Q. What prompted your move into broking?
I’d started to purchase property and understood how wonderful it was in terms of an asset class. I was out surfing and met Raj Sarin – he’s a buyer’s agent and mortgage broker at Equity Finance Solutions, and we got to know one another in the line-up, and I told him I was thinking of becoming a broker. I went out and caught up with him, and he introduced me to a gentleman by the name of David Lennox (co-founder of Vision Aggregation), and he’s a wonderful man. So, I had Dave as a mentor and then set up in an office with access to Paul Econmides (broker at Charter Group Finance), and that was like an informal apprenticeship. It’s was great having someone to just sense-check and validate what I was thinking.
Q. How did you choose what route to go down?
I was looking at different avenues – there are some big franchises, and there are also some little players. Raj told me that there’s some considerations if you leave a franchise. He said: “With the big franchises, where you do learn your craft and you do have support networks… if you’re thinking about leaving, there’s some considerations… you leave your trail book, your brand still belongs with that entity.”
I went down the independent route. I think that was definitely the better move for me. It was probably harder at the start. But now, just over two years in, I think I’m in a lot stronger place. Upon reflection, I think that was the better move for me.
Q. Being a new broker can be tough – it’s said that about 50 per cent drop out after the first year. What do you think are some of the challenges of being a new broker?
It’s a huge dropout rate, and I can understand why. I think perhaps it’s cash flow. It’s six months before you get paid. You’re also always on – it’s hard to switch off or have boundaries. It’s a difficult industry – harder than you think.
But I think that with good mentorship and community and apprenticeship, I think that can really help to even up those odds.
Q. Would you recommend any technology?
I seem to always be recommending Quickli. It’s just accurate. It’s good. Everything about it is as it should be. Simple, seamless, accurate, and onto it. It works. It just makes my life easier.
Q. What other things have helped you on your journey so far?
It’s important for new brokers to surround themselves with community.
It can be a lonely job at times. So, you need to also have those who you celebrate with, commiserate with, and you have that support network, so that you can navigate these things, and you have other humans to support and cheer you on as you go through.
Q. What advice would you offer new brokers?
I think you need to be a big pig-headed about just jumping in. There’s never going to be a perfect time. You have to have that leap of faith. I’ve had to take that a few times in life.
Conditions will never be perfect. You’ll always find an excuse.
