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The brokerage and aggregator has appointed Ben Livera as its new state manager for South Australia and Northern Territory.
Mortgage Choice has announced that Ben Livera has taken on the role of state manager SA/NT, effective from today (30 January).
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Mr Livera fills the role following the retirement of former state manager Amanda Scott, who held the position for over five years during her 25-year career in financial services.
He will report to general manager distribution, Aaron Slater, and will be in charge of overall performance and business growth in the Northern Territory and South Australia. Mr Livera will also be responsible for recruitment, development of franchise teams, and franchise growth.
Mr Livera previously worked as a franchise development manager (FDM) for over half a decade.
Commented on Mr Livera’s appointment, Mr Slater said: “I am thrilled to see Ben stepping into this role. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in franchise development and relationship management, including strong relationships with our network of franchisees in SA and NT.”
Speaking on the departure of Ms Scott, Mr Slater thanked her for her service, adding that she had been “integral in driving the expansion of the SA/NT network” through her work in recruitment and development of the aggregator’s national network.
“Amanda embodies everything that’s great about our business and her passion and belief in the Mortgage Choice brand will be sorely missed, as will her advocacy for the broking industry with key stakeholders including government and the MFAA," he said.
"We wish her every success in retirement,” Mr Slater added.
On his appointment, Mr Livera said he looked forward to continuing Ms Scott’s work in building up Mortgage Choice franchises and focusing on “building strong and more sustainable small businesses”.
“Mortgage Choice remains a nationally recognised and trusted brand, and with the support of REA Group our network will continue to thrive. As more Australians choose mortgage brokers to help finance their homes, I see significant opportunities in our industry,” Mr Livera added.
Survey into the relationship between borrowers and lenders
Mortgage Choice recently commissioned a survey that indicated that many borrowers are feeling that they aren’t being given the best offers available from their lenders.
The survey (based on over 1,000 responses from home loan customers) found that a large cohort of borrowers felt “undervalued” by their current lenders and would consider switching to a new lender should their loyalty remain unrewarded.
Seventy-one per cent of borrowers said they would be “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to switch lenders if they felt that they weren’t being offered the best possible rates on their loans.
A further 52 per cent said they knew they weren’t receiving the best rates offered or weren’t sure they were getting the best rate available.
Mortgage Choice chief executive Anthony Waldron said at the time that many lenders, unfortunately, do not reward their customers for their loyalty.
“In a rising rate environment, it pays to shop around for a better deal and not be complacent with your home loan,” Mr Waldron said.
“Borrowers are telling us they want pricing parity between new and existing customers.
“They believe they should be rewarded for their proven repayment history and for choosing to stay with their current lender instead of switching.”
[RELATED: Borrowers are feeling “undervalued” by lenders, aggregator says]
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