A convergence of backgrounds and experience has set the AMA New Brokerage of the Year up for success.
It’s a convergence of varied backgrounds and experiences that sets the 2013 AMA New Brokerage of the Year apart from the rest, says Tungsten Home Loans director Brad Quilty.
Quilty began his career in mortgage broking in 2009, and after spells with both Aussie and Elders Home Loans made the decision to create a broking business with his partner Micarla Cornock in April last year.
Keeping it in the family, Micarla’s brother Justin joined Tungsten as a broker soon after. Both Justin and Brad worked in car sales before trying their hand at finance, which Quilty says allows them a different way of looking at the mortgage process.
“Sometimes the banks will say things that just don’t make sense, but if you look at it from a different point of view it often helps.”
Micarla came to the business from a conveyance company, and Quilty says combining both backgrounds “creates a business that covers both ends of the sales process”.
Her experience has also come to the rescue during difficult situations with lenders.
“The amount of times that a lender or a solicitor for the client will come back and say something that simply isn’t true, we’ve got the expertise to be able to go ‘Hang on a sec, that’s not right’, and that obviously makes everything a lot easier for the client.”
Making things easy for the client has been a key focus of Tungsten Home Loans since the business started, says Quilty and every decision is made by first “standing in the client’s shoes”.
“We really makes sure that whatever we’re doing is right for the customer, so whether it’s the right loan, making sure the solicitor is doing the right job, the real estate agent is doing the right job, they’ve got insurance in place… everything right through is making sure you’re doing the very best that you can for them.”
As part of this, Tungsten Home Loans doesn't just look at the clients' current situation, but aims to be a "catalyst for our clients' future prosperity", by putting clients in touch with financial planners, accountants and other financial experts.
Running a business from home has also offered the flexibility they need to respond to client requests quickly and efficiently, says Quilty.
“The computer’s always there, the phone’s always there. If it rings or you get an email you’re on it straight away,” he says. “We can see clients whenever, wherever. We’ve done business in car parks and cafes, wherever it suits the client. And I think we get a lot of business like that, rather than saying ‘You need to take the time out of work and come and see me’.”
While Quilty admits running a family business from home with children isn’t always conducive to a great worklife balance, the three business partners manage to work through any tense moments.
“I think we all take the sense of achievement together, and it’s the results in the end that brush away the tension. As long as you don’t dwell on things it usually works out.”
