It provides brokers with a Cert IV and crucial skills to make it in the industry
Finding that the broking industry needed a formal mentoring program with half of new brokers struggling to make it past their second year, Finsure general manager Simon Bednar launched the Finsure Broker Academy in April 2016.
The academy’s 24-month program, which was put together by Finsure’s learning and development manager and 2019 AMA Bankwest Best Aggregator BDM finalist Anthony Zveglic, provides Finsure brokers with the necessary training and qualifications to succeed.
Academy graduates will obtain a Cert IV and a diploma in Finance and Mortgage Broking management, as well as a raft of crucial skills such as lead generation, business management and CRM expertise. The academy has already produced 68 graduates, and currently trains 66 mentees.
Strength and aptitude
Brokers wanting to enter the academy need to complete an application process and go through a face-to-face interview with a Finsure BDM and Zveglic.
“We are looking for candidates who have a strong customer-centric mindset and an aptitude for building rapport,” Zveglic told MPA.
He and the Finsure education staff conduct much of the training at their Melbourne office. The staff assist with industry theory (Cert IV and diploma learning) as well as practical learning sessions, loan scenario structuring and application validation prior to submission to lender assessors.
Finsure BDMs support academy brokers with business planning, compliance and regular progress check-ins, while lender BDMs give support by educating brokers about their product offerings and providing case studies using their service calculators.
“I have realised face-to-face small group sessions are an important aspect of knowledge transfer between brokers. During these sessions we troubleshoot customer scenarios and the rate of learning and collaboration is enhanced significantly,” Zveglic said.
"I have also realised that for sole operators working from home, the experience can be lonely and isolated. I actively encourage them to have a schedule that incorporates regular contact on the phone and in-person with Finsure staff, as well as participation in activities that we organise such as Lender Morning Teas and quarterly PD days."
Mixed bag
The present working situation of academy graduates is “very much a mixed bag”, according to Zveglic. Some have fully embraced broking and been enjoying great success, while others have decided to do it on a part time basis while maintaining a successful job.
And there are those who had completed or partially completed the program then realised they have a different calling in life and left the industry altogether.
In Zveglic’s opinion, it is very much a case of “you only get out of it what you put into it” — the more effort the participant invests into the program, the better result for him or her.
In 2020, he aims to have “more proactive contacts with every Finsure Academy broker in all tiers”, as well as to grow his team to be able to support more incoming brokers and to provide additional content to existing ones.
