The Aussie home loans brand was always in the background for franchisee Matthew Rogers as he was stepping into adult life.

“My father and I share a history with Aussie. He was a broker for 25 years, and I got my Ps in the purple and white branded 4-wheel drive!” he says.

Matthew’s own 17 years as a business owner with Aussie is an impressive tenure; yet it was hospitality that gave him his first taste of leadership.

He was enjoying his role with a large hotel group, managing a team of 10 wait staff serving more than 200 people at conferences. 

However, he was tiring of the unsociable hours, and wanted a fresh start. He secured an entry level position at Macquarie Bank to give him a foothold in the world of finance. 

It was his segue into mobile broking.

Matthew chose Aussie as the brand best placed to give him the support and the opportunity to build a business. 

From broker to franchisee

“I started out as one man, in a home office, which I enjoyed and it gave me an excellent foundation for the business,” he says.

He was able to gain valuable insights from his father, Lindsay, who was an experienced Aussie broker. 

“After a while though I was ready for a change and I bought my first franchise, in Newtown, Sydney, in 2012,” he says.

It was an opportunity to work with Lindsay, who then became the chief broker in the business.

“Dad and I have complementary personalities; we took on different roles. I’ve always done operations, he was the primary broker among our broking team.”

Matthew found the leadership skills he learned in hospitality useful in his role as a franchisee; he sees a key part of his job as building capability.

“Early in my hospitality career I was in supervisory roles, and I like people, getting to know them and what makes them tick. That’s a good attribute as a manager,” he says.

“I could see in my hospitality role everyone had different motivations for work, but there was something that brought us together as a team to get the job done,” Matthew says.

Leading the team

So he focuses on building a team culture that supports confidence, consistency and growth.

“I’m always in recruiting mentality and if a broker leaves, and that happens, that’s the reward – they are moving on equipped for a new role,” he says.

“We are all in the office together and the shift to leadership has meant me stepping back, and letting brokers find solutions for problems within safe guidelines.

“I enjoy, and find it rewarding, to be both a leader and a broker. I like to do both,” he says.

“I have tried the management-only route but I have returned to writing loans and running the team. That’s the beauty of the franchise model.”

Taking on a partner

So when Lindsay retired from the business, Matthew had a choice about how he would lead it. He chose the partnership route.

“I did consider, should I do this alone, or with a partner? Will was a broker in our business, achieving great results, so bringing him on board as a partner meant continuity. It’s someone to share the wins with – and share the losses too.”

Matthew knows only too well the resilience of the brand; he has seen the Aussie system tested in numerous challenging environments.

“The business does quite well in tough times,” he says. “I started my broking business in the GFC. More recently we’ve had a Royal Commission, regulatory changes, Covid, and now the tax reforms. But we can always get out and help our clients manage their loans.

“As Dad always said, keep talking to clients and helping them – history shows we will come through it,” he says.

Building for the future

While with his business partner Will, he now heads up the single franchise in Newtown, Matthew did have a spell as a multi-store owner in partnership with other franchisees.

“That’s not my way forward though,” he says. 

He is laser-focused on his one franchise and the immediate goal of a $500 million loan book, followed by a consistent broker head count.

“It’s crucial to have core clients who bring referrals and what we’ve got now is such a solid foundation.

“I’m setting up this business to run as an attractive asset.  Being part of an Aussie franchise puts you ahead; with the set rhythms, policies, procedures and systems, you can build your business around that. I wouldn’t have chosen another brand,” he says.