Broker Bulletin

Most brokers shy away from complex scenarios. Sue Vuong has built her whole career on them.

A chartered accountant turned mortgage broker, Sue has built her Perth-based business on the clients others turn away: the self-employed, the complex, the ones who've already heard no.

In the latest Broker Bulletin, Loan Market Chief Marketing Officer Angela Tracey sits down with Sue to unpack the mindset, systems, and real-world wins behind a broker who's built her whole reputation on being the trusted advisor in the room.

What you’ll takeaway:

• Why honesty when things go wrong is your most powerful trust-building tool
• How a partnership took her pipeline to exponential growth
• Why the lowest interest rate isn’t always the goal
  
  

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Most brokers look at gross revenue and think they're on track. MK says that's exactly the problem.

In this episode of Broker Bulletin, LMG's Denya Dean sits down with Michael Karpathakis, National Head of Business Performance at LMG, discussing what it takes to run a profitable, scalable broker business. No fluff. Just numbers, frameworks, and real examples. Including how one business stripped $470k from its P&L while still growing at 1.5x.

If you've ever said "I think we're doing okay" without actually checking the numbers, this one is for you.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• The three monthly metrics that separate thriving brokerages from ones that just look busy
• Why overstaffing is quietly killing profit margins
• How to shift your mindset from broker to CEO

Like this episode? Leave a review — it helps us reach more brokers who need to hear it. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to Broker Bulletin on your favourite streaming service.

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George Massouridis, Founder and CEO of Mortgage Navigators in Sydney, has built something that most brokers only dream about; a business with real longevity, a team that stays, and a growth strategy that’s just getting started.

In the latest Broker Bulletin, LMG's Grace Ormsby sits down with George to find out what nearly 27 years in the industry has taught him, as he embarks on a new era of growth.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why George treats every single day as a privilege and how that mindset has shaped everything
• How a referral partnership and a rigorous accountant accreditation strategy are fuelling the next phase of growth
• The culture behind a team where one staff member just celebrated 25 years

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Most brokers hear "trust lending" and brace for complexity. 

Laura Waters, Head of Residential at Podium Money, sits down with Raj Kapoor from Apollo to strip back the confusion around non-trading trust and company lending. From succession planning families to sophisticated investors, trust structures are on the rise and brokers need to be positioning themselves now. 

In this episode, you'll hear:

1. Why Apollo's simple trust policy could change how you approach these deals
2. The one thing Laura says every broker must do before a client buys in a trust
3. How Apollo cut trust lending rates by 40 basis points and saved brokers thousands in fees

A practical, no-nonsense conversation that makes trust lending feel exactly like it should — straightforward.

Like this episode? Leave a review! Don't miss an episode: Subscribe to the Broker Bulletin podcast channel on your favourite streaming service.

You can also connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn.

Show notes:

00:27 — Laura Waters and Raj Kapoor introduce the episode and the trust lending myth

00:50 — What is non-trading trust or company lending, and what is an SPV?

01:11 — The clients using trust structures: self-employed, families, succession planning and sophisticated investors

02:19 — How to prepare a trust client properly (and why the deed must come first)

03:57 — How Apollo's dedicated credit team works and what makes a strong trust application

05:06 — Apollo's 40 basis point rate reduction on non-trading trusts and what that means for brokers

07:26 — The full policy picture: 85% LVR no LMI, EBIT, spousal income, negative gearing and the 2% buffer

08:43 — Apollo's simple trust assessment: when rental income alone is enough

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Most brokers know social media matters. Very few actually make it work.

Diana Hemmad went from posting "dodgy" videos to building a community of almost 12,000 Instagram followers driving significant leads through her pipeline and simultaneously scaling her team from two to seven in a year.

In this episode, LMG's Natalie Viney sits down with Diana to unpack the strategies, mindset shifts, and daily habits that have fuelled her growth.

In this episode, you'll hear:

1. Why the referral partner model failed Diana and what she did instead
2. How to use authentic content to attract clients at scale
3. The “3 Ms” daily habit that sets Diana up to perform every single day

A refreshingly honest conversation about backing yourself, pivoting without shame, and building a business you actually love. 

Like this episode? Leave a review! Don't miss an episode: Subscribe to the Broker Bulletin podcast channel on your favourite streaming service.

You can also connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn. 

