After deciding to make the move from banking to broking, Nicola Cranswick joined a solid team of women at the award-winning brokerage, Loan Market Buderim, which she says has been the key to her success as a new mortgage broker. We find out more about her journey.
You are originally from New Zealand. What brought you to Australia?
Our move was purely family based... We just wanted the opportunity to give our kids more opportunities than what we could offer them where we were. And then once I had them settled, it was about finding opportunities for me and what I wanted to do for the rest of my working life as such.
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You were originally in banking before joining the broking industry. Why did you make the shift?
I had enough of being focused on bank profits and red tape... and not really being 100 per cent client service-focused. It was a matter of merging into something that was more in line with what I felt was important and that was actually helping people. And that's where I found the broking industry to be.
How did you become a broker and join Loan Market Buderim?
So initially I started as a CSM because the industry here is quite different to the industry in New Zealand. Carol [King] was the broker and I was her CSM... she's an amazing mentor to learn from. I could not have wished for someone better!
This is now my second year in broking and thankfully, it's become a bit of a two-way street... I do have a strong commercial background. If she gets a more complex file... I can help her with that.
So it's a really good blend that we've managed to develop here... Definitely ongoing. I don't think you can even know everything. And her attention of information never ceases to amaze me
We are like a little family. So we all look after each other and that you share your knowledge and then it helps and helps everybody out.
What were the challenges you encountered in your initial years of broking, and how did you overcome them?
Keeping abreast of all the different lenders and policies... It was just because when you've got so many lenders, where do you start? So that was my biggest thing... for me, more and more around education, for me.
How do you attract clients and referral partners, especially in the Sunshine Coast region?
The majority of our clients come from either existing client referrals... We do get a lot from Google, from our Google reviews, and we do do a bit of radio advertising.
How have you found broking in 2023?
2023 has been a bit of a journey... lots of clients coming off their fixed rate this year... we've gone through our whole database and just made sure that we have touched base everybody to make sure that they are on the best rate that we can possibly get them at that point in time."
What advice would you give to new brokers navigating the complexities of the industry?
Knowledge is power, at the end of the day. The more you know, the more confident you can be in your role.
Tune in to hear more! You can find out more about Nicola Cranswick in the New Broker: Secrets to success podcast episode, below:
