For only the second time in Loan Market’s 30-year history, the company has awarded Life Membership to one of its brokers.
Chris Dobbie, a veteran of the industry, has been honoured for his 25-year contribution to the brand and to the broader mortgage broking community.
Dobbie, whose career with Loan Market began in 1999, said the rise of brokers in Australia came down to a simple but crucial factor - trust.
“Clients know it’s in their best interests to use brokers,” he said. “And it’s in our best interests to get a good deal for them because we want to build lifelong relationships where they keep coming back and refer their friends and family.”
His recognition as Loan Market’s newest Lifetime Member follows in the footsteps of Central Coast broker Leanne Sayer, the first to receive the honour.
Since stepping into Loan Market’s precursor, Ray White Financial Services, in 1999, Dobbie has enjoyed a stellar career. Among many achievements:
- He eclipsed 250 lodgements in a calendar year in only his second calendar year with a fulltime PA (282 loans totalling $55m in volume);
- He won Loan Market’s first ever individual Broker of the Year title in the MFAA awards (2006);
- He spent time in corporate as General of Manager of Broker Services (alongside running his own business);
- He’s mentored several high performing brokers, some of whom have become members of Loan Market’s prestigious Chairman’s Club.
Dobbie came to the brand from another brokerage after writing a home loan for a Ray White agent in Paddington, Brisbane.“The agent told me there were five lenders on their panel at the time and I was only writing loans for one product,” he said. “I thought I’d give them a call and I’ve been here ever since.”A typical work day would involve two face-to-face appointments with clients at night, with processing - without tech tools - and bank liaison taking up the next day.At the time, there was some apprehension from customers about using a broker. Some customers thought using a broker would cost them more money.Nonetheless, Dobbie was still converting 25% of leads generated by agents.Twenty-five years on from processing his first loan from a Ray White Paddington agent, he’s still working with the business.“Agents have got to trust you that you’re not going to mess up their deal,” he said.“And the client has got to trust you that you’re not going to give any information back to the referring agent that will push the price.“When I started working with Ray White Paddington, there was a line drawn in the sand where I said ‘this is what I’m prepared to tell you, but I’m never going to cross the line’. There’s always been a mutual respect about that.“When an agent refers to me, they know I'm going to do everything I can to get the client to where the client wants to be.” Tech has transformed broker operations over his 25 years with Loan Market. He used to write loans with a pen, pad, calculator and application forms. But the broker-client relationship has remained constant, he said.LMG Executive Chairman Sam White said ‘Dobs’ had made a major contribution to the values that Loan Market was liked and trusted for.“‘Dobs’ has always put the customer first,” said Mr White. “He’s a brilliant broker and he’s had a tremendous influence on the growth of the industry and why the majority of customers choose brokers over banks.“He epitomises the values of brokers and has been part of the evolution of Loan Market over our 30 years.”