Everyone in industry has a part to play, founder says
National Finance Brokers Day is set to return in August, with a lineup of 23 expert speakers ready to share their knowledge and experience.
To be held on August 16, 2023, at Luna Park in Milson’s Point, Sydney, National Finance Brokers Day provides an opportunity for brokers, lenders, partners and clients to learn, celebrate success and work together to advance the industry.
In an event first, this year’s conference will feature discussion panels on residential lending, commercial lending and technology and innovation.
Event founder and head of third party relationships at Marketplace Finance, Dino Pacella (pictured above left with NFBD speaker and Nectar Group head of distribution and growth Andrew Stevens), said that “unity” was at the core of the event.
Raising awareness about what finance brokers do and the important part that the industry plays within the Australian economy is vital for ongoing progress and growth, Pacella said.
“It shows that every single person out there, from consumers to other industry advocates, that the broking industry works as one,” Pacella said. “Everyone wants to learn from each other (whether from an in individual or business perspective), to help grow the industry, becoming more professional and compliant.”
Three discussion panels provide in-depth learning
Speaking on MPA Pod’s weekly podcast ahead of the event, Pacella said that the residential lending panel will feature well-known speakers such as Shore Financial senior credit adviser and mortgage broker Christian Stevens, LMG national director of growth Suzi Trajanovski, and business adviser and success coach Ruan Burger. Infinity Group co-founder Graeme Holm will perform the role of moderator.
“They’re going to cover off how to grow a successful business, how to leverage business to business, business to consumer and social media networks, that continue part of that growth within a broker’s business,” Pacella said.
The residential panel will also discuss the importance of attraction and what that means from a broker’s perspective, and how to organically grow a business from a consumer’s perspective, Pacella said.
Leveraging opportunities, whether from social media or from a referral network - and how brokers can continue adding value to the Australian market, will also be discussed.
The commercial lending panel will feature five speakers: Judo Bank chief third party officer George Obeid, Simplicity Loans & Advisory managing director Matthew Johnson, BF Money managing director George Karam, CAFBA president Matthew Atkin and Simplicity Loans & Advisory associate director Isabella Constantinou, one of the MPA's Best Mortgage Brokerages in Australia.
Speakers on the panel will discuss opportunities to diversify into commercial lending and having the “right conversations with clients”. Pacella said this was essential to ensure that the transaction was followed up, whether completed by the broker or referred to a third party.
“[Speakers will] dig a little deeper on what diversification means, what lessons they’ve learnt throughout their career and what the client journey looks like,” Pacella said.
Isabella Constantinou will discuss opportunities for women to diversify into the commercial finance space, sharing her experience and knowledge on the panel.
On the technology panel, Propps non-executive director and Lendi Group board member Graham Mirabito, Kubio Group principal Nam Hoang and NextGen head of broker partnerships Renee Blethyn will discuss where technology is leading the broking industry.
This will include the role of artificial intelligence and opportunities for brokers to partner with technology to drive growth and add value to clients.
Amid higher interest rates and a higher cost of living, Pacella said that unity is a critical aspect of the mortgage and finance industry, as mortgage brokers continue to show their value in helping clients to get the right loan for their needs.
Whether their expertise is in residential or commercial lending, it shows that there is a broker out there for every client, Pacella said.
Uniformity is not only important at an industry level, but also in terms of what it looks like from a consumer’s perspective, he said. Now more than ever, it’s about that “trusted adviser” piece.
“They can help with future budget planning, property data, analytics (if they’re looking at investment properties )… there’s a lot more that a broker can do now than potentially they could have done five or six years ago,” Pacella said.
“With the help of technology (and the more data a client can get from a broker), the more beneficial the broker becomes to that client.”
MPA is the official media partner for NFBD, which has features more than 23 speakers and over 40 event partners this year.
The event will run on August 16 from 9am to 4pm at The Grand Ballroom, Luna Park, followed by an after party, to run from 6pm to 9pm at The Piazza. Ticket prices are $199 each plus service fee for the live event and $75 plus service fee for the after party.
More information and registration details are available on the National Finance Brokers Day website.
The event is currently at just over at 90% capacity. Subject to availability, registrations are open until the event date, and tickets can be purchased at the door.