Show notes:

01:53 — Welcome and introduction: Natalie introduces Diana Hemmad 02:10 — What is a "mortgage architect"? Diana explains her positioning philosophy 03:07 — Diana's origin story: leaving the bank during COVID and starting fresh 05:22 — Business structure: from a team of two to seven in under 12 months 09:05 — The lead generation mix: referrals vs. social media 18:26 — Why the referral partner model didn't work — and the social media pivot that did 20:12 — 200% growth, the J curve, and the mindset shift behind it all 26:41 — What's next: plans to 5x the business in 12 months 30:26 — Diana's 1% daily habit: the 3 M's (mindset, mindfulness, movement)

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Most brokers are running hard. But running hard without a clear strategy isn't growth… It's drift.

Michael Karpathakis, Loan Market's National Head of Business Performance, joins Denya Dean to share the simple system behind some of the country’s best performing broker businesses. 

In this episode, you'll hear:

1. Why "drift" is the silent killer of broker businesses
2. The 90-day check-in rhythm that keeps high-performers on track all year
3. Three quick wins you can act on today
4. How to reverse-engineer your KPIs 

A practical, no-fluff conversation for brokers who are ready to stop working in their business and start leading it.

Connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn. [URL]

Show notes:

0:00 -- Introduction and welcome

1:04 -- What strategy actually means for a broker business

2:11 -- The real cost of not having a plan (and why even good businesses skip this)

3:03 -- Why simple beats sophisticated: the one-page strategy framework

4:16 -- When to set your plan and how often to review it

6:33 -- Visual accountability: making strategy visible for your team

9:18 -- The three traps brokers fall into when setting strategy

10:20 -- Three quick wins you can act on today

12:02 -- The power of buddying up and presenting your plan to peers

13:21 -- The mindset brokers need to make 2026 a genuine sprint year

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Andy Andrews didn't inherit a trail book. He left accounting because it bored him, spent five years learning his craft as a broker, took a leap of faith, and built Capital One Financial Services into a full-service, deliberately diversified brokerage in Walkerville, South Australia.

The morning after winning Young Business Owner of the Year at the LMG Awards, he sat down with Erin Manhood for a genuinely candid conversation about what it took to build one of SA's fastest-growing brokerages.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• The tipping point that tells you it's time to make your first hire

• Why referrals and relationships outperform digital strategy for building a resilient book

• How Andy runs a full-service brokerage across residential, commercial, SMSF and private lending

It’s an honest conversation about growth, boundaries and what it really means to back yourself.

Like this episode? Leave a review. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to Broker Bulletin on your favourite streaming service.

Connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn. Want to know more about LMG? Click here: lmg.broker/

Show notes:

00:27 Andy reflects on winning Young Business Owner of the Year at the LMG Awards

01:46 Inside Capital One Financial Services: Walkerville office, team of six, and the expansion next door

02:55 The intentional strategy behind full-service diversification: residential, commercial, SMSF and asset lending

05:00 Accounting to broking: why relationships beat numbers every time

07:30 The tipping point for your first hire, and why Andy wishes he'd done it sooner

10:00 Building a referral-led business: how mums, dads, brothers and sisters become clients

12:00 What success really looks like: growing client property portfolios, not just writing loans

14:00 Two pieces of advice for young brokers thinking about going out on their own

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He started alone in 2019. Now he's building the next generation of brokers from his own office.Rob Flynn launched Vorteil Financial Group the hard way. The Royal Commission had just wrapped. COVID was around the corner. And he was doing it solo in Perth.

Six years on, he runs a lean, values-led brokerage with his wife Kat as business partner, a structured university internship programme (the only one of its kind in WA), and a client base built almost entirely on trust and referrals.

In this episode, LMG's Simon Munkelt sits down with Rob at the LMG Growth Summit in Melbourne for one of the most honest conversations we've had on Broker Bulletin. No spin. No silver bullets. Just the real stuff.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why diversifying into SMSF and commercial was the best business decision Rob made — and why he waited way too long

• How hiring on attitude (not just skill) led to WA's first finance internship programme — and three new staff members

• The one daily habit that changed Rob's growth trajectory: blocking an hour every morning to pick up the phone

A grounded, practical conversation for brokers at any stage — whether you're just starting out or wondering what the next phase of growth actually looks like.

Like this episode? Leave a review. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to Broker Bulletin on your favourite streaming service.

Got questions, ideas, or a guest suggestion? Drop us a line at [email protected].

Connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn. Want to know more about LMG? 

