While the past year has been challenging, it has also been positive says broker
Ranking 76 in this year’s Top 100, Fane Levy says the past 12 months have been both challenging and exciting. MPA spoke with Levy about how he adapted during the pandemic and why customer relationships are key during periods of uncertainty.
Starting his broking career with Shore Financial in 2015, Levy has since gone on to make his mark in the industry; being named MPA Young Gun in 2017 and making the Top 100 list for the past three years running.
While the past 12 months threw a spanner in the works for countless businesses across the globe, Shore Financial came third place in this year’s Top 10 Brokerages, proving resilient in a time of uncertainty.
Within Levy’s books alone, settlements have doubled over the past six months, while the company as a whole has thrived; September seeing a record $316,900,000 worth of lodgements.
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While the year has been challenging, it has also brought lessons in overcoming adversity and adapting to change, said Levy.
“The combination of a world pandemic, over five interest rate cuts and a new lending landscape have certainly rocked the broking world,” he said. “However, with all challenges, come positives.”
While adapting to a contactless broking world was challenging at first, the introduction of E-Docs has proven to streamline the application process. Levy also employed a post-settlement officer to provide ongoing rate reviews and deal with any post-settlement requests.
“COVID-19 certainly created a shock and impacted my business for the first few months, however I slowly learnt to adjust and focus on refinances for both new and existing clients as a mechanism to grow business,” he said. “Offering clients a means to reduce their loan repayments was extremely attractive given there was a lot of uncertainty.
“I’ve learnt that being able to adapt both your processes and attitude during times of uncertainty is one of the most crucial skillsets to imbed into any business.”
Customer relationships are also crucial, he added, explaining they provide a solid foundation for long-term and repeat business.
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“These clients will prove to be ‘clients for life’ if you show your true value in tough times. This will separate you from the rest and allow your business to thrive,” he said.
Providing excellent customer service is Levy’s number one tip for new to industry brokers – something that can be bolstered by improving processes to create better efficiency.
“Knowledge is key, however customer service is just as important,” he said. “Making sure you are the master of both of these will ensure your success as a broker.”
