From arriving in Australia with no car to becoming a top mortgage broker, Duco Sickinghe’s (pictured above) 29-year journey highlights the value of hard work, strong client relationships, and knowing when to rely on experts.
Sickinghe’s journey in mortgage broking began 29 years ago, right after arriving in Australia from Holland.
“I wanted a job with flexibility, to be rewarded for my results, and I wasn’t afraid of hard work,” Sickinghe said.
With a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a passion for finance, he applied to Aussie Home Loans as a loan consultant.
His early days were humble - without even owning a car, he relied on public transport to get to client meetings.
Sickinghe highlights the increasing recognition of brokers as a major shift in the industry.
“Thirty years ago, people would go into a bank for a loan with very limited options,” he said. “Now, 74% of mortgages are written through brokers.”
This has fostered competition, making products and prices more diverse and accessible to customers.
“This is a great outcome for the industry and good for customers who reap the benefits of choice and competition,” Sickinghe said.
Sickinghe outlined several challenges facing the broking industry.
First is the push for brokers to diversify.
“You can’t be an expert in everything,” he said, adding that he prefers to refer clients to specialists when needed.
He also finds clawbacks frustrating, particularly in cases outside of a broker’s control, such as rising interest rates leading to sales within the clawback period.
“There should not be clawbacks in such circumstances,” he said.
One key lesson Sickinghe has learned over the years is to be mindful of where he spends his time.
“I’ve done a lot of meetings, even out of hours, for deals that never happened,” he said.
He now prioritises doing homework before fully engaging with clients to ensure they’re serious.
Sickinghe’s advice for new brokers? Build strong relationships with lenders, focus on where your time translates to business, and don’t try to master everything.
“Client referrals are gold,” he said.
Sickinghe also emphasises using compliance to your advantage: “It supports delivering a robust, high-quality service to the clients we want.”
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