Building a successful brokerage isn’t just about writing more business. It’s about knowing where you can add the most value, building the right systems around your team, and creating a business that can keep growing.

In this episode, we sit down with Matthew Johnson, Managing Director of Simplicity Loans & Advisory Group, to unpack the journey of building a specialist commercial brokerage and what it takes to grow beyond the founders.

Matthew and business partner Jean-Pierre (JP) Gortan started the business with just five people and a clear ambition to build something bigger than themselves. Today, Simplicity writes around $3 billion a year in lending, with residential making up less than 3% of its volume, and has around 13 to 14 commercial brokers.

Matthew shares how the business moved from doing whatever it could to keep the lights on, to doubling down on commercial lending, building Marketplace Finance, bringing in complementary leadership, and putting systems and governance in place to support the next stage of growth.

He also opens up about the decisions that shaped the business, including how the team approached its partnership with REA Group and why he sees it as the start of the next chapter rather than the end.

In this episode:

→ Why knowing your specialty can be more powerful than trying to do everything

→ How Simplicity moved from a broad lending offering to a clear commercial focus

→ How Marketplace Finance created another path to scale the business

→ Bringing in the right leadership expertise to unlock the next stage of growth

→ What Matthew learned from a major technology investment

→ Why asking for honest feedback can help leaders continue to grow

→ The role of partnerships and consolidation in the future of commercial broking

→ Why brokers don't need to be experts in everything to deliver more value to their clients

Whether you're building a commercial brokerage, growing a team, or working out how to move beyond being the person responsible for every deal, this conversation offers plenty of practical lessons on building a business with the foundations to keep growing.

00:00 - Meet Matt Johnson of Simplicity

01:11 - How to Get Honest Feedback From Your Team

01:49 - The REA Deal and What Comes Next

03:41 - Building for Scale From Day One

06:53 - Why Simplicity Went All In on Commercial

09:39 - Building Marketplace Finance for Scale

12:16 - Playing to Your Strengths as Founders

17:51 - Advisory Boards, Tech and Calculated Bets

24:06 - Managing a Confidential Sale With Your Team

29:51 - Breaking Through the Next Stage of Growth

33:45 - Why Specialisation and Partnerships Matter

36:20 - Learning to Ask for Honest Feedback

39:22 - Final Takeaways and Closing

Matthew Johnson is the Managing Director of Simplicity Loans & Advisory Group, a specialist commercial lending business he co-founded with JP after both building careers in commercial banking and lending.

Matthew has extensive experience across commercial lending, business banking, credit analysis and cash flow lending, with a strong focus on helping businesses navigate complex lending needs.

Since launching Simplicity, Matthew and JP have built the business from an initial team of five into a commercial brokerage writing around $3 billion in lending across the calendar year, with around 13 to 14 commercial brokers throughout the year. Residential lending now represents less than 3% of the business.

Today, Matthew’s focus extends beyond writing deals to strategy, leadership and building the systems, structures and partnerships that allow the business and its people to continue growing. He is particularly focused on creating the right environment for experienced brokers, developing strong leadership around the founders, and continuing to build a business that can scale beyond its original team.

• LinkedIn | Matthew Johnson
• Website | Simplicity
• Website | Marketplace Finance

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

🎬Produced by Chris Bates and the studio team at www.alcove.com.au

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.

Growth eventually forces you to make a choice: keep writing the deals yourself, or build a brokerage that can grow without depending on you.

In Episode 005 of Brokers in Progress, we sit down with Adam Rakowski, founder of Ortus Financial. After 15 years at Macquarie, Adam started Ortus in 2019. Today, the business is settling around $1.5 billion a year through approximately 30 brokers. Last year, Ortus also took on a $2 billion loan book and around 20 brokers through a major acquisition.

That growth has pushed Adam further off the tools and into a different role. He shares what he is learning about delegation, leadership, building the right team and creating a business that can continue delivering for clients without everything running through him.

In this episode:

→ Why growth will eventually force you away from writing the deals yourself

→ What Adam learned from taking on a $2 billion loan book and integrating around 20 brokers

→ Why having different employment and incentive models became difficult as Ortus scaled

→ Why Adam believes in getting good people around you before you need them

→ The value of developing people who can eventually replace you and creating genuine career progression

→ Why Ortus is leaning further into private client and agricultural finance, where the team has deeper experience

→ Adam's view on specialisation, and why he sees it as an abundance mindset rather than limiting opportunity

→ Why the human and cultural side matters just as much as the numbers when considering an acquisition

→ How Adam sees consolidation changing the broking industry and the opportunities it could create for larger firms

For brokers and business owners working out how to step back from being the person who does everything, this episode is a practical look at building the people, structure and focus needed to grow beyond yourself.

