In 2021, there are approximately 300,000 people working as police officers, paramedics, firefighters or nurses in Australia. While that number alone is quite significant, the emergency services community is actually much bigger when we consider personnel that are either in training, have retired, plus their families too.
It’s fair to say that just about all of us have a link to the emergency services community, and the people that work in it. Even if you don’t, most of us will generally need the assistance of this sector at some point in our lives. For Cherry Lending & Finance founder Nikki Berzin, her ties to the emergency services sector are personal. For her, actively working to provide a service to this community was a no brainer.
Our Ties To The Emergency Services Sector
On the surface, combining a passion for both finance and the emergency services sector doesn’t seem like an easy feat – but Cherry Lending & Finance Director Nikki Berzin has managed to do just that.
Nikki’s career began in the world of business development and project management, and worked for some of Australia’s leading retail and finance brands such as Mitre 10 and ANZ Bank.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, in 2015 Nikki began the process of applying to become a career firefighter for the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Victoria’s leading fire fighting service, and in 2016 graduated from the Academy as a certified firefighter. 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.
However, the call to follow her own path was getting louder, and Nikki knew that her true passion was for numbers. As a result, the blueprint for Cherry Lending & Finance took shape, before launching in 2017.
Emergency service workers were usually time poor, exhausted from shift work and navigating high stress jobs – however, they also usually had families at home, and still had to buy and sell property just like everyone else. While Australia has a long history of providing banking institutions, health care providers and even superannuation options dedicated to the needs of police and other emergency services, Nikki was acutely aware that there were no mortgage broker businesses that specialised in the emergency services sector.
Unsurprisingly, her passion for the emergency services sector and unique personal experiences have also shone through, with over 80% of Cherry Lending & Finance customer base belonging to this field. Being a member of the emergency services sector and trying to navigate the realms of finance and property can be daunting, but Nikki’s approach purposefully aims to make the process straightforward and stress free.
While many other mortgage broking services would be hesitant to ‘limit’ themselves and niche down to one industry or sector, it has allowed Nikki to focus on one of Victoria’s biggest communities and cater to their unique working environment accordingly.
Nikki is acutely aware of just how tight knit the emergency services community is not only in Victoria, but in Australia as a whole. It’s for this reason that Nikki has partnered with other operators that specifically worked with emergency services personnel, such as Luke Lawlor from Emergency Service Property Advisors, one of her industry peers in the Mornington region in Victoria.
With word of mouth now being the primary growth factor behind the success of Cherry Lending & Finance, this also allows Nikki to do what she does best – serving the unique needs of the emergency services community.
Get The Right Finance Advice The First Time
With a background in emergency services, banking, finance, business development and project management, there’s no better advocate to have on your team than Nikki Berzin. As a fully qualified mortgage broker and director of Cherry Lending & Finance, Nikki is passionate about all things finance, and empowering her clients with the tools to hit their property goals is what she does best.
If you’re looking to get into your first home, purchase an investment property or even want to look at your options for refinancing, the first step is starting the conversation. Get in touch with Nikki today, or call her directly on 0427 374 155 to bring your mortgage dreams to life.
Disclaimer: Your full financial needs and requirements need to be assessed prior to any offer or acceptance of a loan product. Subject to lenders terms and conditions, fees and charges and eligibility apply.
