Anniversary marks 'hugely significant milestone' for team
Mortgage Choice’s Cairns office, the first to open its doors in the broker network’s 33-year history, is celebrating three decades in operation this month.
Current franchise owner Lindon Reed, who purchased the office from OG owner Ian Macpherson in 2013, said: “Owning my own business has allowed me to build something that is truly my own, that is so closely tied to my reputation and the service I provide, which I’m proud of.
“I always say it was the best decision of my life moving into mortgage broking.”
Reed recalled building a strong referral network on the Cairns beat through a strong network of estate agents, accountants and financial advisers.
He said: “In the early days, I would tell referral partners that if they had a customer who was struggling to get their home loan sorted, that I was sure I could find them an option with one of the many lenders on our panel.
“Over time, this helped me build a reputation for being someone you could count on to always find a way to support customers.”
“This is a hugely significant milestone not only for the Mortgage Choice Cairns team, but also for our company’s history as it was the very first retail office to open in our network,” said Mortgage Choice chief executive Anthony Waldron (pictured).
“We are immensely proud that for 33 years, we’ve been partnering with brokers like Lindon to represent the Mortgage Choice brand across the country to help Australians achieve their property ownership dreams.”
Reed has seen the broking industry transform for the better over the years.
“From a customer’s perspective, it’s so much easier to meet with a broker now,” he said. “Many of my customers are based in regional and remote locations all over Queensland. From Cairns, as far north as the Cape York Peninsula, and over in Mt Isa.
“Years ago, I remember having to send documents to the council office in Mount Isa for a customer who was based on a mine several hours away because the closest JP (Justice of the Peace) who could sign those documents was a local Senior Sergeant. Now we have software that allows this whole process to be done in moments online.”
Alongside Reed, the Cairns office comprises office manager Deidre Bailey, brokers Samantha Gasson and Lisa Thomas, Reed’s wife and marketing manager Helen Reed and team mascot, Isabel the chihuahua (pictured below).