02:14 - How Macquarie Shaped Adam’s Approach

03:29 - Taking On A $2 Billion Loan Book

06:31 - What The Acquisition Changed

08:43 - Stepping Off The Tools To Lead

11:42 - Simplifying The Model As Ortus Scales

15:29 - Going Deeper Through Specialisation

19:32 - Why Adam Sees Consolidation Coming

27:58 - Get The People Before You Need Them

31:24 - Building Trust As The Team Grows

35:30 - Wrap Up And Next Episode

Adam Rakowski is the founder of Ortus Financial, a finance brokerage focused on building long-term client relationships and delivering a private banking-style experience.

Before starting Ortus Financial in 2019, Adam spent 15 years at Macquarie, where he gained experience across sales, credit and operations. That background continues to shape his approach to broking, particularly his focus on understanding the full client journey and building relationships around trust, empathy and consistency.

Today, Ortus Financial is settling around $1.5 billion a year through approximately 30 brokers. The business has also grown through acquisition, taking on a $2 billion loan book and around 20 brokers last year.

As Ortus has grown, Adam’s own role has evolved from writing deals to spending more time on leadership, strategy and developing his team. He is a strong believer in getting good people around you early, leaning into what you do best and building a business that can continue delivering for clients without depending on one person.

• LinkedIn
• Website (Ortus Financial)
• Instagram (Adam)
• Instagram (Ortus Financial)

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

🎬Produced by Chris Bates and the studio team at www.alcove.com.au

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.

Building a successful brokerage isn't just about writing more volume. It's about creating the environment, systems, and relationships that make long-term growth possible.

In Episode 004 of Brokers in Progress, we sit down with Clint Waters, founder of AXTON Finance. Clint has been a broker for more than 20 years, and today AXTON has a team of eight brokers settling more than $500 million a year.

Clint shares how his role has evolved from being the principal broker saying yes to every client and writing every deal, to stepping back and building an environment where good brokers can become great.

In this episode:

→ Why Clint believes experienced brokers can achieve more inside the right environment

→ The shift from principal broker to building the platform around the team

→ Why settlement volume alone isn't enough to measure a successful brokerage

→ How AXTON is centralising knowledge to make better, more consistent decisions

→ Why efficiency and broker productivity will matter more as the industry evolves

→ The role brand and reputation play before a client even speaks to a broker

→ Why human relationships are becoming more valuable as AI becomes part of the broking process

→ What it means to play the long game with clients, even when the best advice is to wait

Whether you're building a team, trying to improve your brokerage, or working out how to step beyond writing every deal yourself, this conversation offers a practical look at what it takes to build for the long term.

01:54 - From Principal Broker to Building the Platform

04:24 - How Technology Changed the Brokerage Model

06:32 - Creating a Home for Experienced Brokers

09:45 - Why Brand Opens the Door With Clients

13:13 - Stepping Back Before Burning Out

15:12 - Building a Team Around Shared Values

19:32 - Why Great Broking Is a Long Game

23:13 - Where Brokerage Consolidation Is Heading

30:07 - Centralising Knowledge for Better Decisions

32:35 - Building AXTON’s Premium Brand

36:47 - Wrap Up and Next Episode

Clint Waters is an experienced mortgage broker and the founder of AXTON Finance. He has worked in mortgage broking since 2003, helping clients across a wide range of residential, investment and commercial lending needs.

Based in Melbourne, Clint has spent more than 20 years in the industry and has built AXTON into a team of eight brokers settling more than $500 million a year.

Today, his focus extends beyond writing loans to building the systems, culture and environment that help experienced brokers perform at a high level, while maintaining a strong focus on long-term client relationships and quality credit advice.

• LinkedIn
• Website

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

Produced by Chris Bates and the studio team at www.alcove.com.au

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.

The people you bring into a business can matter just as much as the numbers they write.

In Episode 003 of Brokers in Progress, we sit down with Anthony Roddy, co-founder of MortgageWorks. Anthony built the business alongside two of his closest mates, George Fennel and Nick Jacobs. What started with three brokers running their own books has grown into a team of 16 brokers, now settling more than $1 billion a year.

Anthony gets candid about what it takes to build a business with three very different founders, the people decisions they’ve learned to take seriously, and the personal growth required as the business grows and the challenges get bigger.

In this episode:

→ Why MortgageWorks hires for integrity, personality and attitude, with the belief that the rest can be trained

→ How three founders with very different personalities make decisions without always agreeing

→ Why hiring is the one major business decision Anthony, George and Nick insist must be unanimous

→ What Anthony means by being “ruthlessly honest with yourself” as you take on bigger problems

→ Why MortgageWorks is willing to sacrifice volume to protect a culture built around integrity, collaboration and support

→ How difficult lending environments can force you to become a better, more capable broker

→ Why Anthony believes relationships and the ability to handle complexity will become even more important as technology changes broking

→ Why MortgageWorks wants to get its core business right before expanding into additional services

Whether you’re building a team, going into business with others, or working through the next stage of your own growth, this episode is a practical look at why the people around you, and the work you do on yourself, can shape the business you ultimately build.

