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South Australian mortgage broker Mel Pedler left her career in banking so she could prioritise herself and achieve success that fits with her lifestyle.
Former bank branch manager Mel Pedler spent three decades helping people achieve their financial goals – from applying for home loans to improving their household budgets. She describes herself as a problem solver.
Mel said, “Give me a problem to help work through with someone and I'm happy.”
In 2023, Mel decided that she needed a career change. While she still loved working with people and helping them work through their financial challenges, Mel realised that she no longer wanted to work for someone else.
“My career has always been a split between home lending and leadership, and I wanted to step away from leadership for a while,” she said. “I wanted to look after myself, manage myself, and have the opportunity to create my own business and define my own success.”
Mel researched several mortgage broking aggregators to work out which would be the best fit for her. It was Mortgage Choice’s brand and reputation that sealed her decision.
“I knew the value of the Mortgage Choice brand because of the success and strong reputation of the Mortgage Choice Glenelg office,” Mel said. “And I understood and really liked the Mortgage Choice business proposition.”
She also appreciated the openness of her conversations with her Mortgage Choice Recruitment Manager.
Mel said, “Being able to talk to Brendan about my concerns was great and he gave me some really helpful information. He was a lot more open and transparent than other aggregators I’d spoken to.”
Mel joined Mortgage Choice in December 2023 and completed her induction in January 2024. She was the first graduate of Mortgage Choice’s Broker Success Program, a 12-month program designed to help new brokers accelerate their progress and profitability. Mel was surprised by the level of support she received as a participant of the program.
“The support I received from the Mortgage Choice team during the Broker Success Program provided an invaluable sounding board for when things were not working right,” she said. “I also learned a lot about marketing, networking and how to keep in touch with my clients so I’m top of mind for their next financial need. The program really helped to keep me focused on working on my business holistically and made me feel like part of the Mortgage Choice community.”
Mel has formed valuable connections with other brokers who joined Mortgage Choice at the same time as her. She is also learning from established brokers who have shared their experience with starting a business and what worked for them.
“Some local brokers invited me to their shopfront so I could see how they operate,” Mel said. “I’ve had lots of helpful conversations with brokers in the Mortgage Choice network that have helped me set my own benchmarks and have realistic expectations for my business.”
Mel’s banking background and lending knowledge made the transition to broking relatively easy. Her first clients were friends, family and leads provided by Mortgage Choice. Mel’s lead pipeline is now steadily growing through referrals and participating in events like home buying expos.
She says one of the biggest differences between working for a bank and owning a Mortgage Choice franchise is the amount of choice she is now able to offer her clients thanks to the panel of more than 35 lenders.
“One of the things I hated about working in the bank was that if people didn't fit within that little bubble, then it was a ‘no’ for now and probably a ‘no’ forever,” Mel said. “Whereas now, with Mortgage Choice, there's more than likely going to be a solution for everyone.”
Mel can also be far more proactive and provide better service for her clients compared to when she worked in banking.
“In banking, it’s ‘pack and stack’ all day long,” she said. “You try to work on a client’s loan and then you’re pulled onto something else and you have to put it to the side. I can now work a lot faster and more proactively. My clients get a lot more attention and communication from me with one-on-one personalised service.”
Mel loves working for herself and setting her own agenda. Her goal is to open a Mortgage Choice shopfront in around two years once her business has grown.
She said, “My goal is to have my own shopfront and my own team and to build my business for myself rather than for a bank.”
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