OwnHome’s buyer’s agency arm has created a senior role to spearhead rapid expansion through the third‑party channel.
Peach Property, the buyer’s agency powered by OwnHome, has appointed experienced non‑bank sales leader John Clifford as its inaugural head of sales and partnerships in a move aimed at deepening relationships across the mortgage distribution ecosystem.
New role to scale broker-facing sales
The newly created position, which Clifford commenced on Monday, 23 February, will see the industry veteran oversee a growing team of business development managers and internal sales staff.
This is in addition to driving strategic relationships with key partners in broking, aggregation, and the media.
OwnHome co‑founder and CEO Tim Harley said Clifford’s appointment came as Peach Property ramped up its efforts to streamline the journey from finance approval to property settlement.
Harley said the company had been seeking a leader with a longstanding track record in broker‑led growth.
“John is one of the most respected sales leaders in the industry, and we’re thrilled to have him join OwnHome and Peach Property as head of sales and partnerships,” Harley said.
Closing the ‘pre-approval to settlement’ gap
Harley framed the move against a notorious pain point in the home-buying process – the period between pre‑approval and settlement.
He said Clifford’s lengthy experience in the non‑bank sector positioned him to help Peach Property tackle the issue in partnership with the mortgage industry.
“Over almost a decade in Fintech, he’s built a reputation for doing things the right way – partnering closely with brokers, understanding their businesses from the inside out, and helping them grow,” Harley said.
“That’s exactly the kind of leader we wanted for Peach Property. He builds trust, high-performing teams, and lasting relationships that create real value for brokers and their clients.”
Harley added that Peach Property’s buyer’s agents were tasked with keeping transactions on track once a client had been approved.
“Every broker knows the gap between pre-approval and settlement is where deals stall, expire, or fall apart. Our buyer’s agents close that gap – finding the right property, negotiating better deals, and getting to settlement faster with fewer hiccups. For brokers, this means more settled deals, better client outcomes, and a stronger business,” he said.
Clifford brings fintech and non‑bank pedigree
Clifford joins Peach Property after serving as head of broker at Lumi – a fintech lender specialising in loans and lines of credit to small and medium‑sized businesses.
Prior to Lumi, he held several senior roles, including head of third party and senior business development positions at lenders in the non‑bank sector.
Reflecting on his decision to join the buyer’s agency, Clifford said he was eager to help simplify the property search for clients who had already cleared the hurdle of finance approval.
“I am beyond excited to have joined Peach Property as Head of Sales & Partnerships. We’re setting about the task of eliminating stress and uncertainty for mortgage brokers and their newly approved clients, getting people into their dream homes sooner,” Clifford said.
Reframing the role of buyer’s agents
Clifford noted that in many purchase journeys, borrowers quickly discovered that securing a mortgage approval was only the halfway mark.
“At Peach, we provide a market-leading service for Aussies who have the all-too-familiar feeling of deflation that comes when they realise that being approved for a mortgage is only half the battle,” he said.
While acknowledging that buyer’s agents had operated in Australia for a number of years, Clifford said that Peach Property’s model and reach gave it an opportunity to reform expectations.
“We feel the breadth of our reach, the consistency of our results and the quality of our service will reinvigorate the sector and ultimately become a must-have for thousands of brokers,” he said.
He added that a growing cohort of high‑performing advisers was already tapping into the service.
“With an ever-increasing number of The Adviser’s Elite Brokers already referring their clients to us, we anticipate that this will be a massive year of growth,” Clifford said.
[Related: Aussie launches white label product to address deposit barrier]
