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The non-bank lender has announced a pair of appointments designed to help strengthen its national distribution team.
Bridgit has announced the appointment of Nikki Pelizzoni as regional director and Jeff Hilton as business development manager (BDM) for Western Australia, two newly created roles that will help the non-bank lender improve its national distribution capabilities.
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Pelizzoni - who was most recently the national operations manager and national manager, broker relationships for non-bank lender Pepper Money - brings around 10 years of finance experience to Bridgit.
Over her career to date she has worked for several lenders, including Unloan, ME Bank, Suncorp Group, and Bankwest. She is also a qualified mortgage broker.
At Bridgit, Pelizzoni will oversee the bridging finance specialist’s continued growth in NSW and Queensland, while also providing operational support for its regional BDM teams.
Hilton has nearly two decades of experience in the broking industry, including as a specialist mortgage broker.
His career includes stints at AFG, RAMS, Lendi, LJ Hooker Home Loans, THiNK Plan Grow and Southshore Finance. More recently, he worked as a mobile relationship manager at Bendigo Bank and was most recently employed as business development and relationship manager for commercial lending at Indigenous Business Australia.
At Bridgit, Hilton is now be responsible for cementing broker relationships and sharing his local expertise across the western state, which the release said is a “strategic growth region” for Bridgit.
Stephen Doyle, head of distribution at Bridgit, said both hires bring “an exceptional record of expertise in their field”.
"With our accredited broker network growing by over 93 per cent in the past year, we are seeing the demand for bridging finance quickly accelerate across Australia, underscoring the need for dedicated BDMs with deep, local expertise on the ground in every state,” Doyle said.
“Having a local BDM like Jeff in WA ensures brokers and their clients receive tailored expert advice, helping them navigate the unique opportunities and challenges of the state’s dynamic property market.
“Our national distribution team – now double the size it was just six months ago – is committed to making it easier than ever to write bridging loans, showcasing just how powerful it can be as a solution for clients to secure their next property on their terms.
“With a strengthened, localised presence, Bridgit is committed to helping even more Australian homeowners achieve their goals and unlock the potential of their property equity.”
Bridge to opportunity
These appointments come at the end of a busy calendar year for Bridgit, which announced the increase of its securitisation facility to $250 million in November, enabling it to support $1 billion in transactions a year.
In September, the non-bank lender announced it had doubled its BDM team in response to rapid growth that saw a 375 per cent increase in broker applications.
In a feature for The Adviser’s November issue, Bridgit CEO Aaron Bassin was bullish on the non-bank lender’s prospects and said demand for bridging finance was likely to continue to grow.
“As soon as we start to see interest rates reduce, we’re going to see a huge surge in property activity,” Bassin said.
“There’ll be more competitiveness. And this type of solution is a powerful tool to help brokers meet the demands and needs of their clients, particularly in a changing landscape.
“A lot of customers want to unlock equity in their homes to be able to do more things with it, and that’s what this product allows us to do, is to utilise the wealth in their properties.”
Bassin also noted the shifts in customer perceptions regarding bridging loans, saying what was once considered a backup option is now part of a prudent strategy.
“Traditionally, Australians would look at trying to align settlements. That was always one of the options. Another option is to sell first and move in with family or rent while searching for the next home. And they’re all very stressful and expensive. We’re now seeing [bridging finance] as a first choice,” Bassin said.
“Australians are looking for flexibility, speed, and certainty when it comes to home ownership, because of the competitive environment we live in.”
[Related: Bridgit expands securitisation facility]
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