Two distinguished brokers, Christian Stevens and Chris Bates, have joined forces to launch Flint, a brand new complete monetary companies brokerage.

With a long time of collective expertise and greater than $three billion in settled loans, they purpose to disrupt the mortgage market by providing a wider vary of economic merchandise and a tech-driven method.

Talking to Australian Dealer concerning the purpose for the transfer, Stevens (pictured above left) mentioned the flexibility to scale supplied Flint alternatives that might not have been doable individually.

“What excites us is to be a part of the brand new period of tremendous unbiased, tech-driven brokerages that may present a protected dwelling for brokers to develop exponentially and settle numbers not seen as doable till current years,” Stevens mentioned.

“Whereas we could have helped hundreds of shoppers every as people through the years, we now wish to, as a collective, assist 10,000-plus Australian households make nice property and finance choices it doesn’t matter what stage of life they’re at, the situation they stay or the wealth they’ve.”

Flint: Experience at each step

Whereas Stevens and Bates (pictured above proper) could also be steering the ship, there are various palms onboard to make sure easy crusing from day one.

Flint has launched with a crew of 50, that includes 19 founding brokers and a plan to double the headcount within the subsequent 12 months.

And a big crew is required, given the brokerage has key workers operating a number of divisions, together with UHNW/household workplace, digital/tech, actual property, recommendation (monetary planners and accountants), overseas earnings (expats), skilled traders, SMSF, medico, authorized, first dwelling purchaser, and development.

The brokerage additionally boasts a devoted assist crew of 30, making certain an intensive expertise for shoppers.

This contains customer support, credit score evaluation, back-office assist, and post-settlement help. Moreover, all senior credit score workers are licensed accountants, offering shoppers with skilled strategic steerage.

“We’re in conversations to shut some vital brokers and assist workers. Your complete crew can be up and operating by July 1 for FY25,” mentioned Bates. “The very best brokerages are a group of people all striving and supporting one another to be the very best they are often and stay the lives they want for.”

“Our providing is growth-focused, values-driven and talent-first. All of us wish to make the pie larger to share fairly than a smaller pie for just a few.”

Constructing a trusted model

The crew at Flint has bold plans to grow to be Australia’s main and most trusted monetary companies supplier. Their three key priorities for the following 18 months are:

1. Investing in know-how: Automating processes, enhancing buyer expertise, and prioritising information safety.
   
    
2. Increasing area of interest choices: Constructing experience in varied monetary sectors and growing focused methods for every.
   
    
3. Constructing model consciousness: Attracting shoppers, brokers, and referral companions by means of efficient branding initiatives.

Each Stevens and Bates have in depth expertise in constructing profitable manufacturers inside the mortgage business.

Bates has been persistently recognised as a prime dealer, that includes in MPA‘s High 100 Brokers checklist since 2020 and securing the sixth place final yr.

They attribute their success to their “secret sauce”:

• An advice-driven method to mortgages
• Consumer-first training
• Enjoying the lengthy recreation by constructing a enterprise that draws prime expertise

“We now have grown from scratch to grow to be Australia’s main particular person brokers and we’re passing down all the pieces that obtained us right here, scaling our assist crew and collective data to develop a crew throughout many new niches,” Bates mentioned.

Meet the Flint crew

Flint boasts a crew of skilled professionals with numerous experience throughout varied monetary sectors. Here is a better have a look at some key members:

• Alex Pagonis – senior dealer and head of digital. Pagonis has eight-plus years of expertise at KPGM in growing buyer, product, and digital methods to drive development for flint.
  
   
• Adam Mastrosa – senior dealer and head of actual property. Mastrosa brings 15 years of expertise in govt gross sales and accounting, alongside together with his personal in depth property portfolio, to boost flint’s actual property choices.
  
   
• Craig Bigelow – head of recommendation partnerships. Bigelow has 20 years of expertise operating a monetary planning apply to construct strategic partnerships with prime monetary advisors.
  
   
• Salvador Huetos – a senior dealer and head of UHNW/household workplace. Previous to becoming a member of Flint, Huetos was a personal banker for 14 years and has spent the final three years working at a big brokerage operating the wealth division. He will even lead the non-public banking division.
  
   
• Alicia Van Der Pluym – head of buyer expertise. Stevens mentioned Van Der Pluym leads a crew specializing in onboarding shoppers, offering sustainable, personalised ongoing service, and fixed consumer expertise innovation.
  
   
• Ben Sum – COO, shareholder, and director. Bates mentioned Ben Sum’s position was to make sure the assist and strategists’ crew of over 30 – from begin to end – was operating the very best it might.
  
   
• Jon Sum – head of recommendation, director, and shareholder. Leads the technique crew.
  
   
• Ariane Rose – head credit score analyst. “Ariane was my first worker and has remained by my aspect since then, constructing a crew beneath her,” mentioned Stevens.
  
   
• Tisha Pradham – head of technique assist. Leads the abroad crew.

“We even have a number of main consultants working in vital roles throughout advertising, know-how, cybersecurity, HR, management, and partnerships, which we’re investing in so as to add worth to our supply,” Stevens mentioned.