The Successful Adviser by James McCracken

When it comes to recruiting mortgage brokers to help you build your firm, Tim Barnard has his finger on the pulse. Whether you are looking to hire a salaried or contract broker, there are a number of considerations to ensure you select the right talent and provide them with the tools and means to set them up for success so they produce win-win outcomes that are good for them, you, your business re...

With a passion for data and property, it's no surprise that Roxi Becker is now supporting the 3rd party channel in her role at CoreLogic. In this interview, Roxi provides a brief time of her career and what brought her to Australia and current gig. From there, we discuss key tools that brokers can use to help them with their client acquisition, retention and service delivery efforts. Most brokers...

As a well known authority and buyer's agent for commercial property investors, Steve Palise has also purchased more than 1,000 residential properties for his property investing clients. This of course makes him well positioned to share his knowledge and experience and pay it forward to brokers and consumers alike. With a professional background in engineering, Steve was an active property investor...

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...

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 enviro...

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 par...

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...

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 h...

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, Ph...

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 gr...

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...

To do more deals, you need to have more clients in your practice. Improving client retention is the easiest and most cost-efficient way to make this happen.  Many brokers spend a lot of energy and money on new client acquisition. The idea behind this mentality is simple: You can grow your mortgage broking practice faster if you have more clients. However, some brokers deprioritise how to retain th...

Having interviewed over 160 podcast guests and had extraordinary conversations with many incredible people, it's a big call to say this is the most important podcast I've done, particularly since it has nothing to do with broking. It does however have everything to do with how and why we perform and function in the world the way we do through our unconscious biases. It was spurred on by some frien...

Operating a broking practice can be challenging, especially if you're just starting out. It's even more so if you used to work as an employee in one. Transitioning from employee to owner can be tricky… but not impossible.  Keith Caine joins me for this episode of The Successful Adviser. He moved from England after the 2008 recession to build a life in Australia. He joined Mortgage Choice and worke...

The sole operator mentality can only take mortgage brokers so far. At some point, brokers will need to delegate key responsibilities to their team members. This will allow them to focus on the strategic and operational decisions and actions that keep their broking practices moving forward.  Marissa Schulze, the director of Rise High Financial Solutions, joins me for this episode of The Successful...

There's been a subtle paradigm shift in the mortgage broking industry in recent years. More and more brokers are embracing the idea of being a broker AND a business owner. It's no longer about being a one-man-band. Instead, it's all about structure and substance – building a team and growing a business.  Anthony Landahl of Equilibria Finance sat down with me for this episode of The Successful Advi...

Should you earn 90% commission as an independent broker or base salary + 40% as a PAYG broker? The numbers might suggest that the answer is obvious.  However, just like loans, there are different scenarios and different wants and needs that might influence what is the right structure for each person.   Being an employed broker can be a fantastic opportunity to build a long-term career, build confi...

When it comes to the attributes of successful brokers, often, it can be easy to focus solely on those most visible, like great process, capable staff, high-quality client base, etc. A less obvious, yet powerful aspect that influences consistent and ongoing success is how we see the opportunities around us.  Is there an abundance, or are they scarce? Over the years, I have noticed some brokers deve...

There are many nice, polite, pleasant, and well-meaning brokers out there. But sometimes their communication style often doesn't result in the number of conversions, income or lifestyle  they want to achieve.  Instead, because of their generous nature, they can be weighed down by carrying other people's stress and occasionally have clients or staff walk all over them, which causes them to work har...

At age 20, when most young adults are figuring out what they want to do with life, Kim Davie became a property owner. With an avid interest in property investing, Kim turned her back on corporate in search of a more rewarding and flexible role, and naturally, broking became that profession. With an abundance of life and professional skills to support her vocation, 6 years on, Kim is relishing the...

When it comes to a broker's subconscious or unconscious beliefs, the issue isn't whether these beliefs are right or wrong. It's their real-world impact that ultimately matters. Are those beliefs serving that broker's personal and professional goals? Or are they getting in the way of their key objectives? In this episode of The Successful Adviser, I talk with Jane Slack-Smith, the founder of Your P...

In this interview with Julie Bishop, I took a slightly different tact. Yes, Julie and I could have just talked about all the great things going on in her business, which she co-owns with two other brokers. But instead, we looked at some of the challenges and opportunities Julie has worked through to transition from a successful career in banking to establishing a highly referred broking business....

Like practically all well-established brokers, it comes as no surprise that Belinda Caesar's core marketing strategy is elevating her clients into raving fans so they can spread the good word. Having founded her business in Melbourne, Belinda has since moved to Cairns to enjoy a very different lifestyle, which was evidenced by the 90% local humidity on the day of our interview. Alas, I digress, as...

Quite literally, one of Australia's first ever brokers, over the past 30+ years Marco Meloni has seen it all. That said, it comes as little surprise that his secrets to success aren't really secrets at all. Be responsive, give great advice, deliver results and care for your clients. These are just some of the insights Marco shared during our interview. Moreover, we also touch on how Marco, who is...

Bianca Patterson exhibits all the hallmarks you'd expect of a high performing broker. Strong conviction in her value proposition Willingness to invest in people and resources Places high value on her time Is clear on the people she wants to work with And it comes as no surprise that over the past 10 years, her brokerage has been growing based almost entirely on referrals from highly satisfied clie...