Australia’s top brokerage revealed

Aussie increased the size of its loan book by 11.5 per cent compared to 2013, while its average monthly broker productivity grew just over $1 million.

Aussie chief executive James Symond said the group’s brand has been “an absolute juggernaut” in delivering success, and executive chairman John Symond has done “a marvellous job” of being intertwined within the brand.

“Having not only this coloured logo, but a trusted face alongside the brand has made all the difference in the world. That has to be a key pillar obviously,” he told The Adviser.

“To have a founder like John who was okay with putting himself front and centre with the brand, that’s a really cool thing.”

Mr Symond said Aussie’s diversified distribution strategy is the group’s key point of difference.

“We are the only brokerage out there on any national basis that has a significant, diversified distribution model,” he said.

“We can take a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker and turn them into a broker most of the time, put them successfully into our mobile channel and then have them move successfully, if they choose, to the retail channel, which is a complimentary channel. Or, if they choose ultimately to go into the third channel, which is gaining traction – [the] wholesale aggregation channel called nMB.”

Mr Symond said the most important thing a brokerage should have is a good culture.

“You’ve got the strategy – great; you’ve got the brand – great; but if you don’t have the culture right or the culture isn’t made up of the right people, you will never turn a business into a good business,” he said.

“To me, culture eats strategy for breakfast. It’s a really important thing.”

Mortgage Choice retained their second-placing in the Top 25 list, while new entrant Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers finished third.

Click here to see the full list of The Adviser’s Top 25 Brokerages 2015.

[Related: Aussie recruits 1,000th broker]