Anusha Haran is the CEO and owner of One Stop Loans, an award-winning Sydney brokerage. With more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, she works alongside her husband, Ram Kota, and specialises in commercial finance.
Q: How did you become a broker, and how did being a BDM help your transition into the role?
A: After my third child, I decided to become a broker because I wanted the flexibility it offered for work and family. I had loved being a non-bank BDM who found solutions for brokers that the banks would not provide. I planned to become a specialist broker focusing on loans for the self-employed and for credit-impaired borrowers, as well as private loans. This gave me the opportunity to have repeat clients and provide suitable solutions. My main customers were still the brokers who did not want to diversify to help clients with di fficult situations and write loans with non-banks.
Q: How difficult is it to set up your own brokerage in such a competitive industry?
A: You need to have your customers’ interests first. It’s a very di fficult job, but when you have 20 years of banking and lending experience, you have the upper hand in making it happen. I set up the business with my husband, Ram Kota, as a specialist broker and positioned our unique services to our referrers. This gave us the opportunity to diversify into home loans, commercial loans, asset and development finance, private loans, business loans and more. You need to have a diversified business to capture all customers’ financial requirements.
Q: As a specialist commercial and asset finance broker, what advice would you give to residential brokers who want to diversify?
A: We are always dealing with residential brokers who have not expanded their businesses into commercial loans. They are either too busy and do not want to expand due to resources, or they don’t have enough experience. Most of these loans are assessed in the same way as residential loans. Use the resources and training that the lenders, aggregators and associations provide. Get a mentor and you will never look back.
Q: How do you and your husband successfully navigate being life partners and work partners?
A: In most cases we stay away from each other’s files, but still occasionally we have our little differences in opinion. But I would not have it any other way. It makes it all worth it when we see our results and productivity flourish. Success is when we can work together as a team and have similar passions and goals to become one.
Q: What are your long-term goals?
A: For One Stop Loans to become a national broking firm with exceptionally talented brokers sharing dreams and success. We also want to expand to other businesses, such as the beauty, food and health industries. Right now we want to be the best broking fi rm that is highly qualified and diversified to provide solutions to our clients. One Stop Loans has gone from a single person to eight staff within five years of trading, well on track to accomplishing the goal of having a national broking firm.
