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MFAA’s LinkedIn broker community now has over 4,000 brokers joining in industry discussions, making it the largest online discussion forum for brokers in the country, according to the broker association.
The MFAA says it has worked hard in the past 12 months to develop its LinkedIn broker community, which now has 4,473 members who have volunteered to connect and network with each other. A separate group for the Women In Mortgage Business Network (WIMBN) sits at 1,253 members.
Serving as active discussion forums, Siobhan Hayden, chief executive of the MFAA says that these groups have a strong online networking function for all member brokers – and members should be taking advatage of it.
“While we support these networks with information and advice, the brokers have really taken over with active conversations on topics from recruitment to lender performance and marketing issues.
“Unlike other industry forums that are dominated by push-out posts from executives, ours are driven by broker and third party discussion with little or no restrictions. We value this as an authentic way to share ideas and opinions.”
The MFAA’s LinkedIn network has seen a significant increase since the association revealed its social media strategy last year. Recognising a crucial mentorship and networking opportunity for time-poor professionals, the MFAA says it has committed ongoing resources to expanding its digital communities.
“We do have rules about posts that have kept the forum effective,” MFAA head of marketing, Stephen Hale said.
“Any active member who uses these forums to oversell products will be put on notice so that the integrity of the network is maintained. The good news is that our brokers generally self-regulate so those that do act improperly get almost no value. All new entrants will have their information checked to ensure membership.”
Based on current growth figures, the MFAA expects its LinkedIn network to comprise well over 5,500 industry members by the end of 2015.
“This is a powerful resource for the industry and a crucial benefit for our 11,000 strong member database. Providing ongoing support, the MFAA will continue to host the number one mortgage and finance discussion group in the country,” Hayden said.
