With a new office that complements an old-fashioned personal approach, Perth broker Mark Ballard is set on growing the business
Mark Ballard is the proud owner of a brand-new Perth office, 260 square metres of gleaming green on Perth’s Walter Road, a huge step up from the 99-square-metre office he previously shared with six others.
It’s just another stage in a broking career spanning 15 years, and part of a broking strategy that combines old-fashioned personal service with forward-looking strategy. The client base of Choice Home Loans Bayswater is broad, comprising first home buyers, refinancers and investors from across Perth. And the local community has certainly noticed the new premises.
“I’ve been in the new office now for two months; we’ve had four walk-ins during that time, and all of them either have been turned into a deal or will be a deal shortly,” Ballard says. “To put that in perspective, in the previous office, we had about five walk-ins in seven years, and I think only one of them was any good.”
Working with only one full-time supporting staff member means Ballard needs to be a hands-on broker. That means taking calls and, 80% of the time, going to visit clients for the loan consultation, which Ballard believes makes all the difference.
“I have the mentality that if you make people come to a branch, you might as well be a bank,” he says. “You’re taking away that benefit of what you are – you’re mobile, you can see them after hours when [a couple] is both there, and they don’t have to take time off work.”
For Ballard, being hands-on is an important part of his brand – and the stream of referrals that provide most of his leads – and he’s reluctant to change course. “I listen to what other brokers are doing,” he says, “and they’re doing 30 appointments a week and they’ve got five support staff, and I can’t see how you can really look after a client. I think clients realise at some point in time that if you’re too busy in that regard, they’re just a number.”
Change is coming to the brokerage, however; to complement the new premises, Ballard has been using Choice’s business coaches to help him plot the next step. Diversification is an important part of this – Ballard offers insurance and equipment finance, and plans to ramp this up further.
“I think that’s one area where the industry will evolve and see how important it is, because people will turn over cars more often than they turn over houses,” he says. “I don’t want my clients going to someone else for any part of their finance.”
In time, Ballard wants to be getting enough leads to help other brokers get started. He’s not deterred by Perth’s stagnant housing market, although he admits it’s not ideal.
“I certainly think it’s very quiet at the moment … there’s just too many people sitting on the side of the fence at the moment waiting to see what happens with interest rates,” he says. “With rates as low as they are, I’d think people would be falling over themselves to do things, but they’re not.” Meanwhile, he’s hoping that those clients who are in the market will find their way to his door.
It’s just another stage in a broking career spanning 15 years, and part of a broking strategy that combines old-fashioned personal service with forward-looking strategy. The client base of Choice Home Loans Bayswater is broad, comprising first home buyers, refinancers and investors from across Perth. And the local community has certainly noticed the new premises.
“I’ve been in the new office now for two months; we’ve had four walk-ins during that time, and all of them either have been turned into a deal or will be a deal shortly,” Ballard says. “To put that in perspective, in the previous office, we had about five walk-ins in seven years, and I think only one of them was any good.”
Working with only one full-time supporting staff member means Ballard needs to be a hands-on broker. That means taking calls and, 80% of the time, going to visit clients for the loan consultation, which Ballard believes makes all the difference.
“I have the mentality that if you make people come to a branch, you might as well be a bank,” he says. “You’re taking away that benefit of what you are – you’re mobile, you can see them after hours when [a couple] is both there, and they don’t have to take time off work.”
For Ballard, being hands-on is an important part of his brand – and the stream of referrals that provide most of his leads – and he’s reluctant to change course. “I listen to what other brokers are doing,” he says, “and they’re doing 30 appointments a week and they’ve got five support staff, and I can’t see how you can really look after a client. I think clients realise at some point in time that if you’re too busy in that regard, they’re just a number.”
Change is coming to the brokerage, however; to complement the new premises, Ballard has been using Choice’s business coaches to help him plot the next step. Diversification is an important part of this – Ballard offers insurance and equipment finance, and plans to ramp this up further.
“I think that’s one area where the industry will evolve and see how important it is, because people will turn over cars more often than they turn over houses,” he says. “I don’t want my clients going to someone else for any part of their finance.”
In time, Ballard wants to be getting enough leads to help other brokers get started. He’s not deterred by Perth’s stagnant housing market, although he admits it’s not ideal.
“I certainly think it’s very quiet at the moment … there’s just too many people sitting on the side of the fence at the moment waiting to see what happens with interest rates,” he says. “With rates as low as they are, I’d think people would be falling over themselves to do things, but they’re not.” Meanwhile, he’s hoping that those clients who are in the market will find their way to his door.
