How do you reach the top 1% of Loan Market mortgage advisers across Australasia during a global pandemic? Just ask Daniel Zarkovic, a Loan Market business owner from NSW who has achieved just that!
Daniel puts it down to a strong business model, customer experience, and developing young brokers.
Over the last financial year, Daniel took two new-to-industry brokers under his wing.
They not only describe him as having an analytical and methodical approach to broking, but an incredible bank (excuse the pun) of lender knowledge.
We recently spoke with Daniel to get his insights on reaching Chairman’s Club for the second time (the highest status possible in the Loan Market Group) and his plans for the future.
1. Set up a business framework that actually works.
How you operate your business is influenced by your target market and location, Daniel says.
“The way I’ve set up and refined processes in my business in the south-west of Sydney, will be different from brokers in more affluent suburbs of Sydney or Melbourne.”
With an average loan size of $550,000 in his local area, Daniel established a business model that supports more applications and volume.
Daniel first expanded his team four years ago and hired a senior Client Service Manager (CSM), Karen and more recently, Taylor.
Karen and Taylor operate as file owners, similarly to a bank assessor, Daniel added. They assess client information and supporting documents collected in the discovery phase.
“Once I’ve reviewed the client and lender options Karen has collected. I make the final recommendation to the client.
They will then take the application from all the way to settlement.
“You need good people, good systems and a really solid process with your team if you want to reach big numbers. The team does a lot of the brunt work, so it’s important that there is a clear process for everyone to follow.”
2.Capitalise on your customer experience.
According to Daniel, as the volume of applications starts to increase, you have to make sure your customer experience is seamless and efficient. It also has to boost your business growth, he added.
Here is how Daniel gets the most out of his customer experience.
Collaboration
Daniel first collaborates with his customers using Loan Market’s customer data collection tool, the Online Fact Find.
“I’ve made it a requirement for my customers to fill out the Online Fact Find before I meet with them. It creates a sense of accountability and collaboration.
“The prefilled data saves both me and my customers time, and we can spend the first meeting really deep-diving into their financial situation, understanding what their goals and objectives are, and looking at what will work best for their circumstances.”
Encourage referrals
Daniel sources 70% of his business from existing customer referrals.
How? By asking!
“I always call and email my customers when their loan is approved to congratulate them. This is when I ask them to recommend me to anyone who might be looking for a loan.
“Referrals all come down to a great customer experience. You have to get on a personal level and make it fun for them.”
Stay in contact with existing customers
With a contact database built over 10 years, Daniel ensures that his customers are regularly communicated to, making sure they don’t fall off his book.
“I use Loan Market’s Stay-in-Touch program. It is a great tool to keep me front of mind with my clients at key moments in the loan process. The automated email gets sent and I get a copy, so I always know what is being sent to them.”
3. Mentor brokers and support their development
“Mentoring brokers is something that I am really passionate about. It’s important to help people on their journey and make yourself available to support and advise someone when they need it.”
According to Daniel, rather than following the traditional model of working side-by-side with a mentor (like many brokers do), he encourages his mentees to set up their own business operations, whether that be in a real estate office, their own office or at home.
This gives them an opportunity to develop their business skills and client relationships, Daniel added, while he mentors them on the fundamentals of broking.
“I sit down with them from 9pm-11pm and we run through all of the deals they have worked on that day. We share screens, run-through scenarios, servicing calculators and lender recommendations.
“We have to go really granular. It is the only way to teach how to be a good broker.”
Daniel’s unique approach to mentoring has produced brokers such as David Albanese and Robert Simpson. Robert, who after being mentored by Daniel for two years, has recently bought a Loan Market franchise and was named a finalist at the Australian Mortgage Awards for MFAA Young Gun of Year, Broker of the Year – Regional and Broker of the Year Productivity.
So, what’s in store for the future?
Supporting and developing young mortgage brokers is a big focus, not only in his current business, but towards future growth, Daniel says.
“I’d love to expand the business and open a Loan Market hub.
“It would be a place where young and new-to-industry brokers can join the Loan Market Group, learn the fundamentals of broking and be mentored by myself and other like-minded business owners.”
A goal like that says it all.
We can’t wait to support Daniel to scale his business and reach new milestones!
PUBLISHED August 18th, 2020 IN Stories and insights
Angela Tracey
Angela is obsessed with marketing solutions that heighten brokers’ online visibility, build their profile in their local marketplace and ensure potential clients are knocking on their door (so to speak).
With over a decade of experience leading her own digital marketing agency, helping SMEs win local area market share through the strategic integration of online, social and database marketing, Angela has the know-how to support brokers with solutions that help them find and keep clients.
