Two main brokers unite to launch Flint

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

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

Chatting with Australian Dealer in regards to the cause for the transfer, Stevens (pictured above left) stated 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 unbiased, tech-driven brokerages that may present a secure dwelling for brokers to develop exponentially and settle numbers not seen as doable till latest years,” Stevens stated.

“Whereas we could have helped hundreds of shoppers every as people over time, 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 situation they dwell 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 a lot of arms onboard to make sure clean 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 operating 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 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 employees are licensed accountants, offering shoppers with professional strategic steerage.

“We’re in conversations to shut some vital brokers and assist employees. The complete crew will probably be up and operating by July 1 for FY25,” stated Bates. “The most effective brokerages are a group of people all striving and supporting one another to be the very best they are often and dwell 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 moderately than a smaller pie for a couple of.”

Constructing a trusted model

The crew 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, enhancing buyer expertise, and prioritising knowledge 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 way of efficient branding initiatives.

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

Bates has been constantly recognised as a prime dealer, that includes in MPA‘s Prime 100 Brokers listing 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 schooling
• Taking part in the lengthy sport by constructing a enterprise that pulls prime 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 acquired us right here, scaling our assist crew and collective information to develop a crew throughout many new niches,” Bates stated.

Meet the Flint crew

Flint boasts a crew of skilled professionals with numerous experience throughout varied monetary sectors. This is a better 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 progress 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 in depth property portfolio, to reinforce flint’s actual property choices.
  
   
• Craig Bigelow – head of recommendation partnerships. Bigelow has 20 years of expertise operating a monetary planning follow 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 operating the wealth division. He may even lead the non-public banking division.
  
   
• Alicia Van Der Pluym – head of buyer expertise. Stevens stated Van Der Pluym leads a crew specializing in onboarding shoppers, offering sustainable, personalised ongoing service, and fixed shopper expertise innovation.
  
   
• Ben Sum – COO, shareholder, and director. Bates stated 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,” stated 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, expertise, cybersecurity, HR, management, and partnerships, which we’re investing in so as to add worth to our provide,” Stevens stated.