Alya Manji’s father Mehboob was one of the first brokers to join the Aussie home loans business. He flourished as a mobile broker in Sydney’s Hurstville and after 15 years snapped up the opportunity to acquire a local Aussie store.

At the time Alya was just starting a medical science degree but the elevation of her father’s business to a bricks-and-mortar store would open up fresh opportunities.

Mehboob needed part time office support and Alya stepped in.

“I started at the bottom and it taught me about customer relations and everything that goes into building and sustaining a business. I saw the joy of the home loans journey with a client: meeting them, getting them into their property, maybe their first home, or refinancing an existing home. It really excited me,” she says.

Before graduating, Alya decided to become a credited broker.

“I wanted to be self employed, to run my own race. I loved the finance industry,” she reveals.

Alya worked alongside her father and for 10 years built a solid client base for herself, becoming a high volume loans writer.

A succession plan actioned at Aussie franchise

Fast forward to 2024 and Mehboob is Aussie’s longest tenured broker, set to mark 30 years with Aussie in April 2025.

He always intended to build a family business that would pass to the next generation, and he decided it was time to implement the succession plan.

Alya was ready to step up to the task.

“My original ambition had been to be my own boss as a broker, I loved the lifestyle. But my ambitions changed and I wanted to grow and build a portfolio myself,” she says.

The father and daughter duo shifted roles, taking time to transition the business smoothly. 

“This all fell into my lap, it all came from my father,” Alya says. “Somebody said along the way – this is an opportunity to learn from one of the best brokers in the business!”

And the best skill she learned from her father was relationship building with clients and understanding what creates good staff retention, she says.

“Brokers are very ambitious, everyone getting into industry is getting in to better themselves. I look to help build them and see them move on to amazing things in the industry.”

Alya has been leading the business for 12 months and has employed a PA and a new broker and plans to grow the team further with another broker. 

Leading and expanding the team

“It’s about making the franchise viable so we can staff it and step away from being in the broking business, and focus more on being the CEO of our business,” she says.

“I really like that structure. My thought process is to open another store, staff it with two brokers and admin.

“I like the concept of the franchise model: you’re one piece of the puzzle, and all together you are presenting a really big business.

“I’m running my own small business but in the background there’s a marketing team, I have KPIs showing me my targets, and a solid business plan. I would struggle to do all this by myself from scratch,” Alya says.

The ownership transition has proved a success for both Alya and Mehboob, who remains a hands-on broker with the business.

“Now he’s being my support and his phone rings non-stop. Clients still ask for him. This was a good business succession,” Alya says.

Second-gen Aussie broker shares brand passion

And while Mehboob is ensuring his connections with Aussie endure, it’s clear Alya shares not just her father’s business nous but a passion for the brand. 

“The Aussie brand is in my blood,” Alya says. “In primary school I was going to Aussie head office with my dad and the business still always had a great culture. It is such a trustworthy brand for Australians, a household name with a good reputation.”

And it’s a business that has advanced its offer to both customers and franchisees. The Lendi group has brought its online home loans expertise and systems to the much-loved mortgage brokerage.

“If I was to start now I would join Aussie, I love the vision of where Lendi is taking us. There is so much innovation that is taking us to the next level,” she says.

As a second-generation owner, Alya benefits from her father’s legacy but is embracing change.

Business satisfaction, expansion plans

“My vision is to take it to the next level, bring on more staff, grow to another franchise and move with the technology – AI, apps, social media marketing. That’s the change I’m bringing to the business.”

With nearly 75 per cent of loans in Australia written by brokers, there’s enormous market potential.

In 2026 Alya plans to open another Aussie store, buying a greenfield site or an existing business.

Her expansion plans come with a caveat though. 

“Everybody says they want to oversee the business but in my heart, I really love meeting clients and the satisfaction I get when the loan settles knowing I did all this myself, or I guided and gave support to another broker. It might take me a while to get to the CEO mindset – maybe by my third store!” she admits. 

“I want to be in the business, working and running it, enjoying the feeling I get when I’ve been in the customer journey from the beginning. You created it yourself, got it from A-B. I don’t ever want to give it up. I love the drive, the emotional journey.”