Over the past decade franchised mortgage brokers have experienced boom times. Mortgage Choice, RAMS, Wizard and others expanded to meet the demand for credit from the proliferation of non-bank credit providers; until recently. There's no escaping the brutal reality of the credit crisis: it's hitting the non bank sector hardest.
According to the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) the market share of non bank mortgage originators has declined from a peak of 15 per cent to about 4 per cent; effectively bringing an abrupt halt to the trend from the late 1990s. The appeal of buying into a branded, non bank franchise may be waning.
Mortgage brokers often work in what are referred to as a franchise environment. This is distinct from a being an "independent". A franchisor has a lot of controls placed on the mortgage brokers. Consumers do trust brands but the franchisees are disadvantaged by not being able to operate freely in their markets. Commission structures are often stacked in favour of the franchise group; the agreement terms are onerous.
The promises made to mortgage brokers who seek to take buy a franchise or to work within a franchise environment is that leads will be provided. Mortgage brokers however, thrive on good quality leads. More often than not however, the quality of leads is minimal. They are usually web-generated and often when you follow them up they don't know why you are calling.
Other mortgage brokers join "aggregator" groups. In the market as it stands today, mortgage brokers need to be "approved" by banks before making mortgage applications on behalf of clients. Independent brokers need to achieve volume hurdles to get access to banks and other lenders. These groups manage a lot of the compliance, professional indemnity and training services and enable smaller firms to gain access.
It is useful to understand that many experienced brokers won't go into franchises; they don't need the training. On the other hand, franchising is a resilient business model and offers many small businesses stability, systems, buying power and brand strength that could give them an edge over independent retailers and service businesses.
Regarding the issue of constraints on franchisees who need flexibility in a tough market, there's the challenge of large and expensive centralised systems and the issue writ large of relevance in an industry that's undergoing change.
The industry has attracted those with an entrepreneurial flair in the past and will continue to do so into the future. When banks were closing branches in the 1990s, people with entrepreneurial flair came into the industry. They were consumer centric and filled the void left by the banks. Some very successful franchise systems were created; others became independent brokers.
The bottom line remains the same: if you're providing a high level of customer service you'll get business. It's the one-on-one interaction that consumers want. The response to the recent Great Financial Crisis is that consolidation is inevitable. Even at the smaller end independent brokers are merging with other brokers. Despite the upheaval, brokers have retained their share of total business. They still are holding 40 per cent; a healthy share. It shows that consumers like dealing with them. Current circumstances give brokers more opportunities than less, to capture business. Customers want the comfort that they are making the right decision.
According to the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) the market share of non bank mortgage originators has declined from a peak of 15 per cent to about 4 per cent; effectively bringing an abrupt halt to the trend from the late 1990s. The appeal of buying into a branded, non bank franchise may be waning.
Mortgage brokers often work in what are referred to as a franchise environment. This is distinct from a being an "independent". A franchisor has a lot of controls placed on the mortgage brokers. Consumers do trust brands but the franchisees are disadvantaged by not being able to operate freely in their markets. Commission structures are often stacked in favour of the franchise group; the agreement terms are onerous.
The promises made to mortgage brokers who seek to take buy a franchise or to work within a franchise environment is that leads will be provided. Mortgage brokers however, thrive on good quality leads. More often than not however, the quality of leads is minimal. They are usually web-generated and often when you follow them up they don't know why you are calling.
Other mortgage brokers join "aggregator" groups. In the market as it stands today, mortgage brokers need to be "approved" by banks before making mortgage applications on behalf of clients. Independent brokers need to achieve volume hurdles to get access to banks and other lenders. These groups manage a lot of the compliance, professional indemnity and training services and enable smaller firms to gain access.
It is useful to understand that many experienced brokers won't go into franchises; they don't need the training. On the other hand, franchising is a resilient business model and offers many small businesses stability, systems, buying power and brand strength that could give them an edge over independent retailers and service businesses.
Regarding the issue of constraints on franchisees who need flexibility in a tough market, there's the challenge of large and expensive centralised systems and the issue writ large of relevance in an industry that's undergoing change.
The industry has attracted those with an entrepreneurial flair in the past and will continue to do so into the future. When banks were closing branches in the 1990s, people with entrepreneurial flair came into the industry. They were consumer centric and filled the void left by the banks. Some very successful franchise systems were created; others became independent brokers.
The bottom line remains the same: if you're providing a high level of customer service you'll get business. It's the one-on-one interaction that consumers want. The response to the recent Great Financial Crisis is that consolidation is inevitable. Even at the smaller end independent brokers are merging with other brokers. Despite the upheaval, brokers have retained their share of total business. They still are holding 40 per cent; a healthy share. It shows that consumers like dealing with them. Current circumstances give brokers more opportunities than less, to capture business. Customers want the comfort that they are making the right decision.
