Brokerage unveils growth plans

Speaking to The Adviser, Oxygen Home Loans' recently-appointed general manager, Alan Hemmings, said the company was looking to keep pace with its real estate partner, McGrath Estate Agents.

"We need to continue to grow," Mr Hemmings said. "I need to grow our broker base. As McGrath continues to grow, I need to fill the gaps when new offices come in.

"It's very much more of the same as the last couple of years in terms of delivering growth to the business, continuing to strengthen the relationships between the brokers and the McGrath agents and working on the back office for the brokers so they can focus on the sales and their clients and not worry about where the deal is at."

Mr Hemmings said it is essential for Oxygen to grow and adapt because the role of mortgage brokers has changed significantly over the past 10 years.

"I think the big thing that's happened over the last 10 years is that the brokers' role has become a lot more operational, but that's not what they got into business for. They got into business to be salespeople and build relationships.

"But as the industry has grown and progressed, that side of the business has taken somewhat of a backseat, particuarly when you've got brokers with volume.

"If they haven't got assistance, too much of their time is taken up with dealing with issues with loan appliocations and they can't be out there getting the next sale."