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 providers brokerage.

With many years of collective expertise and greater than $3 billion in settled loans, they purpose to disrupt the mortgage market by providing a wider vary of economic merchandise and a tech-driven method.

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

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

“Whereas we might have helped 1000’s of purchasers every as people over time, we now need 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 reside 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 lots of fingers onboard to make sure easy crusing from day one.

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

And a big staff 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 revenue (expats), skilled buyers, SMSF, medico, authorized, first residence purchaser, and development.

The brokerage additionally boasts a devoted help staff of 30, making certain a radical 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 skilled strategic steerage.

“We’re in conversations to shut some vital brokers and help employees. Your complete staff can be up and working by July 1 for FY25,” mentioned Bates. “The very best brokerages are a group of people all striving and supporting one another to be one of the best they are often and reside the lives they need for.”

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

Constructing a trusted model

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

1. Investing in expertise: Automating processes, bettering buyer expertise, and prioritising knowledge 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 way of efficient branding initiatives.

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

Bates has been constantly recognised as a high dealer, that includes in MPA‘s Prime 100 Brokers checklist since 2020 and securing the sixth place final 12 months.

They attribute their success to their “secret sauce”:

• An advice-driven method to mortgages
• Shopper-first schooling
• Taking part in the lengthy sport by constructing a enterprise that draws high expertise

“Now we have grown from scratch to grow to be Australia’s main particular person brokers and we’re passing down all the pieces that received us right here, scaling our help staff and collective information to develop a staff throughout many new niches,” Bates mentioned.

Meet the Flint staff

Flint boasts a staff of skilled professionals with numerous experience throughout numerous 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 government gross sales and accounting, alongside together with his personal intensive 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 follow to construct strategic partnerships with high 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 can even lead the non-public banking division.
  
   
• Alicia Van Der Pluym – head of buyer expertise. Stevens mentioned Van Der Pluym leads a staff 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’ staff of over 30 – from begin to end – was working one of the best it might.
  
   
• Jon Sum – head of recommendation, director, and shareholder. Leads the technique staff.
  
   
• Ariane Rose – head credit score analyst. “Ariane was my first worker and has remained by my aspect since then, constructing a staff beneath her,” mentioned Stevens.
  
   
• Tisha Pradham – head of technique help. Leads the abroad staff.

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