Lendi Group has announced it will introduce its digital home loan platform to its retail brokers after successfully migrating all its Lendi and Aussie mobile channel.
Powered by its latest model Platform Plus, the Aussie Platform’s expansion to the retail channel marks a major milestone for the Lendi Group with the entire network of almost 1,100 brokers being fully operational by the end of June.
“Migrating over 1,000 brokers on to a new tech platform is no easy feat, but it’s been all hands on deck and we are so excited by how aligned our brokers have been with our vision for the future,” said Brad Cramb, chief distribution officer of Lendi Group.
“This is a large and complex change for the whole of the Aussie broker network, the largest since the launch of the legacy system in 2013.”
Lendi Group’s retail stores have been invited to join the Platform Plus model, with over 50 stores already committing.
The rest will be rolled out in cohorts, starting with the first 20 from today. However, the July, August, and September cohorts are already full due to high interest and alignment with the vision, said Cramb.
Launched in November last year, the omnichannel experience powered by the platform was designed so consumers could compare, apply, and settle their loan online, virtually or in person, fully supported by brokers.
The company said this significantly made processes more efficient, with home loan specialists using Platform Plus lodging 12.5 deals per month per broker, compared to the industry average of 3.5.
Clay Bremer (pictured above left), an Aussie mobile broker from Queensland, was one of the first to successfully transition to Platform Plus in 2022. In his first full year as a mobile broker, he is on track to settle $50m-$60m in loans.
Joining Aussie in 2021 after nearly two decades in the Air Force, Bremer said the platform has given him the freedom to start working on different aspects of his business, including generating appointments, meeting new clients, and expanding his community and social media presence.
“With a young family, the biggest advantage has been my ability to be a better dad by getting big gains in my work-life balance due to so much of my workload now being taken care of by the professional and hardworking associates and client solutions teams,” Bremer said.
Bremer said the introduction of digitally signed documents, easy loading of documents and a transparent portal where clients have the power to work in unison with their broker has been “a real game changer”.
“It’s a perfect example of how technology can be used as a tool to provide a faster and more effective system that is win-win for everyone involved, especially our customers.”
While Platform Plus has primarily been used by mobile brokers like Bremer, Aussie’s flagship store in Prospect, South Australia has been trialling the platform for months.
Franchisee owners Belinda Woodley (pictured above centre) and Matt Rose (pictured above right) said after many years of success, they were keen to enter a new phase of growth.
“Our options were either to continue expanding the team or fully leverage Lendi Group’s support via the Platform Plus Supported Store model to drive productivity and growth,” said Woodley.
“Platform Plus will enable our brokers to focus on doing the part they really enjoy – directly interacting with customers and providing lending solutions. As franchisees, we’ll also have a greater capacity to support and mentor our brokers in-store.”
With loan processing support carried out by Lendi Group’s centralised client solutions team, Rose said they were able to refocus the duties of their own in-store admin team on client nurturing and activity that ultimately generates revenue.
“Our aim is to ultimately see our brokers lodging a deal a day, with the view to settling $1 billion a year in the next three-to-four years, and we believe Platform Plus is the vehicle that can make this happen.”
Just over two years since its merger of the Aussie and Lendi home brands, the Lendi Group has been in a period of transition.
This year, the group has tweaked its operational structure, and recently appointed a new chief product officer and a general manager of lending.
Cramb said as with any large-scale change, the company is still in an “intensive change management phase”.
“However, it’s incredibly pleasing to see and hear of the ways that the Aussie Platform is already benefiting the network,” Cramb said.
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