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The achievements of MPA’s best commercial mortgage brokers are even more remarkable, especially as economic factors have constrained the commercial sector.
The Top Commercial Brokers in Australia in 2024 rose to the past year’s challenges, writing a minimum of $57 million in commercial loan settlements to crack the ranked list of 30.
“In the commercial and asset space, communication is a must, as is building strong, long-term relationships with clients by understanding their unique business needs and providing solutions,” says outsource Financial CEO Tanya Sale. “This will be a major part of a broker’s success.”
Industry experts named to the 2023 Mortgage Global 100 list shared the necessary skills and attributes that make MPA’s Top Commercial Brokers stand out:
AFG’s head of sales and distribution, Them Lam, remarks that the market is again seeing a shift in debt limit thresholds, requiring bankers on the ground for small- and medium-sized businesses.
However, because major lenders have received criticism for underservicing this market, their lighter touch has created an opportunity for commercial brokers to strengthen their value proposition.
He says, “Brokers are rapidly becoming the human touch point as lender banking models adapt.”
With an average of just under six years in commercial broking and some industry veterans writing the lion’s share of loans, 2024’s top brokers harness their diverse experiences to create a more robust and resilient mortgage landscape.
For Wendy Brown, Macquarie Banking and Financial Services executive director and head of broker sales, top-performing brokers also create a high-performance culture around them.
“Whatever the task, it is ensuring everyone in the team knows the important role they play in delivering for the business,” she says. “Ultimately, customer outcomes matter, and it’s always a combined effort to achieve that. No matter who completes the tasks, it’s about the responsiveness of the team and never losing sight of the client’s needs.”
Perseverance and a passion for building long-term relationships with clients and the broader community have fueled the brokerage co-founder and partner’s steady rise to MPA’s top spot.
While Tang notes that timing was a factor in an extraordinarily successful year due to the start of four large-scale development projects, his hands-on approach to understanding his clients’ needs and delivering the solutions they need to achieve their goals has allowed his expertise to shine.
He says, “I invested my own money in a client’s project to gain practical experience, even though it is risky, but that’s the way to learn.”
A profound dedication to learning about the development process has positioned Tang as a trusted and respected authority among potential commercial and developer clients.
He has gained a competitive edge by:
“You need to be a true adviser – knowledgeable, honest, upfront, professional and firm. I don’t want to be treated as the sales guy. If the project or property doesn’t make sense when you do the financial modelling, it speaks for itself that clients should reconsider whether to go ahead,” Tang says.
The executive director’s journey to being celebrated as a Top Commercial Broker began just four years ago, after he segued from a successful banking career to establishing the brokerage.
“I’m loving broking more and more every year,” he says. “I’ve got an industry-specific focus on hospitality clients and also property developers and investors, based on the core strengths of what I learned in banking.”
As the sole deal originator and loan writer at Quantaco Capital, Kennedy has a bird’s-eye view of industry trends, particularly from the vantage point of the high volume of deals that come through the brokerage.
“We tend to be able to highlight things earlier than others because we have direct access to the wider business, which is a powerful value add,” says Kennedy, adding that the broader Quantaco business is solely focused on industry-specific bespoke technology and accounting for clients.
Through the broader Quantaco business, he has honed several strategies that resulted in his rapid rise to the top of MPA’s list:
“We’re trying to educate all our clients as much as possible and use their data so that they stay focused on their current cost base in line with current revenues and not historical costs,” Kennedy says. “We pressure test things with our clients, particularly on the digital side, about what they want to see more of and what could be valuable to them on the app.”
Kennedy and the Quantaco team also prioritise staying abreast of lending policy and risk appetite changes and regularly attending partner-sponsored events.
Post-pandemic challenges are lingering, Kennedy asserts, which has caused banks to be more internally focused and, consequently, require more compliance checking and slower turnaround times. That has resulted in increased reporting from the broker side and heightened attention to proactive communication with all clients.
