Tayla Phillips Resolve Finance

Q. How and why did you become a broker?

I went through the process of purchasing my home when I was quite young and I was working in an investment property company at the time. I had so many professionals around me that could help me, but I still felt really overwhelmed. It was a maze of information. I came out of that experience and I thought, ‘I think I can do a better job’. I moved into property development as a project manager and then I made the leap into broking and it’s been awesome. Very challenging but awesome.

I joined Resolve purely because of the way that they marketed their mentor program. As a broker, you need that [initial] support in an industry that is incredibly compliance-driven and holds a lot of risk. I needed to ensure that my longevity as a broker was going to be set up really well.

Q. Do you think the qualifications for broking set you up for success?

The short answer to that is probably no. When I was at Resolve doing my initial inductions, I finished my diploma and I thought, ‘How is this diploma relevant?’ Obviously, you need to get it done [and] I’m glad that I did it, but it didn’t hold much weight in my day-to-day role as a broker.

I would put more emphasis on scenarios that are actually relevant to today’s world. There wasn’t much on self-employed trusts or company set-ups and we see quite a lot of that now. That space was quite foreign to me and that’s something I think should have been inserted in the program, as well as reading payslips.

Q. What tech do you use to make your job more efficient?

Quickli has been incredible. When I first started my journey, there were a few brokers who told me not to use Quickli because it was imperative for me to understand policies off the back of my own hand. But any technology that enhances systems and productivity, I’m not going to say no to it!

Quickli’s policy guide is amazing and anything that comes up out of that I put into my own database, which I use Notion for. Notion is great. I use [it] quite heavily for remembering little policy niches. But outside of that, I don’t like to overcomplicate it.

Q. How do you source referrals?

Social media is amazing. I use it to my advantage. I originally reached out to an accountant as a referral partner and, honestly, she’s probably become one of my best friends. From that experience, I’ve learned that you don’t need to be shy about reaching out to people on social media. Say what your intention is, say who you are, and [that] you want to catch up. And that’s exactly what I do.

Also, just get around and have a chat with people and don’t be worried about what they think, [or] if it’s a no or a yes. Just do it.

Q. What are your top tips for new brokers?

If you’ve joined a brokerage where there are multiple brokers in the office and you have a central office location, get into the office and surround yourself with as many people as you can. As a broker, you’re quite autonomous, which is incredible. But when you’re starting out, you need to be in and among the action.

You need to be putting yourself in front of everyone and making sure that you’re absorbing all of the information from other brokers. From hearing people’s conversations on the phone, you pick up so much.

I’ve made a commitment to myself to get in the office Monday to Friday. I’m in the office all the time and I’m learning so, so much more. That would be my number one [tip]. Just get around it and absorb as much as you can from the people who have been doing it forever.