Lessons from three of AFG’s best brokers

There are many reasons why being a mortgage broker is a fantastic career choice. However, getting the right support and advice along the way can often be the difference between having a successful career and not.

What’s covered in the video:
Create a customer journey map 4:10 – 5:00
Invest in systems that support your processes 5:00 – 5:50
Hire support before you need it 10:05 – 11:05
Surround yourself with people who are better than you 13:15 – 14:40
Aim to keep clients for life 16:47 – 17:11
Take advantage of the wind 21:45 – 22:25

During our National Broker Conference, AFG Next, we had the opportunity to ask some of our top performers the big questions.

Robert
Cribb
Dare 2 Compare Financial Solutions
AFG Broker Bridget Macgregor
Bridget
MacGregor
Vision Money
Nicole
Cannon
Pink Finance

Aim to keep clients for life

Your goal should be to establish yourself as the go-to broker in your local community or niche. Just like the phrase “go see ‘my mechanic’ or ‘my hairdresser'” you should aim to become ‘my broker’. To achieve this, you should view yourself as a trusted professional and try to forge long-term client relationships, not just be a one-time home loan provider.

When clients come to your office, it can be a stressful time for them with many plates to spin. Their primary focus isn’t necessarily on the specific home loan you provide but instead on securing the house. To leave them with a lasting impression, you should offer a solution to their needs in a memorable and efficient way. And it doesn’t stop at the settlement phase. You should continue to keep in touch with them to increase your chances of fostering long-term client relationships.

To deliver an exceptional client service and increase the likelihood of referrals and repeat business, it’s important to establish streamlined processes and utilise effective systems.

Create a customer journey map

Customer journey mapping is essential for brokerages to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and ensure accountability. Your customer journey map should start as soon as a lead is received all the way through to post settlement.

Although this can be a confronting process, it can help you realise what works well in your business and what blockages may be holding you back.

It can also help you decide how you structure your workflow and team. By using customer journey mapping, you will clearly understand each team members’ responsibilities and how they contribute to the overall workflow, benefiting both clients and the business.

Invest in systems that support your processes

Congruent with creating processes, you should have systems in place to support your processes. Often you can automate tasks to free up some of your time for more valuable work.

You’ll know when your process is working well when clients are getting updated all the way through their journey. For example, some systems can send emails on your behalf at various milestones without you lifting a finger. When your clients respond positively, you know that the process and system work well together.

Always on marketing, even when you’re off.

Looking for an automated marketing engine that emails your customers at the milestones that matter in their loan lifecycle?

Hire support before you need it

Try to let go of the mentality of ‘I can do it quicker’, ‘I can do it better’, ‘I’ll just do it because it’s easier’. It’s not a sustainable way to grow your business and you risk getting tired and burnt out.

Bringing someone on board, whether it’s a personal assistant, offshore processor or part-time processor can help you in your business and help you maintain work life balance. There’s no point in getting to the stage where you are so busy that you can’t allocate the time to train them properly.

Often brokers are told to grow your business, you need to get more brokers on board. Sometimes that is the right path and sometimes you need to consider what is right for your business and what you want the person to bring. When you bring people into your team, you should know exactly what they’re going to do, how they will impact the business and what the benefit it is to everybody, including your customers and yourself.

5 tips from a $100 million dollar broker

Powerhouse Director of Vision Money, Bridget MacGregor shared her top five tips for brokers to set themselves up for success.

Surround yourself with people that are better than you

Challenge yourself to go out and find someone that’s better than you and ask them for help. Finding mentors to help bring you up can be one of the best things you do. A mentor is often someone that has experienced failures and successes along the way and can help you stay on the right path. Ask to spend a day with them in their businesses and you’ll be surprised how many things you learn and can take away to implement in your business.

Within AFG, we foster a supportive network and have an unrivalled calendar of events to connect like-minded brokers to share knowledge and strategies to motivate each other.

Take advantage of the wind

When a promising opportunity comes your way, you should make an active decision whether to pursue it or not. You should carefully weigh factors such as timing, available resources and how long the opportunity will last.

Should you decide to pursue it, wholeheartedly commit yourself to the endeavour. Craft a well-thought-out marketing strategy that positions you for success and enables you to have the wind behind your sail. Investing in the right opportunities can help propel you further and faster towards your goals.

Four tips to help boost your business’s visibility:

  1. Establish a strong referral network
  2. Build an online presence
  3. Harness the power of media
  4. Explore strategic partnerships and sponsorships

Be prepared for the long game

Building a successful brokerage doesn’t happen overnight. It can take years to really establish a solid foundation and gain traction. But with the right support structure around you, it can be one of the most rewarding and beneficial careers you will experience. With AFG, you have a tried and tested partner by your side. One who can provide you with the confidence, support, and tools you need to grow your business and your future.

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The information provided on this website is specific to the particular situation described and individual experiences and results may vary. Past performance is not an indication of future performance and no representation or warranty is made that the information contained above is appropriate for any particular circumstances or indicates that a particular course of action should be followed.

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