Sheena Briffa only started her broking career at Brisbane-based borro (formerly CGIO Finance) in November, but with the guidance of founder Cara Giovinazzo she submitted $2.9m worth of loan applications in just her first month.
Q: You have just started out in the broking industry. Tell us how you became a broker.
A: It was always an industry I had been interested in and very much intrigued by. I love working with numbers, problem-solving and being able to help people, which is everything we do as mortgage brokers. When my family and I moved to Queensland and I read the job description at borro, I just knew it would be suitable for me. At my interview meeting with Cara Giovinazzo, I found that she was so lovely and understood my ambitions to one day step out of my client service manager role and become a mortgage broker. I was ecstatic when I received the call that I had been successful. Starting my career in the mortgage broking industry under such an amazing and talented mortgage broker as Cara has given me fantastic opportunities to be successful.
Q:How have you been supported in your new role by your employer?
A: Cara has supported me since day one, helping me to grow in my client service manager position and step up to a mortgage broking role. Cara continues to encourage training and explains and talks through different scenarios with me. I think the biggest way she has supported me in my new role is by enabling me to move forward in my career, and by always being there if I need assistance.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a broker?
A: It’s exciting and challenging at the same time. No two days are the same, and no two client scenarios are the same. I love helping clients, whether they’re looking for their first home or their 10th investment property. We are helping to change their life, and that is pretty amazing.
Q: What is the most challenging part of your job as a broker?
A: The complexity of the role, with each bank having such different policies and looking at each scenario so differently. Although this can be challenging, it is also what keeps the role interesting and motivating. To accommodate this, when meeting with clients I need to make sure I get a really thorough understanding of their overall position, their goals and requirements, to make sure I can make appropriate recommendations that suit their needs and also align with the bank’s policy.
Q: What goals do you want to achieve in broking?
A: I’d love to hit $50m in my first year and eventually become a top broker. I want to grow my clientele and have lifelong clients. I just hope to be as successful and knowledgeable as Cara. It may sound a little clichéd, but the knowledge she has passed on to me is very inspiring, and I hope to one day be able to help other young brokers coming into the industry.
