Like father, like son

Data from RFi shows consumer confidence remains incredibly weak, with consumers more cautious now than during the depths of the GFC.

In addition, overall mortgage growth is currently sitting around five per cent – a long way from the 12 per cent growth experienced in years gone by.

But, as the old adage goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going – to their existing database.

Which is exactly what father and son duo Lindsay and Matthew Rogers did.

The formidable Aussie brokers turn to each other and their client database in a bid to beat the flat market conditions.

And by all accounts, the pair have managed to do just that.

The father and son team are incredibly successful within the Aussie team.

Just last month Lindsay Rogers, who has worked for the brokerage in one capacity or another for the past 14 years, was awarded Best Performing Mobile Broker in New South Wales.

Mr Rogers, an Annandale resident and Sydney-based broker overcame difficult market conditions to settle more than $55 million in residential mortgages in 2010.

On average, the broker writes between $60 and $70 million a year, making him not only a top performing Aussie broker, but one of the industry’s elite business writers.

And his son, Matthew Rogers, is not far behind.

After completing an apprenticeship under his father, Matthew went out on his own last year and wrote $27 million in his first 12 months as a broker.

This year, Matthew is on track to settle more than $40 million in residential mortgages.

So what is the secret to their success?

“It is good to have someone you know and trust in the same industry as you. They understand what you are going through and you can talk freely with them about any challenges you come across in business,” Matthew says.

And his dad agrees.

“Having my son in the same industry is more than rewarding as we help each other out by finding the best solution for each individual family or investor wanting to refinance or get into the market,” Lindsay says.

“Our business priorities are underpinned by superior customer service and communication.”

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

Lindsay says having the right attitude towards the profession and towards clients is imperative to a broker’s success.

“Clients use me and my services time and time again not because I inundate them with calls or emails, but because I provide them with quality, professional service. Clients don’t want their best friend to find them a loan, they want a professional whose opinion they can trust,” Lindsay says.

True to his word, Lindsay says he calls his clients once a year after settlement to touch base and see how they are going.

In addition to that, the Aussie brokerage sends out four personal email communications each year on his behalf to his client database.

The brokerage also touches base with clients when interest rates move or the market changes.

“My clients come to me for professional advice. They respect the fact that I am a professional, they trust me and, provided I offer the best service, they will come back time and time again.”

And come back they have.

By Lindsay’s own admission, 100 per cent of his business is repeat or referral from existing clients.

“In the past I have had professional referral relationships with solicitors, estate agents and financial planners, but at the end of the day, those relationships fail to create a lot of business opportunities, which is why I spend my time maintaining relationships with my existing client database.”

And while Lindsay’s son Matthew does have a few sound professional referral relationships with solicitors, he says he has learned from his dad just how important it is to have and maintain strong client relationships.

Today, Matthew says his number one priority is building good relationships with all his new and existing clients.

“Dad is my mentor. And he is a brilliant mentor to have. He has been so successful in business, so it is good to have someone like that teaching you the tricks of the trade,” Matthew says.

“I have learned a lot from dad. He has taught me how important it is to have strong relationships with your clients, and how important it is to be seen as professional and trustworthy at all times.”

But aside from his leadership on client relationships, Matthew says he has also learned a lot from his father when it comes to dealing with credit assessors and the banks’ processing teams.

Any broker will be able to recount a time when they have had a run-in with a particular credit assessor, but Matthew says the trick is to remain cool under pressure.

“As brokers, we have to build strong relationships with everyone – not just our clients,” Matthew says.

“This is definitely something I have learned from my dad. He is always calm, cool and collected under pressure. He treats everyone with respect and receives it in kind. I have no complaints working with dad. He is calm, easy going and has a good approach to business.”

“I have been rolling with the punches a long time,” Lindsay says.

“After you have been in the business a while you come to understand that you catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.”

“I know brokers that will get on the phone to their credit assessor and get really worked up. That doesn’t help anyone. We are all passionate about our clients and we all want to do the right thing by them. But if you want the best result for your client, you have to understand the role credit assessors play and work with them, not against them.”

HEALTHY COMPETITION

But while working closely with a family member has some obvious benefits, it is not all fun and games for the father and son duo.

“There is definitely a healthy amount of competition between us,” Matthew says.

“My goal is to knock dad off the top spot and become Aussie’s number one mobile broker. I want to win James’ and John’s heart.”

Of course, if Lindsay has anything to do with it, Matthew’s goal is not going to be realised anytime soon.

“I am on trail for life and I am a member of the Chairman’s Club, but I am still incredibly active – I think you have to be. There is no room in this industry for part-time brokers,” Lindsay says.

“I am salesman and, like all good sales people, we have an ego. I want my son to do well, I want him to become one of the nation’s top Aussie brokers, but he will have to settle for second place.”

While the future remains unknown, one thing is clear, this father and son Aussie advisory team is certainly a force to be reckoned with.