Login
ISCOVER
Liz McRae of Loan Market Geelong was named the Best Regional Broker in Victoria/Tasmania at the Better Business Awards 2022, with judges calling out her impressive customer service. We catch up with the Victoria-based broker to find out how she does it.
Earlier this year, Liz McRae of Loan Market Geelong was crowned the Best Regional Broker in Victoria and Tasmania.
We find out how the banker transitioned to becoming a broker, what the market in Geelong is like at the moment, and some of her career highlights.
How long have you been broking and why did you become a broker?
I’ve been broking for around seven or eight years now. I work with Sarah Thomson down at the Geelong office and I knew her through our children.
I became a broker when she presented the opportunity to me because of my work in banking and thought I’d be great in their team.
How did you find the transition from banking to broking?
It was so different. At the time in banking, there was a lot of compliance, every file had to be checked, but then when I moved across to broking, I couldn’t actually believe that we didn’t assess the application.
We sent it in, and it was someone else’s job.
How has your experience been as a Loan Market branded broker?
I joined with Sarah who was already with Loan Market, and it was very different to see how much they supported you there unlike when I worked at the bank.
I have really close relationships with our estate managers and BDMs, and that’s not the sort of thing you get when you work for a bank. I’d say it’s been a really good transition.
What sort of loans are you writing now?
We predominantly write residential, investment, owner-occupied, and construction loans but first home buyers are probably my biggest target market at the moment.
What’s the market like in Geelong at the moment?
Geelong’s always been popular with people from local areas, but it just went crazy during the pandemic. Everyone wanted a piece of their sea change or their tree change.
The market’s still quite strong. We’ve seen great growth over the last few years, although I think that will flatten. We’re not expecting it to go backwards in Geelong. There are still plenty of people looking to invest and we still have really good pockets that are close to the city waterfront that are affordable.
I think that’ll continue over the coming years.
How do you balance motherhood and broking?
I think having a strong team around you really helps. Setting my diary is pretty structured in terms of when I can take appointments.
I’ll also start with a blank calendar and find the times I’m going to make myself available. I think that’s something that’s really important.
You’ve got to find the time to switch off at night, put your phone down and be present. I’m not perfect at it, but being aware that this job can take over every aspect of your life is important, too. It’s the simplest things that can make it easier, like shutting my office door at night.
What do you think could be done to ensure women stay in the industry?
In general, at least in my opinion, women perhaps don’t ask for help early enough. I believe having a strong support network like we have at Loan Market would definitely help.
I was probably sceptical at the start, thinking “why do we need this just for women?”, but once I actually saw it, and you see other successful women doing it, it gives you something to strive for.
I think definitely just letting more people know it’s okay to ask for help and getting that support sooner would be helpful for women in this industry.
What have been the highlights of your career so far?
I would say it’s being able to make a difference for clients and go on that journey with them. I know it sounds super cliché, but it’s the deep relationships you form.
They’re handing over all their financial details that are very personal information and I think being about to tell them what they need to do if they want to buy a house and seeing the outcome is important, even if those conversations can be a little difficult.
It’s just not something I feel like I had in the bank, it’s real advice now. That’s probably one of my favourite aspects of being a broker.
What would be some advice you could give to new brokers?
It’s learning how to say “no”, and telling clients that we can’t help them just yet. Also, I’d say is to get help sooner, hand things over, and learning that you can’t be everywhere all at once.
That’s what I had to learn and that’s okay because lots of other people are better in their area than me, and I’m leaning on that.
You can find out more about Liz McRae and how she’s been delighting her customers in The Adviser’s Elite Broker podcast.
Tune in to the episode with Liz, How the Best Regional Broker Victoria/Tasmania delights clients in Geelong, below:
[RELATED: How the Best Regional Broker Victoria/Tasmania delights clients in Geelong]
JOIN THE DISCUSSION