Saheba Bhamra always wanted to successfully manage her own business – so she turned her attention from selling luxury cars to helping people get on to the property ladder by becoming a mortgage broker.
Bhamra (pictured above) has worked in a number of high-performance sales roles, most recently as a sales consultant with BMW Parramatta. However at 26, she decided it was time to make her dream of being her own boss become reality.
“What I loved most about my previous role was the face-to-face interaction and being client focused,” Bhamra said.
“I pride myself with my customer service skillset and my expectation on what that delivery will look like. At BMW, I was also managing the sales team and I loved the thrill of helping a customer who would come into the dealership with a dream of owning a luxury vehicle into a reality.”
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Bhamra said she was often told she was not your “stereotypical” salesperson.
“I believe sales is one of the strongest industries to work in, especially to increase confidence. You need to be at the top of your game constantly, be yourself and deliver on customer expectation because you are representing the brand you are working for. The beauty of sales and relationship building is that it’s such a strong tool and I think a lot of people underestimate that.”
Bhamra said mortgage broking was a concept she had been contemplating for some time and an industry she was always intrigued by.
“A close friend of mine (who I consider a mentor) is a top broker, so he explained to me how the industry works,” she said.
“Coming from a sales background, I found it a little foreign. However, I completed my Certificate in Finance and Mortgage Broking in 2021, but after finishing my studies I was worried if this was the right idea or not – to leave a stable and secure job for a project of my own in the middle of a pandemic. It was the biggest risk I could have taken.”
Bhamra said this was an opportunity to make something of herself.
“I am here now and ready to make my mark and to shake up the industry,” she said. “I joined Absolut Financial in July, which is one of the top broking franchises in Australia which has a huge support network. The team are fantastic and I know if I ever get stuck or have a question, I have support at my fingertips.”
Bhamra opened her own franchise in the Sydney suburb of Bella Vista earlier this year and said she has both short-term and long-term goals for her business.
She said in the short term, she needed to find more clients and build up a referral network including accountants, lawyers and property developers.
“As professionals we can work together to help each other out,” she said. “Ideally in the long term I would like a team of six to eight brokers and financial advisers offering insurance and superannuation to clients. I would like to be a one-stop shop and all-round financial solution for people.”
Bhamra said early on in her new career, she learnt the importance of strong broker-client relationships.
“A broker and client relationship is such an intimate relationship and having that professional you can trust and have rapport with is imperative. My focus at the moment is growing my new network and getting my name out there, especially as I am so new to this industry.”
