Head to head: How have you maintained relationships this year?

Brokers know that relationships with their clients remain a top priority – now more so than ever

By MPA

17 Aug 2020

Cameron Price
Owner–partner
Mortgage Choice

“Apart from our staff, our clients remain the absolute number one priority for our business; client relationships are the key to our continued success. Good and healthy client relationships allows us to operate as efficiently as possible, knowing we’re all working for the same positive outcome. They also mean our clients are more likely to become a referral source and continue to use our services. We then have a key component of what all businesses need: a loyal client base and a reliable marketing source for new clients. In the current climate, being available to take a call or meet in good times and bad has allowed us to continue to build relationships with new clients and strengthen existing relationships with clients and lender and referral partners.”

Amy Small
Regional director – finance broker
Professional Lending Solutions

“I believe building lifelong relationships with clients is very important, and this is what is going to grow your business most. Word-of-mouth recommendations are a huge way to increase and maintain leads. In my o ce we make sure each client is made to feel special instead of feeling like a transaction. We call it giving it a little bit of love, and we often send out cards to our clients for various reasons as an example. I’m involved in my local community via a Newcastle mum’s group that tags me whenever anyone has questions about fi nance. Word-of-mouth recommendations are so important, and you can only do that by fostering strong relationships and helping clients reach those goals.”

Karen Bashford
General manager/broker
South Coast Business & Financial Solutions

“Client relationships are number one on the list! Making your clients aware that you care and want them to be financially successful into the future builds a relationship that lasts many years. 2020 has been doubly difficult for our community, firstly with the fires as well as the pandemic’s effects on a tourism town, so it has been imperative to be available to assist – pro bono of course! Keeping in constant contact with clients, offering support and assistance with deferring repayments – as well as negotiating with insurance companies or banks for fire rebuilds – has been mammoth. The relationships you build determine your level of referral/repeat business – the lifeblood of any broking business.”

The value of relationships is 'never-ending'

Industry stalwart Kathy Cummings joined Bank of Queensland in December 2019 in the new role of general manager, broker. Cummings believes that while some aspects of the mortgage industry will continue to evolve as the world goes through the coronavirus pandemic, it’s a question of ensuring it can keep satisifying clients with the quality of its customer service. Perhaps particularly important in the current environment are some of her key learnings from her experience: she says it’s vital to embrace change, make a decision and go with it, and that “the importance of relationships is never-ending”