Winning the Young Gun of the Year at the Australian Mortgage Awards can help grow your career as a young broker, according to two recent winners.
The national award, which will feature again as part of this year’s upcoming 2023 Australian Mortgage Awards, recognises the best broker aged 35 and under who has less than two years’ experience.
Andrew Hadjidemetri (pictured above left), who won the Young Gun of the Year – Independent Award in 2021, said winning the award was an incredible and humbling experience.
“It was a moment of immense pride and joy, knowing that my hard work and dedication as a mortgage broker were recognised and celebrated by industry professionals,” said Hadjidemetri, director and finance broker at Australian Financial and Mortgage Solutions.
In terms of his business, Hadjidemetri said winning this prestigious accolade has had a profound impact.
“It has enhanced my reputation and credibility within the industry, positioning me as an emerging leader and expert in my field,” Hadjidemetri said. “The recognition has opened doors to new opportunities, attracting a wider client base and generating increased visibility for my services.”
Luke Whitbread (pictured above right), broker at Mortgage Choice Erina and Young Gun of the Year – Franchise 2021 award winner, agreed saying the accolade helped his relationships with older clients.
“If you’re young and you’re giving advice to people who are older people, you need that credibility to ensure that you know what you are talking about,” Whitbread said. “That’s why I got my AMA award in my office and in my email signature because it gives clients confidence. It’s been mentioned a few times actually and I can see they are impressed.”
Building a career
For Whitbread, the award also set into motion his career progression.
After working as an assistant with the old franchise owner, Whitbread started writing loans about a year before the awards.
“It was doing all the little things like looking after clients and keeping them happy. The client reviews and recognition within the Mortgage Choice also helped as well,” said Whitbread. “It’s not rocket science. If you have the client’s best interests at heart, they can see that easily and it will begin to resonate among the industry as well.”
After the award, he began a three-year transition with his colleague to take over the franchise from his boss and mentor.
“With the amount of business we’ve been getting lately my role has shifted into a more of a managerial role and a business owner rather than just a broker. It’s allowed us to scale the business with future Young Guns and hopefully one day they too will win this award,” Whitbread said.
Advice for future Young Guns
Whitbread urges other young brokers to get a good mentor and to look inwardly to figure out how you can improve yourself.
Hadjidemetri agreed, saying his advice, first and foremost, was to never stop learning.
“The mortgage industry is constantly evolving, so staying informed about market trends, regulations, and industry best practices is crucial,” Hadjidemetri said. “Second, build strong relationships. Cultivate a network of professionals, clients, and industry contacts who can support and guide you along your journey.”
“Third, prioritise exceptional customer service. Going the extra mile for your clients, providing personalised solutions, and maintaining clear communication will earn their trust and loyalty.”
Celebrating industry excellence
Celebrating its 22nd year, the Australian Mortgage Awards has established itself as a premiere event for the broking community.
Organised by Key Media with the support of Australian Broker and Mortgage Professional Australia, the AMAs recognise the outstanding industry achievements across 27 categories.
Within the Broker of the Year Awards, recognition will be given in five distinct categories: commercial, residential, regional, specialist lending, and a special young gun of the year award.
The lender awards include accolades such as fintech lender of the year, as well as bank and non-bank of the year.
Westpac is back again for its 14th year as event partner while NAB and PRPTY360 are premium partners with the latter also the champagne sponsor.
A total of 22 other organisations have sponsored the 2023 AMAs, including ANZ, Liberty, La Trobe Financial, Pepper Money, MFAA, FBAA, Bankwest, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Mortgage Choice, OnDeck Australia, PropTrack, Adelaide Bank, Equity-One, Firstmac, ubank, Gateway Bank, Rate Money, Resimac and Q2.
VIP post awards event sponsor is FINSTREET and the social media sponsor is Maxiron Capital while Fifo Capital is sponsoring the photo booth.
Nominations for the 2023 Australian Mortgage Awards close on June 30 and tickets are selling fast.