Show Notes:

00:27 — Rob Flynn introduced: founder of Forteal Financial Group, live at LMG Growth Summit Melbourne 00:56 — Navigating the Royal Commission, COVID and a WA market on its own cycle 02:33 — The decision to get an office early and signal intention from day one 03:30 — Bringing Kat into the business and learning to let go of control 05:00 — Why diversifying into SMSF and commercial was the biggest game-changer 11:30 — How the internship programme started — and why Rob now hosts six interns a year 20:43 — Systems, AI and how Rob thinks about scaling without compromising quality 25:00 — The trusted advisor model: being the person clients call with problems, not just loans 26:41 — Six-monthly reviews and why getting back on the phone changed everything 33:36 — Rob's 1% tip: block an hour every morning and just pick up the phone 35:00 — Final advice: build the right support network before you need it

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A VB drum for a fridge. $10,000 a month was the goal. Three mates who had no idea they were building something that would span five states, 35 staff, and over a decade of industry-leading repeat business.
In this episode of Broker Bulletin, Tom Caesar sits down with Angus Askew, Will Overman and Andrew Dodwell — the co-founders of Magnolia Lane, to unpack what it really takes to build a culture-first, relationship-driven asset finance brokerage from scratch, and sustain it for 12 years.
Honest, funny, and full of practical gold for any broker or business owner who wants to grow without losing what matters.
In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why 83% of Magnolia Lane's business is repeat clients — and the dead-simple follow-up habit behind it
• The moment they knew they had to get off the tools (and why it took longer than expected)
• What every mortgage broker gets wrong about asset finance referrals

Like this episode? Leave a review and don't miss an episode — subscribe to Broker Bulletin on your favourite streaming service.
Got questions, ideas or a guest suggestion? Drop us a line at [email protected].
Connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn.
Want to know more about LMG? Click here: lmg.broker/broker-bulletin
Time stamps: 

00:27 — Tom introduces the Magnolia Lane co-founders: Angus Askew, Will Overman and Andrew Dodwell

02:05 — How all three landed in asset finance (from brickies labourer to greenkeeper to fruit logistics engineer)

06:25 — The origin of the Magnolia Lane name and why they give every client a magnolia tree to plant

09:15 — Starting in a 19-square-metre garage with a VB drum fridge and a goal of $10k a month each

14:02 — The hardest transition: getting off the tools and learning to lead rather than write

18:14 — How the LMG Asset Finance Exchange changed their business and what makes a great mortgage broker referral partner

23:08 — The post-settlement follow-up that keeps clients sticky and unlocks asset finance opportunities

26:01 — M&A, succession planning and why asset finance businesses need to start preparing years earlier than they think

30:33 — What the Magnolia Lane team is seeing across the market right now and their honest take on AI

39:28 — The hardest but best lessons from 12 years in business

49:15 — One piece of advice each for young business owners: make a decision, back yourself, have a crack

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The big banks are closing branches in regional Australia. Elders is opening them.

Recorded live at Growth Summit, LMG's National Head of Enterprise Partners, Mark Montalto sits down with Steve Gibson, Head of Elders Finance, to unpack how one of Australia's most recognised brands is growing, pivoting and protecting what it's built over 187 years, and what every broker can take away for their own brand.

It's a candid conversation about compliance, culture, acquisitions and why trust in regional communities is harder to win than any deal.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why Elders walks away from profitable acquisitions if they don't fit the "One Elders" standard

• How the retreat of major banks from country towns is creating a genuine opportunity for brokers

• The one thing that can destroy years of brand-building overnight

Like this episode? Leave a review. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to the Broker Bulletin podcast channel on your favourite streaming service.

Got questions, ideas, or a guest suggestion? Drop us a line at [email protected].

You can also connect with us on Instagram @lmg.broker and on LinkedIn.

Want to know more about LMG? Click here.

Show notes: 

01:25 Steve shares the 187-year history of Elders and how the finance arm evolved from a banking licence to a brokerage

02:14 The deliberate two-year pivot into agri and commercial finance, and why it happened

03:49 What "One Elders" means and how it shapes every acquisition decision

05:49 How the retreat of major banks from regional Australia is creating an opportunity for Elders

07:23 Why compliance is the non-negotiable at the heart of brand protection

09:39 The role of agri finance relationship managers and why trust in farming communities matters more than volume

11:15 Steve's advice for any broker building their own brand from scratch

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