Lendi Group names new CEO

Watkins — who has been with the business since 2013 and served as chief operating officer since the acquisition of Aussie in 2021 — will replace co-founder David Hyman.

The group said Watkins has “been effectively acting as CEO since March 2025” as part of a long-running succession process tied to its shift toward a full property ecosystem under the Find.Buy.Own banner.

Hyman will remain on the board and take on a special adviser role focused on growth and artificial intelligence as the group continues its transition to an “AI-native” operating model.

The leadership shift comes as Lendi Group rolls out a significant reshape of its operating model. Earlier this year, it confirmed that Aussie would become its primary brokerage brand and evolve into a one-stop property platform supporting customers across the full home-buying lifecycle.

Under the strategy:

• Find: Aussie Buyer’s Agents and Aussie Homes will help customers search for property, supported by listings sourced through referral partners using the Aussie for Agents platform.

• Buy: Aussie Brokers will manage finance, including white-label lending — with a new bridging solution set to launch soon — alongside insurance.

• Own: Aussie Conveyancing and products such as Live Equity and Seller Assist will support customers post-settlement, with brokers able to connect clients with real estate agents for sale appraisals.

Aussie stores will also shift from traditional broking shops to broader “property hubs” integrating broking, buyer’s agents and conveyancing.

Meanwhile, the Lendi brand will continue as a digital brokerage but will consolidate to fewer than 50 salaried home loan specialists, with most having transitioned across to Aussie.

Outgoing CEO David Hyman commented: “After 13 years building Lendi Group, I’ve decided to transition from my current CEO role, while remaining on the board focusing on priority areas where I can add the most value to the business.

“Sebastian (Bas) is a world-class leader and a true champion for customers and broker success. Bas has been integral to the business since the beginning, has the depth of experience to lead this business and is the right leader to drive this next chapter. He is backed by a very strong executive team and has the full support of the board.”

“In an ongoing board capacity, and as the largest non-institutional shareholder, I will continue to fully support the business, prioritising the growth, AI and innovation agenda, while also exploring new ventures in 2026.”

The incoming CEO, Sebastian Watkins, said: “Dave made the decision for this shift from a position of strength for the Lendi business, and I'm grateful to continue working alongside him as a partner and board member. As a long term committed shareholder myself and with Dave continuing on our board, we have continuity and a strong and deeply experienced advocate focused on our future and enhancing value."

"As CEO, my focus now will be delivering for customers and brokers, scaling Find, Buy, Own to its full potential, and building on the momentum in the business. I'm proud to lead Lendi Group into its next chapter with our people, brokers, lending and product partners, and the support of an exceptional leadership team.”

Lendi Group chair Ellie Comerford added: “This leadership transition reflects thoughtful succession planning and the strength of the successful founding partnership built by David and Sebastian over the last decade. Sebastian has proven himself as an outstanding leader through this period, and David's continued involvement as a member of the board ensures we retain his strategic vision and AI expertise as we scale.

"The board has full confidence in Sebastian and the executive team to deliver on our growth ambitions."

The Group's Full Year FY25 financial results reveal that the group delivered $353.6 million in revenue (up 15.7 per cent), gross profit of $124.6 million (+22.6 per cent) and underlying EBITDA of $14.9 million (+77.4 per cent).

It has saw record lodgements over a half-year, resulting in total Portfolio growth of 4.4 per cent to $105 billion.

[Related: Aussie unpacks its pivot from brokerage to full-service property platform]