Two main brokers unite to launch Flint

Two outstanding 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 $3 billion in settled loans, they goal to disrupt the mortgage market by providing a wider vary of monetary merchandise and a tech-driven strategy.

Talking to Australian Dealer in regards to the purpose for the transfer, Stevens (pictured above left) mentioned the power to scale supplied Flint alternatives that might not have been potential individually.

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

“Whereas we might have helped hundreds of purchasers every as people through the years, we now wish to, as a collective, assist 10,000-plus Australian households make nice property and finance selections it doesn’t matter what stage of life they’re at, the placement 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 numerous arms onboard to make sure easy crusing from day one.

Flint has launched with a crew of fifty, 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 employees working a number of divisions, together with UHNW/household workplace, digital/tech, actual property, recommendation (monetary planners and accountants), international earnings (expats), skilled buyers, SMSF, medico, authorized, first dwelling purchaser, and development.

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

This consists of customer support, credit score evaluation, back-office help, and post-settlement help. Moreover, all senior credit score employees are licensed accountants, offering purchasers with professional strategic steering.

“We’re in conversations to shut some crucial brokers and help employees. The complete crew will probably be up and working by July 1 for FY25,” mentioned Bates. “The perfect brokerages are a group of people all striving and supporting one another to be the most effective they are often and stay the lives they need for.”

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

Constructing a trusted model

The crew at Flint has bold plans to turn out 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 numerous monetary sectors and growing focused methods for every.
   
    
3. Constructing model consciousness: Attracting purchasers, brokers, and referral companions by efficient branding initiatives.

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

Bates has been persistently recognised as a prime dealer, that includes in MPA‘s High 100 Brokers record since 2020 and securing the sixth place final 12 months.

They attribute their success to their “secret sauce”:

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

“We’ve grown from scratch to turn out to be Australia’s main particular person brokers and we’re passing down all the things that obtained us right here, scaling our help 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 various experience throughout numerous monetary sectors. Here is a more in-depth take 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 government gross sales and accounting, alongside along with his personal in depth property portfolio, to reinforce flint’s actual property choices.
  
   
• Craig Bigelow – head of recommendation partnerships. Bigelow has 20 years of expertise working 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 non-public banker for 14 years and has spent the final three years working at a big brokerage working the wealth division. He may also lead the personal banking division.
  
   
• Alicia Van Der Pluym – head of buyer expertise. Stevens mentioned Van Der Pluym leads a crew specializing in onboarding purchasers, offering sustainable, personalised ongoing service, and fixed consumer expertise innovation.
  
   
• Ben Sum – COO, shareholder, and director. Bates mentioned Ben Sum’s function was to make sure the help and strategists’ crew of over 30 – from begin to end – was working the most effective 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 facet since then, constructing a crew beneath her,” mentioned Stevens.
  
   
• Tisha Pradham – head of technique help. Leads the abroad crew.

“We even have a number of main consultants working in crucial 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.