Aussie Home Loans has announced its plan to boost its retail store numbers and broker headcount in a new recruitment drive.
In June, Aussie announced it hit a recruitment milestone, employing its 1,000th mortgage broker. However, speaking to
Australian Broker, Aussie’s chief executive James Symond revealed plans to increase its broker headcount by a further 25% and its retail store fronts by almost 15%.
“We currently have 175 franchise stores and I am looking to have 200 purpose-built Aussie franchise stores within 18 months.
“We also have just over 1,000 Aussie mortgage brokers overall, including the brokers in the stores. Over the next 18 months I am looking to grow our broker network to around 1,250 Aussie brokers.
“It sounds like it is not much of a jump, but to recruit, to train, to manage and to lead to ensure they are successful is hard stuff.”
Aussie’s latest recruitment drive has been a reaction to unprecedented consumer demand, says Symond.
“In the last 12 months, Aussie has seen some of its largest growth ever. We are getting between 12,000 to 14,000 new customer enquiries every month. The Aussie brand is resonating so well in the market place. The Aussie distribution channels have become so effective in the market place and the Aussie retail stores are becoming more important in the marketplace,” he told Australian Broker.
“To be perfectly honest, the consumer demand and drive across all states has warranted us to go back out and to bang the drum for quality mortgage brokers to work within the Aussie brand. Our consumer demand warrants it.”
However this time, Symond says its focus will be on recruiting female brokers.
“Australia has a culture, which we are trying to change, in which real estate and finance have been very much male dominated, and we think that we can take ourselves on a path than can clear the way and really even that up," he told
Australian Broker.
“We have seen some of the very best operators in this country, in our industry and in our business being female operators. It is an industry which lends itself to females, to working mums, to the flexibilities and needs of modern day women so much more than other industries.
“It is all about balance. The population across Australia has a higher number of females, therefore businesses should be heading towards a more balanced ratio. Women in business is so important.”
According to Symond, 38% of its retail brokers are female, compared to the 33% female membership of the
MFAA.
