Brokers are making history in the loan market
WOMEN IN MONTHS OF FUNDING: Sarah Thomson and Paulette Trotter have been named the top performing Loan Market brokers in Australia and New Zealand, marking the first time that women have held the top spots in both countries.
Loan Market Geelong Managing Director Sarah Thomson was named the brokerage group’s top performing broker this year, after settling more than $ 145 million in the past 12 months (18% more than a year earlier). latest).
Her 13-employee brokerage business, which happens to be all-female, was also named one of the Top 10 Loan Market Firms this year.
Meanwhile, Auckland-based broker Paulette Trotter won the title of Best New Zealand Broker at the group’s recent Virtual Awards Gala, after settling more than NZ $ 165 million (the equivalent of $ 156 million).
Ms. Trotter was also crowned Best International Broker, having settled more than any other broker in the Loan Market group last year.
This is the first time that the top performing Loan Market brokers in Australia and New Zealand have been women.
Speaking of this achievement, Loan Market Executive Chairman Sam White said, “I am so proud to see Sarah, Paulette and many others who have brought women to the forefront of the brokerage class.
“This will inspire more women to take up brokerage careers, and the industry will be better off for that.”
He continued, “Regardless of the industry, sex should no longer be a barrier to success.”
Leading ladies
Talk to the advisor during an interview on Friday (November 13) At Loan Market’s Leading Ladies event (the group’s forum that encourages women to share strategies and grow bigger businesses), Ms Thomson and Ms Trotter both said being named the leading broker in the market loans in their respective countries was a highlight of their careers, but stressed the importance of having a strong and successful team behind them to help them get there.
Both brokers have hired new team members over the past year, noting that the pandemic has forced them to hire new Customer Support Managers (CSMs) to handle the wave of inquiries from buyers and of potential refinancers.
Ms Trotter said: “We hired two more employees recently because we are just very busy. So now I have a team of four …
“If I did things again I think I would do it differently,” she said.
“I would hire more staff sooner than when you are already at the top of your position.”
Likewise, Ms Thomson said: “The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is that you have to have the right people on your team … Hiring the right people, hiring people smarter than me, is all aspects of running this whole office. “
Ms Thomson and Ms Trotter said they found the right team members by ‘trusting their gut’ and making sure their team members had a work ethic similar to them.
The two brokers also said that their mentors, loan market brokers Bruce Patten (NZ) and Grant Rheuben (Aus), have been instrumental in helping them develop as brokers during their careers there. day.
Ms Thomson said that when she first joined Loan Market in 2004, she was one of two brokers in the group, but noted that the industry was making waves by recruiting more women and providing networks. Support.
“If women are considering a career in brokerage, they can rest assured that there is support there,” she said.
“I have been a member of the Leading Ladies group of Loan Market for several years and we have a combination of events, networking sessions and knowledge sharing that really contribute to our professional development,” she said.
“I think I totally underestimated the power of something like Leading Ladies. I remember going to my first event and thinking, ‘OK, what’s this about? Why do we need a chick thing? But as soon as it started, I was amazed at the sharing of knowledge and questions posed by women who may not have spoken in a room full of men. From there, it cemented the need for these events in my mind, and I’ve been a lawyer ever since.
“It’s also a great community to be a part of when you’re new to the industry or taking your business to the next level.”
Ms Trotter added: “We can all do anything, we just need to support each other, and having these kind of forums – and having more – is really important.”
November marks The Adviser’s Women in Finance month, as we feature some of the most important women in the industry. As good as Thematic magazine Women in Finance, we will also have podcasts and run profiles and the content of the daily newsletter as well.
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[Related: How this broker is leading the way without banking on trail]
Annie kane
Annie Kane is the editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business.
In addition to writing about the Australian brokerage industry, mortgage market, financial regulation, fintechs and the broader credit landscape – Annie is also the host of Elite Broker and In Focus podcasts and The Adviser Live webcasts. .
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