01:34 - Building a Business With Two Close Mates

03:58 - Keeping the Partnership Fair From Day One

06:07 - Growing MortgageWorks to 16 Brokers

09:01 - Hiring for Character and the Right Fit

11:38 - Finding the Right Market Position

13:34 - Why Growth Requires Ruthless Self-Honesty

16:12 - Becoming Better Through Tough Markets

18:37 - Why Culture Matters More Than Volume

20:31 - How AI Could Change the Broking Industry

24:44 - Learning From People Who’ve Been There Before

26:29 - Get the Core Business Right Before Expanding

28:30 - Using Automation to Increase Capacity

29:56 - Making a Three-Founder Partnership Work

31:36 - Wrap Up and Next Episode

Anthony Roddy is the co-founder of MortgageWorks, a Sydney-based mortgage brokerage he built alongside George Fennel and Nick Jacobs.

Anthony started his career in accounting before moving into mortgage broking in 2015. Together with George and Nick, he has grown MortgageWorks from three brokers running their own individual books into a team of 16 brokers, with the business now settling more than $1 billion in loans annually.

A big part of Anthony’s approach to business is centred around people. At MortgageWorks, the team places a strong emphasis on integrity, collaboration, support and hiring people with the right attitude and personality, with the belief that many of the technical skills can be taught.

Anthony is also a strong believer in continual personal growth and being honest about where you need to improve as the challenges of running a business get bigger.

• Website | MortgageWorks
• LinkedIn | Anthony Roddy
• LinkedIn | MortgageWorks
• Instagram | MortgageWorks
• Facebook | MortgageWorks

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

Produced by Chris Bates and the studio team at www.alcove.com.au

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.

The next stage of brokerage growth isn’t always about adding more brokers. It’s about giving the right people the systems, resources, and opportunities to keep progressing.

In this episode of Brokers in Progress, we sit down with Nick Reilly, founder of Inovayt. Since starting the business in 2007, Nick has grown Inovayt into a broader financial services business settling around $1.2 billion a year, with 16 brokers and 65 staff across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Nick shares how his approach to growth has evolved, from learning to step back and give good people autonomy to building an environment where top performers can keep reaching new levels.

In this episode:

→ Why investing in proven performers can be more valuable than continually adding new brokers

→ How the right systems can help a $60–70M broker progress to $100M and beyond

→ Why giving people autonomy became a turning point in Inovayt’s growth

→ How top performers can create a blueprint that lifts the rest of the team

→ Why Nick believes technology and AI will give the best brokers more time to win and retain clients

→ How Inovayt is creating a pathway for talented people to grow within the business

→ Why the future of broking could see fewer businesses writing a greater share of the volume

→ How Inovayt is thinking about client retention and building relationships beyond a single transaction

→ What Nick is learning as the business moves into partnerships, acquisitions, governance, and its next stage of growth

Whether you’re building your first team or working out how to take an established brokerage to its next level, this episode is a practical look at what it takes to create an environment where good people can grow with the business.

01:54 - From Broking to Building a Business

05:08 - How Inovayt Evolved Beyond Broking

07:00 - Expanding Inovayt Across Australia

08:21 - Learning to Step Back as a Founder

11:22 - What Nick Learned From Hiring Mistakes

13:24 - Building Systems Around Top Performers

15:37 - What Sets Top Brokers Apart

18:14 - Giving Your Best People Room to Grow

20:00 - Why Fewer Brokers Could Write More Volume

24:03 - Your Brokers Are Your Brand

27:33 - Partnerships, Acquisitions and the Next Stage

32:44 - Building a Culture Where Everyone Wins

36:38 - Wrap Up and Next Episode

Nick Reilly is the founder of Inovayt, a financial services business that has grown from a mortgage brokerage into a team of 16 brokers and 65 staff across Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, settling around $1.2 billion a year.

Nick started Inovayt in 2007 after beginning his career in mortgage broking, but from early on he saw himself as a business builder rather than simply a broker. The business evolved in stages: first building lead generation and back-end support that other brokers could plug into, then expanding into financial planning, and more recently growing into new markets and bringing smaller businesses into the group.

A big part of that growth has been learning to build around good people. Nick talks openly about stepping back as a founder, giving capable leaders autonomy and creating the systems that allow top performers to keep progressing. Rather than focusing solely on adding more brokers, Inovayt is increasingly focused on giving proven performers the resources, support and client-facing time they need to reach new levels, while creating a blueprint others in the business can follow.