He says, “The key point is always keeping our clients regularly updated and pushing things along as fast as we can.”
In the competitive commercial landscape where no two deals are the same, the managing director stands out for his positive, can-do attitude and commitment to treating every client equally, regardless of financial situation.
“I firmly believe in keeping an open mind and continuously learning,” says Pham. “Building strong relationships with excellent bankers is crucial, and taking care of your staff is paramount because everything else tends to fall into place when they’re happy and supported.”
The ability to adapt to changes in the dynamic commercial mortgage market is deemed essential by experts, and Pham emphasises as indispensable the need to:
Pham says, “Policies shift frequently, new products emerge regularly and regulatory changes are always looming. Staying at the forefront of these developments is critical to staying relevant in our field.”
Upon reflection of the past 12 months and how his role has changed, Pham notes a significant uptick in demand for his services. He has expanded his team by hiring two additional brokers and more support staff.
Pham says, “With the residential market taking a hit, we’ve noticed more clients transitioning to the commercial space, necessitating skilled and specialised brokers. Consequently, my role has evolved; there’s less emphasis on writing deals and more on mentoring and strategising for the business’s growth.”
Now a mentor to several mortgage brokers recognised as rising stars in the industry, Pham shares his resolve to continue pushing forward and never hesitates to ask questions.
He says, “Each deal is unique. Understanding your client’s needs thoroughly will yield significant dividends in the long run.”
A team with experienced specialists focused on various facets of the brokerage has been the primary catalyst for the managing director’s growth and success.
“Rather than trying to be a generalist broker, we have skilled people dedicated to different areas, such as construction and development funding, commercial property purchases, cash flow and equipment finance,” Trianta says.
The commercial side of the business has experienced significant growth, driven by a shift in bankers and other finance professionals from traditional roles to private companies or to become brokers themselves, as well as opportunities arising from clients looking to form a relationship with the full-service Podium Money.
“We’ve focused on understanding our customers and spending time to get to know them,” Trianta says. “The customer feedback has been great.”
Trianta prioritises a client-centric strategy that ensures an exceptional experience and satisfaction, along with the following:
As Trianta’s business expands, his role has shifted to developing new growth opportunities and sourcing new lender partners, including building relationships with alternative lenders.
He says, “Especially in the development space, having a suite of new lender offerings allowed us to place transactions that we may not have done 12 months ago.”
Industry expert Simon Bednar, CEO at Finsure, highlights Trianta’s diversification strategy as essential to commercial broking success.
“Recruiting specialists in the team to manage different interests of the client will help a commercial broker stand apart from their competitors and create a one-stop-shop for their clients,” he says.
La Trobe Financial congratulates Mortgage Professional Australia’s Top Commercial Brokers for 2024.
This annual recognition of high-performing brokers emphasises the contributions they have made not only within our industry but, importantly, within the local communities of everyday Australians who are looking to navigate the commercial lending landscape guided by a quality mortgage broker.
La Trobe Financial empowers brokers with industry-leading commercial solutions that are easy to use and remove the barriers to entry. Our product range is unmatched in depth and breadth within the non-bank sector, which makes us a partner of choice for commercial brokers across the country.
We congratulate all of the Top Commercial Brokers for 2024 on their significant achievements; they set a benchmark of excellence that deserves to be celebrated, and we wish them continued success in the years ahead.
Cory Bannister
Chief Lending Officer
La Trobe Financial
To find and recognise the Top Commercial Brokers for 2024, MPA invited brokers from across the country to submit their figures from the past year. The online form asked for details such as the total value of commercial loans settled, the number of commercial loans settled and the proportion of loans in the following areas: commercial real estate, equipment and asset finance, SME lending, debtor finance, unsecured business lending and development finance.
Brokers also supplied information such as the number of support staff on their team, their number of years as a commercial broker and their aggregator details. Aggregators were then required to verify the details submitted.
The final ranking of the Top 30 brokers was based on the total value of commercial loans they wrote during the 12-month period.
