Top broker John Contarino on generating high-quality leads
Getting their brand in front of the public is vital for any successful mortgage broker – but which strategies are the most effective?
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John Contarino (pictured above), finance broker at Mobile Finance Broker and winner of Regional Broker of the Year at the 2021 Australian Mortgage Awards, has taken several different approaches. He told MPA that one of the most effective strategies for his Queensland firm has been simple, old-fashioned word of mouth.
“As far as sales strategies to drive high-quality leads … it’s the basic fundamentals for us,” Contarino said. “The first question I ask every single client, from day one, is, ‘How did you hear about Mobile Finance Broker?’ – and we keep a record of that. The answer initially, for the first three years, was always ‘such-and-such told me to give you a call’ or ‘several people said to give you a call.’”
Contarino said that online reviews have also helped grow his business.
“In the last 12 months, it’s changed from ‘such-and-such said to give you a call’ to ‘I Googled Mobile Finance Broker,’ and more recently, ‘We Googled Mobile Finance Broker and we love the reviews,’: he said. “…I think the most successful tool for us is still word of mouth and Google reviews.”
Contarino said that after settlement, Mobile Finance Broker sends customers a message thanking them for their business and asking them to rate their experience. He also pointed out that good Google reviews mean higher placement in search results.
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“For those who may not know, with the Google reviews, the more five-star Google reviews you get, the better placed you are on that page,” he said. “Right now, if you Google Mobile Finance Broker, we sit first because we’ve got the most five-star reviews. The only ones that precede that listing are the paid advertisements from the large franchises that aren’t based in our area. So we’re getting a lot of high-quality leads from Google reviews … and the good thing about it is, it’s absolutely free.”
Contarino said that word-of-mouth referrals and Google reviews – both free – had been more effective for his business than some paid marketing strategies.
“I also have three roadside billboards on the main traffic routes into Atherton, and recently I ran a four-month television commercial campaign – and I can tell you that 95% of our business still comes from word of mouth and Google reviews,” he said. “I can’t emphasise enough how important Google reviews are.”