Nick is now leading Inovayt into another stage of growth, with nine shareholders, a partnership model and a goal of reaching $30 million in turnover by 2030. His own focus is shifting again, this time towards acquisitions, governance, managing shareholders and learning what it takes to lead a significantly larger organisation. For brokers and business owners thinking about how to create a business where talented people can grow and stay for the long term, Nick’s journey offers plenty to learn from.

• LinkedIn
• Website

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.

Brokers don't just need more clients. They need the systems, leadership, and strategy to build a business that actually scales.

In the debut episode of Brokers in Progress, we sit down with Theo Chambers—co-founder of Shore Financial—one of Australia's largest independently owned mortgage brokerages. Since launching in 2013, Shore Financial has settled over $16.5 billion in loans, grown to 37 brokers and 120 staff, and expanded into financial planning, asset finance, and funds management. This year alone: $2.5 billion.

Theo gets candid about the strategic decisions—and costly mistakes—that shaped Shore Financial's growth from a boutique brokerage to a full-scale financial services operation.

In this episode:

→ Why most brokers hit a ceiling at $80–100M in annual volume — and how to break through it

→ The operational shift that separates brokerages that scale from ones that stall

→ Why "more volume doesn't always mean more profit" — and what matters more

→ How Shore Financial is building for the AI era (and why Theo believes AI will empower brokers, not replace them)

→ The "2.6 products" rule that turns one-off clients into raving fans for life

→ Industry consolidation: what it means for your brokerage right now

→ The loan book trap — why some acquisitions will deteriorate in value faster than you think

Whether you're a solo broker building your first team or a principal pushing past $500M, this episode delivers the kind of strategic clarity that's hard to find anywhere else.

01:26 – What Drove Theo to Build Bigger

02:25 – The Secret Ingredient: Why Continuity Wins

03:16 – How Shore Financial Scaled to $2B+

05:34 – How Shore Grew Without Paid Marketing

07:59 – Breaking Through the $80M Broker Ceiling

10:37 – Why Systems Need to Come Before Scale

12:39 – How Leadership Changes as You Scale

14:03 – Building a Brokerage Beyond the Founder

17:45 – ESOP: Turning Senior Leaders Into Owners

20:22 – Which Services Add the Most Value?

25:57 – The Future of Broking: AI and Tech

28:38 – Why Brokerage Consolidation Is Accelerating

32:56 – 650 Data Points: Shore’s Competitive Advantage

35:46 – Building a True Client-for-Life Model

39:59 – Theo’s Advice for Growing Brokers

Theo Chambers is the co-founder of Shore Financial, one of Australia's largest independently owned mortgage brokerages. Founded in 2013 alongside co-founder Alex Nochar, Shore Financial has settled over $16.5 billion in loans, scaled to 37 brokers and 120 staff, and is on track to settle $2.5 billion this financial year alone.

Shore Financial was built on an insight Theo developed during his time at McGrath—that the relationship between real estate agents and mortgage brokers was one of the most underutilised distribution advantages in the industry. Rather than anchor that model to a single real estate group, he and Alex built something non-exclusive and nationally scalable. Growth came fast—and Theo is the first to admit that early success created its own problems. Volume outpaced infrastructure, producing a large business with fragile systems. The reset was deliberate: centralise processing, invest in leadership, slow down to build properly. Those decisions shape how Shore Financial operates today.

Theo now leads Shore Financial as a diversified financial services business—spanning financial planning, asset finance, and a funds management arm with approximately $160 million in assets under management. His focus has moved from writing loans to building an institution: corporatising the business, reducing key-person dependency, embedding ESOP structures to give senior leaders skin in the game, and building a data platform that captures up to 650 data points per client application. For brokers thinking about what their business looks like at the next level—and the level after that—Theo's journey is one of the most instructive in the industry.

• LinkedIn | Theo Chambers
• Website | Shore Financial
• Instagram | Theo Chambers

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.

What can you learn from the people who’ve already built and scaled some of Australia’s leading mortgage brokerages?

Brokers in Progress brings together brokerage leaders who’ve collectively settled tens of billions in home loans to share the lessons behind the businesses they’ve built — including the decisions that drove their growth, the mistakes they’d avoid, and the challenges they’re still working through.

Across the series, they get into the realities of scaling: building teams and systems, attracting and retaining great brokers, stepping away from the tools, breaking through growth ceilings, and preparing for where the broking industry is heading next.

These aren’t polished success stories. Every guest is an open book about what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish they’d known earlier.

No courses. No product pitches. No highlight reels. Just brokers sharing what they’ve learned so other brokers can get better.

New episodes every Friday.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Brokers in Progress for more real conversations about growth, systems, leadership, and what it actually takes to build a successful brokerage.

🎥Produced by Chris Bates and the studio team at https://www.alcove.com.au/

The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as financial, investment, or credit advice. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your circumstances and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, or other qualified professional before making any decision. Canopy Private Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 558709.