Australian Broker's Spotlight Series is back, shining a light on the leading voices shaping Australia’s finance and mortgage industries.
In this edition, we turn our attention to Maryanne Elliott, founder and mortgage and finance broker at 360 Mortgage Solutions. Based in Brisbane and backed by decades of industry experience, Elliott launched her own brokerage in 2016 with a clear vision: to deliver a more personalised, client-focused approach to finance.
Speaking with Australian Broker, Elliott reflects on her career journey, the leap into business ownership, and the values that have driven her success in a highly-competitive industry. She also shares how her perspective as a woman in finance has helped shape the way she builds relationships, earns trust and delivers outcomes for clients.
The following interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.
ME: I was working for Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) for 10 years in various positions from bank teller to branch manager. During my time there, I was noticing a trend where it was more about getting clients in and out as quickly as possible. I wanted to have the ability to work with clients, both long and short term. So I decided to become a broker. At the same time, I had a husband who had a chronic illness. So I knew I would be the breadwinner and I wanted to start a business that would allow me to do both: help more clients and support my family.
ME: Firstly, no. It surprises me that there are not more women working in this industry. I have seen the number grow, but I don't think enough women know they can build a business that works for their family and lifestyle. As a female, my strength is that I care; I take the time to educate my clients. And I carry their stress and emotions with my clients, which I think clients appreciate more.
ME: If you had asked me that five years ago I would have said I am not successful. But that is because I used to compare myself to other brokers: brokers working huge hours and settling massive numbers. Now, I know I am successful because I earn enough to support my family and can still be at the kids cross country or school assembly. I attribute this success to two things: firstly, consistency. Even when I don't want to post, even when I don't feel like doing a podcast episode, I still do it. These small actions over nine years have built up to provide a consistent lead base without me having to do much work. The second reason I believe is, because I care. I phoned a client today who refinanced elsewhere six months ago. We had a 15 min chat before she said she is coming back to me soon because she [wrongly] thought the new broker (who was an expert in the industry she was working in) was going to be so much better for her. But after six months she realized it was a marketing ploy and she wanted a broker who wanted to work with her not just get her a loan.
ME: My give-it-a-try attitude. I didn't know how to start a YouTube channel; I didn't know how to start a podcast. I didn't know how to set up an AI phone assistant. I learnt how to do it all and started before I was ready.
ME: When working with clients, I have tried to automate as much as I can. I feel when a client follows me up, it is not good. So trying to keep the client in the loop throughout is so important. When it comes to working with lenders, I think the relationship with the BDM is paramount, when you have their support you can write better deals and get faster responses for your clients.
