, send him at email to philip@theholygrail.com.au

As we all know, time is arguably the most precious commodity for every mortgage broker.

In this podcast with gun loan administrator turned business owner, Mandy Love, we look at the importance of having the right people in the right seats to help deliver an efficient, referable and repeatable service to grow a broking practice.

Having personally seen Mandy make a significant contribution to the growth of one of our broking clients, she is all too familiar with how to help brokers ensure their focus is on income producing activities that contribute to their financial and quality of life goals and getting everything else off their plate.

It's with this mantra in mind Mandy mustered the courage to pursue her dream of opening a loan processing service so she can positively impact more brokers and see them grow their practice by delivering better and quicker client outcomes.

Mandy discusses common challenges inherent with many brokers and how to address them to actually enjoy the success and prosperity they are working hard for.

If you’d like to reach out to Mandy, visit Mandy’s LinkedIn profile or go to:

Website: landmarkloansupport.com.au

Email: info@landmarkloansupport.com.au

From police officer to high performing mortgage broker mortgage, Travis Carruthers is on a mission to impact more brokers, consumers and staff for the better.

Most brokers who settle in excess of $100M per annum are usually looking to grow either their back end to pump through more volumes, or build out the broking team so they can grow with and through others.

For Travis, it’s a combination of both, in addition to running a sub aggregation group and providing a consulting service where he implements a version of his own processes into other broking practices.

With a passion for seeing people do better, Travis aims to provide exemplary client service standards and cultivate a team in culture where his staff are expected to come up with ideas and innovations that contribute towards the ongoing growth and optimization of the business.

Arguably not an easy thing to do, which is perhaps the exact reason why Travis is doing it because as he says he gets bored staying in his comfort zone and wants to be comfortable with remaining uncomfortable.

If you’d like to connect with Travis, you can reach him:

· Via Travis’ LinkedIn profile
· Through VMBS, his mortgage broking service, or;
· VTEK Solutions, his consultancy service for brokers