Brokerage to change recruitment criteria

Announced last week, the joint venture will expand Origin’s footprint to a national scale and require brokers to build on existing client relationships to cross sell Chan & Naylor’s accounting services and financial advice, Origin Finance director Graham Salt said.

“The sort of broker we will recruit will be different,” Mr Salt told Mortgage Business.

“In the past we have probably wanted a lot of hunter and killers who are quite entrepreneurial and get out there,” he said.

“Now we will be employing people to sit in offices, probably from a banking background.”

Brokers will focus on farming the client relationships a lot more from within the offices and making sure that clients are well looked after, Mr Salt said.

“It is more that if you go into a local branch and you meet your home loans person they are very professional but not necessarily entrepreneurial,” he said.

Origin has historically recruited self-employed brokers who work on a commission basis, but the new deal will place greater emphasis on presentation and management, Mr Salt said.

“This will move our recruitment more to thinking, well do we need people who are well presented but are happy to manage the existing book, rather than going out looking for new business?” he said.

While Chan & Naylor has offered mortgage broking in the past, the Origin joint venture is the first time it has been done on a national basis.

Mr Salt expects to receive interest from brokers who have experience working for larger organisations.