Elite broker launches new coaching business

Having headed up two leading Aussie franchises and been an elite business writer, Mr Le Quesne told The Adviser that he decided to make the move into coaching after identifying a gap in the market and recognising that business owners often need someone to be held accountable to when undertaking business plans.

Speaking to The Adviser, Mr Le Quesne said: “Five years ago, I set a goal that this is what I wanted to do. 

“When I was looking at getting coached myself, I didn’t really think there was anyone I could really turn to in Australia because there wasn’t anyone out there who had ‘been there and done that’ at a level that we were doing [at our Aussie stores]. For example, you don’t see someone who has five or six franchises that are absolutely killing it across each business because their systems and businesses are fantastic across all of them, so there is a real opportunity for brokers to scale their mortgage business and provide that really professional service. 

“The market share is at 60 per cent and growing, and with all the complexity and compliance, there is a real opportunity for people to scale. And I don’t think there has ever been a better opportunity,” he said.

As an example, Mr Le Quesne revealed that his experience in building his own exit strategy could be useful for other brokers that have billion-dollar books. 

He explained: “I have the existing loan book for Parramatta and Rouse Hill under a structure where the new Parramatta book guarantees the old one. So, this is something I have done that I can talk to other brokers about because it was a great exit strategy.

“By bringing in partners to the business who didn’t have to pay a large fee for my book, the multiple that I will receive from my book over time will be a lot more than what I could have gotten had I just sold the business, because when you have a loan book the size of the loan book that I have, it almost makes it unsaleable. 

“So, we did it as a guarantee over three years, where they guarantee the run off, but then we retain that book after three years as well. So, it was a win-win situation. Win-win for the business partners and win-win for Scott [Le Quesne] and I, who have the book,” he said.

Mr Le Quesne added that he is now looking to harness his 20 years of broking experience to help “established [brokers] that are looking to take their business to the next level to get there”.

He continued: “I want to create a world-class coaching business. So, I really want to help grow the industry’s professionalism.

“It’s not a mentoring scheme for new brokers, it’s for brokers gearing for growth. That is really what my passion is. 

“I’m not going to be teaching loan-to-value ratios and things like that. I’m looking for people who want to take their business and grow it and show them how to scale a business and work on the three key areas of marketing, prospecting and selling to client referral partners. All the while also working with team and building those processes to grow.”

The Ross Le Quesne coaching founder said he aimed to deliver his coaching sessions through a range of streams, such as events, face-to-face sessions and phone/video conferencing where clients could sign up for six-month coaching plans (“Because, at the end of the day, if you have a coach on board, it is all about getting those results and making changes that are going to last. It’s not something that you can do in just one month or in a couple of sessions,” he said).

In conclusion, Mr Le Quesne said he hoped to help the broking industry grow by giving established brokers the tools and support to expand their businesses while also giving them “more time, more freedom and more money to enjoy their lives”.

“For those people who are on the cusp and want to have a real go at scaling, there is a real opportunity for them…

“Now is the time for brokers to repack their bags and look at where they’re going in the future, because we had a hell of a two years. Things are only going to get better from here, but it’s only the people that are forward-focused will make a difference.”

Ross Le Quesne is premiering his coaching content and systems at The Adviser's Business Accelerator Program, run in partnership with Westpac.

The second annual consultancy workshop, which concludes in Brisbane today (29 August), brings together leading industry specialists as they share their time-saving and cost-effective strategies for maximising efficiency.

Digital marketing profit strategist Greg Cassar, HR specialist Roland Youakim and technology specialist Andrew Duerden join leading brokers to deliver hands-on advice on how to grow a mortgage broking business at this year’s Business Accelerator Program.

Targeting small-business owners and managers looking to grow their broking business and free up their time to focus on the big-ticket items, the business consultancy workshop focuses exclusively on brokerages and aims to help brokers elevate their business to the next level.

Find out more about the Business Accelerator Program here and keep an eye out for the key takeaways from the event in the October edition of The Adviser magazine.

[Related: Elite broker reveals his top tips for business development]