Cherry Lending’s very own Nikki Berzin took a step away from the world of mortgages this week, and was chuffed to feature on the Elite Broker podcast.
Since its inception over ten years ago, The Adviser has developed a well earned reputation for being Australia’s leading and most respected media brand covering the ins and outs of the mortgage and finance broking industry.
Covering and analysing the latest industry news and trends, The Adviser is where mortgage and finance brokers turn for news. The well established media brand now also produces a series of podcasts specifically for members of the broking and finance industries, such as the esteemed Elite Broker podcast.
The audio based media outlet conducts interviews with Australia’s leading brokers to uncover their career progression, how they’re operating a busy broker business, and their top tips for brokers looking to run a successful brokerage. This week, it was Nikki’s turn to feature as a guest on Elite Broker, and was nothing short of thrilled to receive the invite.
Joining host Annie Kane, who also happens to be the Editor of The Adviser, Nikki deep dives into her unusual route into the world of mortgage broking. Having gone from banking, to firefighting to broking, Nikki explores how she managed to happily marry her two experiences by carving out a niche for herself writing loans for emergency service workers.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, in 2016 Nikki began the process of applying to become a firefighter for the Country Fire Authority, Victoria’s leading fire fighting service – and passed. As Nikki’s husband has been in the Victorian Police Force for over two decades, she was already familiar with the responsibilities associated with being an emergency services worker.
During the course of her training in the firefighting industry, Nikki spent her downtime learning the fine art of what the world of mortgage broking involved. Still wildly passionate about the finance industry, her plan was to eventually launch her very own business within this field. However, after the unexpected death of her father, Nikki came to the rapid realisation that life is simply too short not to do what you love, and as a result, in 2017 Cherry Lending and Finance was born.
“This is not an easy industry to be in – there’s often paperwork coming out of your ears and constantly navigating compliance regulations. For me, it really is just focusing on the good parts of this business. In the beginning I tried to be everything to everyone, and whilst not ideal, I also needed to do that in order to understand where I really wanted Cherry Lending and Finance to go. Specialising has allowed me to focus on my strengths, and I still even now get a lump in my throat when I pick up the phone to advise a first home buyer that they’ve been approved.”
Over the course of the forty minute interview, Nikki goes on to explain what she most loves about being a mortgage broker, the importance of having a mentor and how the relationship with hers has evolved, how she’s been consciously building her business to manage growth, and when to bite the bullet with outsourcing.
With only 10% of mortgage brokers being women, Nikki’s ‘nurture’ approach when it comes to customer service has been her competitive advantage, and extremely passionate about encouraging more women to join the mortgage broking industry. Unsurprisingly, her deep connections to the emergency services sector has also shone through, with over 80% of Cherry Lending’s customer base now belonging to this field.
Nikki’s never been one to shy away from a challenge, and was delighted to have the opportunity to share her experiences and the lessons she’s learned along the way on the podcast. To listen to Nikki’s chat with Annie on the Elite Broker podcast, tune in via The Adviser Podcast Network on Spotify, or follow this link for further information.
