Fresh-faced broker brothers Blake and Reece Thorn have found their way into the family business and have made their father’s brokerage Auspak Home Loans their own.
In this Q&A, we find out how and why the dynamic duo entered the broking industry, how these two siblings work together, what their first deal was, and how they de-stress and unwind after a long day.
Here’s what they had to say:
How did you get into the industry?
Blake: Both Reece and I have always worked in the business. Growing up through school, we’ve helped with things that needed to be done, like pricing or servicing, so we always knew the business but never wanted to actually get into it.
I never wanted to be a broker, but a real estate agent instead. The flashy cars really drew me in! So, when I left school, I started a marketing degree and then went full-time as a real estate agent.
I found out quickly that it wasn’t for me just in terms of the culture and working in a “sales-y” environment. I did that for about 12 months, finished off my degree, and went into broking.
Reece: Before I became a broker, I was working in the accounting industry, so a little bit different to Blake. I always had the goal of joining the family business.
While I was at university, I was working in an accounting firm and then once I finished my degree, I transitioned into the business.
It’s been such a great help having that accounting degree in the day-to-day especially when it comes to reading financials or self-employed financials.
What were your first deals?
Reece: It was a pretty straightforward deal. A vanilla owner-occupier, principal and interest deal.
I think dad let me off with a straightforward one first so I was comfortable in doing them. And it just comes back to that process.
If you follow the same process over and over again, you’re going to come out with a great outcome and those processes are in place for a reason. And when you follow them and you stick to the process, you know that you’re going to come out with a good outcome for you and especially for the client.
This content is available exclusively to
The Adviser premium members.
Blake: I’m afraid I don’t have a story like that, I don’t actually remember mine, there’s been so many different success stories that make you say, “This is why do we this”.
I’m sure my first deal was fun, but I guess if you’re doing something you’re really enjoying and having fun with it, you’re not really working.
How do you, as brothers, find working together?
Blake: We’ve always been pretty close all throughout our lives, so working together makes sense for us. We find it quite easy.
Of course, there are times where things can get heated because we’re still brothers at the end of the day, we won’t hold back and we’ll throw everything we’ve got at each other. But, five minutes after that, even if we say something we don’t mean, we both know where the other’s coming from.
We enjoy each other’s company and we work well together.
Reece: I like to think we’re the yin and yang to each other, with Blake going down the real estate path and myself going down the accounting path.
He has certain strengths that I don’t and I have strengths that he doesn’t have. So, when you put us together, we work really well.
How do you two de-stress and unwind?
Blake: I train every day before I start work. I feel like I come in firing on all cylinders after I’ve trained and I’ve got energy throughout the whole day. I don’t usually need a coffee until 12 o’clock usually!
I think it’s important to have a good work/life balance. I get my training done early, I come home when I can, and I usually like to go out for a swim on the beach.
I do Muay Thai most mornings and I’ll have an ice bath just to wake myself up! I do one every day!
Reece: So, I definitely don’t do ice baths. I’m big into training as well, though. The Thorn household was massive on sport when we were growing up. We used to play four sports, seven training sessions a weekend, train every day, and play Saturday and Sunday.
I think sports and training’s always been a big thing for us. So, we’re lucky in that sense where I’m motivated every morning, I’ll get up and train as well.
Blake and I will both get up in the morning, he’ll go do his Muay Thai, get kicked in the head, punched in the head, and I’ll go to the gym, throw some weights around, which is good because at the end of a day, after a long day of working, it’s hard to get yourself into the gym.
If you’d like to find out more about Blake and Reece Thorn and Auspak Home Loans, tune in to the New Broker episode Broking as brothers below:
