An Australian Franchisee Case Study
Becoming a mortgage broker in a country that still espouses the ‘Great Australian Dream’ of owning property can bring serious monetary rewards and accolades; and can bring them quickly.
One broker who knows this only too well is James Hasselle, a Mortgage Choice franchise owner whose business covers the Gold Coast Central area.
After joining Mortgage Choice in March 2004 as a loan consultant for another Queensland franchise owner, James quickly realised the potential of running his own franchise.
He commenced his own franchise operations in April 2006, moved into a shopfront on the Gold Coast Highway shortly after, and by January 2008 the savvy businessman was awarded the nationwide franchisor’s prestigious National Rookie of the Year award.
This launched James into ‘Mortgage Choice High Flyer’ status, which in turn saw him and his wife head to Rio de Janeiro in June 2008.
An expenses-paid overseas jaunt is the reward for all annual national Mortgage Choice Business Excellence Award winners and High Flyers (top franchisees in terms of loan number and/or loan value).
James has impressed fellow loan consultants and franchise owners, along with State and Group Office, with his determined and rapid rise to success.
Granted, the enthusiastic Englishman had previous experience, having worked as a BDM for a non-conforming aggregator for two years in London and Coventry as a broker in his final year in the UK.
Regardless, James has applied himself fiercely to the task of being an Australian mortgager broker while taking some risks and utilising his substantial business acumen. This has helped him relinquish the ‘fear factor’ many small business owners find themselves challenged with.
Today, James’s team consists of two administration assistants, another loan consultant and a marketing manager. All are working towards escalating the business’s success in the future.
The advice James gives to others looking to enter mortgage broking and/or buy a franchise is:
- Get into a commercial premise as soon as you possibly can, and don’t be afraid to ‘hit the pavements and shake the trees’ for business.
- Look for something with a very busy road or pavement location.
- You need to always ask your clients for referrals, in fact during the loan process you need to do it more than once!
- Always look for advice from the established franchisees around you – they have more than likely already been there so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
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