Happiness the driving factor
Making the switch from a sports podiatrist to a mortgage broker doesn’t seem like the most obvious transition but Mitchell Bath is thankful every day that he made the leap.
Having spent a decade working as a podiatrist, Bath (pictured above) admits his former career has drawn a lot of interest.
“I guess this is now my point of difference in the industry coming from a medical background and I have found that people are generally quite intrigued with my career progression,” said Bath, who now works as a mortgage broker at The Lending Alliance.
“I’ve worked in some of Australia’s most prestigious sports clinics, treating many a weekend warrior right up to Olympic athletes.”
Despite some of the job’s highpoints, after 10 years of treating 20 pairs of feet every day, Bath said he’d had enough.
“I was no longer passionate about the career (perhaps I never was) and work wasn’t providing me with any real satisfaction or fulfilment,” Bath said. “Fortunately, I have a very supportive wife who is actually a medical doctor, and she absolutely loves her job.”
“She was really the catalyst and the motivator behind me making a change and it has already proven to be one of the most impactful and life-changing decisions that I have made. It still blows me away how happy I am heading in to work every day.”
Bath, who is based in the Sydney and Newcastle area, said his clients at the Lending Alliance were primarily residential borrowers.
“In saying this, I think as life goes on, and people around you start achieving things in business, there is a natural evolution into some commercial deals also,” Bath said.
“We also specialise in SMSF lending which has a good mix of both.
“This is the beauty of broking, in my first year I have helped clients in every state and territory of Australia besides the Northern Territory.
“Hopefully I can jag an NT client next year to complete Australia.”
Technology ensures broking is a mobile career
Bath said the fact that broking was such a mobile career meant as long as he had his phone and laptop, he could work anywhere and with anyone.
Before becoming a broker, Bath had previously only had two interactions with brokers.
“The first was the broker who helped me purchase my first investment property when I was about 25,” Bath said.
“He was actually a podiatry patient of mine at the time, and he and his team at The Lending Alliance were able to help me acquire an off-the-plan property in Newcastle. I had a positive experience and couldn’t believe at the time that the service was at no cost to me.”
Bath’s second interaction was with some very good friends from Perth.
“They are a husband-and-wife team who run a very successful brokerage over in Western Australia – Mortgage Choice Subiaco,” Bath said.
“I admired many aspects of their life and while I could tell that they worked incredibly hard, they were often ebullient about settling a deal and it made my podiatry life seem so vanilla.”
Bath said at the end of 2022 he called his initial broker and told him he was considering a career change to broking.
“Fortunately, he was willing to take me on as a new to industry broker and he is my current mentor and I’m loving every day. I’ve ended up going full circle and I’m now a part of the team at The Lending Alliance.”
Broking career one of camaraderie and collaboration
Bath said he loved the camaraderie that came with working at a boutique brokerage where there was plenty of collaboration, and ideas and solutions were bounced around among the team.
“I like that the mortgage/lending space is constantly evolving, and you need to stay across financial and economic news along with all the policy updates,” he said.
“I derive great satisfaction from helping clients buy properties and ensuring people are on the best possible deal.
“I also think people really appreciate the work of mortgage brokers so it’s nice to feel that gratitude from clients.”
A recent study by broker aggregator Connective revealed the relationship between a broker and client is increasingly moving beyond the transactional and towards a valued relationship between the two parties.
Broking for those who like ‘numbers, people and property’
Bath said mortgage broking was a great career for anyone who enjoyed working with numbers and people and had a genuine interest in property.
As a bonus, Bath said there was satisfaction in being part of a “wonderful industry full of great people”.
“My perspective on work has changed significantly since becoming a broker,” Bath said. “There’s so much value in finding a career that you’re interested in and one that brings you satisfaction and pride.”
Broking remains a popular career choice, with the recent International Mortgage Brokers Federation World Summit hearing Australia currently has just under 20,000 mortgage brokers to service the nation’s borrowers.
Would you recommend mortgage broking as a career? Share your thoughts below.
