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Infinite Lending Solutions quickly returned to FAST after the brokerage’s switch to a rival aggregator proved to be a mistake
It only took three months for Adelaide brokerage Infinite Lending Solutions to realise its departure from FAST had not been a good move. Owner Christina Slingsby farewelled FAST – reluctantly – in 2012.
She had joined the aggregator six years earlier and says she always received great service and support from the team.
However, she became frustrated with FAST’s recently-installed software platform, which she says was still experiencing teething problems.
“The software was dropping out and having all sorts of issues and that was causing me huge problems in the business,” Ms Slingsby says. Meanwhile, another aggregator had been wooing her and happened to make its latest sales pitch at just the right time.
“They got me on a day when I’d had enough of the software. I’d always been happy with FAST, but I saw [the new aggregator’s] software and thought it looked great,” she says.
Estimating that she writes about 20 loans per month, Ms Slingsby says FAST was disappointed to lose her business, but the aggregator respected her decision.
Infinite Lending Solutions left FAST in March 2012, but the brokerage had returned by January 2013 after Ms Slingsby had become disillusioned with her new aggregator.
The software was good, but the commission payment structure was poor and the support was inadequate, she says.
“I felt a little bit like they over-promised and under-delivered,” she says. “There was a lot of sales talk going on. It made me realise I belonged with FAST.
“They just wanted me over there but then, when I got there, nothing they had promised me came to fruition and I didn’t get the support I needed.”
Meanwhile, FAST was working hard to lure Ms Slingsby back and was even offering her support on certain deals. The aggregator also made “drastic improvements” to its software during that time.
Ms Slingsby advises brokers to think carefully before switching aggregators.
“Definitely do your homework and read the fine print in any contract you sign,” she says.
“In the end, [the new aggregator] tried to bully me into staying and they picked the wrong broker to bully. They did, in the end, come to the party, but they tried to make it difficult for me to leave.”
