At the recent National Advisers Conference Gala Dinner, the hotly contested Professional Advisers Association (PAA) excellence awards were announced. The PAA was delighted to recognise Simon Maule from Loan Market in Christchurch as the winner of the New Mortgage Adviser of the Year.
The awards are designed to recognise PAA members who demonstrate the founding values of the association: client advocacy, diligence in their work, compliance with relevant regulations and professional development.
“Our winners exemplify what it takes to be a quality adviser, every day and in all interactions with clients: energy, commitment, professionalism and an absolute focus on doing the best for their clients. They thoroughly deserve the acknowledgement of these awards,” says Rod Severn, CEO of the PAA.
The New Mortgage Adviser accolade recognises Simon as the best new adviser at a national level. Simon joined brokering group, Loan Market, in April 2014 after 20 years in banking.
“I decided to move to Loan Market because I’m passionate about providing the highest level of customer service – not just to my clients but also to the banks receiving the home loan applications. Loan Market offered me a platform to do that,” Simon explains.
Joining forces with principal, Tony McPherson, and the team at Ray White Metro, Simon said the first year of business has been a huge success.
“I work out of the Ray White Metro office and in my first 12 months, I’ve become so busy that I’ve hired a personal assistant,” he said.
“I’m very proud of my partnership with Ray White. I worked hard to build trust with the agents and develop an outstanding customer experience for my clients. I’m really pleased with the results of the past year, I’m seeing an increasing amount of repeat and referral business coming through from my clients as well as business from my first home buyer seminars and referrals from the likes of lawyers and accountants.”
For Simon, he said the future holds more growth.
“My goal is to employ a loan writer in the next 12 months and I’ll be looking to bring on more staff in the coming years and build a team of advisers,” Simon said.
Offering his insights to new advisers or those thinking of a career change, Simon said the key to success is simple: work hard.
“Plan your weeks and don’t get distracted by external things. Apply yourself and put in the hours,” he said.
“I was fortunate enough to be in a position where I could focus all my energies on my business – and it has paid off.
“I work really hard to ensure each of my clients receives outstanding service in their dealings with me and I ensure communication is prompt and regular.
“I offer additional services such as property value information, help with the Kiwisaver withdrawal process and can recommend lawyers and accountants to those that need those services. I also try to take jobs off my clients by contacting real estate agents and lawyers on their behalf and do whatever I can to make the process as smooth and as stress free as possible.”