What really makes a top mortgage adviser?

A top mortgage broker from Australia shares his daily disciplines for cultivating success.

Director of Discovery Finance Group in Australia, Jayden Vecchio has written over $250m, using techniques and tips being shared on his website Top Broker.

What is the common thread that ties all top mortgage advisers together across our industry? Is it working longer hours? Is it doing more big loans? Is it having a massive marketing budget?

No, it is daily discipline.

Early in my career I worked at one of the banks as a loan writer and I genuinely believed that the solutions to most of my problems came down to “if only“. If only I had more time, I’d be able to write more loans. If only I lived in Sydney, I’d be able to do bigger loans. If only I had more savings, I’d be able to start my own brokerage.

At the time I thought achieving my if only things were going to solve most of my problems but as time went on, I soon realised this if only is a common trap for many and only a good excuse. Thinking that one thing will solve everything is a trap – As any top adviser will tell you, there is no magic bullet. The truth is success lies in your daily activities, holding yourself accountable daily and being disciplined to complete tasks that lead towards your success each and every day. I have a saying in the office, you’ve got to hustle every day – there is no easy way around this!

Driving Daily Disciplines to Cultivate Success
The key to the success is consistent execution of the fundamentals, repeated time and time again. It’s the old story of sewing and reaping. The more seed that is sewed, gives more opportunities to reap a harvest when cropping season comes around. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the seed is, the important thing is to continue to sew the seed each and every day – consistently.

Reading over either list of our industries best it is easy to think these people’s success happened overnight, but I can guarantee that the success of those top in the industry can be boiled down to being consistent, every day driving activities that have resulted in their own success. What drives results is showing up each and every day, day in and day out with zero complacency. I believe only through consistency of effort, you create discipline, and discipline creates success.

As Wayne Gretzky once said, procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.

How do you create a discipline of success?
Easy, build more trust with your clients and referrers through consistent results. Trust in business these days is at an all-time low (according to Forbes less than one in five people trust business leaders when confronted with a difficult issue) so trust is critical. Building trust with your customers can be as simple as getting back to the basics and nailing the simple things right –
  • Responding to all emails the same day they come in.
  • Returning all phone calls within 2 business hours.
  • Maintaining consistent communication with the customer, ensuring you’re touching base to update them rather than them chasing you for an update.
  • Do lead generating activities each and every day
Like Don Zimmer said in one of my favourite quotes of all time, What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.

Although these points may seem like small things, the reality is the small things are the big things for your clients and referrers. Consistently delivering will create high levels of trust with your customers and build the foundation to create a longstanding relationship. Smash it out this week, keep putting in a big effort right until the end of the year and have a top week!

This article originally appeared on Top Broker, a growing online space where tips and strategies are shared by Australia's top mortgage brokers.