Raglan Business Chamber

The Chronicle caught up with Brett Wood from Loan Market about their services.

Explain the role of a mortgage advisor?

Our team think of ourselves as modern day bank managers who advise on all the banks and reputable non-bank lenders mortgage products. We help people navigate the world of mortgages which involves finding the most suitable mortgage product for their situation, managing the application process, negotiating interest rates and cash incentives, assisting in choosing the right interest rates and reviewing peoples loans on an ongoing basis.

What is your background and experience in this area?

I’ve been in the Mortgage industry for 22 years. In that time I’ve been a party to around 5,000 mortgage transactions including home purchases, refinances, builds, etc. I’ve been named as one of NZ’s top Mortgage Advisers for the last 5 years running by NZ Adviser Magazine and was runner up Regional Adviser of the year at the 2021 NZ Mortgage Awards. I’m a finalist for Regional Adviser of the year again this year.

When did you bring Loan Market to Raglan and what was your vision?

I started Loan Market Raglan in 2009 with a view to help families into homes and build their wealth. These days we’re Loan Market ‘Coast to Coast’ and are a team of 7 in our office at 20 Bow St. I’m the

Managing Director, Brendan Brits is a Director and shareholder and is our Senior Mortgage Adviser. Abbe Daysh is a Mortgage Adviser and we have a new experienced Adviser joining shortly. Erin Cranfield is our Operations Manager and runs the processing team.

When should people reach out to advisers such as yourself?

Typically people are contacting us when they are wanting to know what their borrowing options are for a home or investment property, when their current mortgage rate is coming up for renewal or they want their financial set up reviewed.

We have clients all over NZ and if out of Raglan we’re quite picky with who we’ll deal with, but from day one I’ve always maintained that we’ll help anyone in Raglan who has any mortgage related questions.

What do you hope to achieve by running a series of informative articles in the Chronicle?

Raglan’s a difficult place for locals to own property as we have so many outside purchasers and influences on the market. These days locals are ending up with large mortgages relative to incomes which can be quite pressuring, especially as interest rates and the cost of living rise. The articles we’re intending to run are going to be a series of tips and tricks designed to help Raglan locals manage their mortgages, pay their loans off sooner, reduce their interest costs, keep more money in their pocket and set up a financially healthy future.

While Raglan has certainly felt the effects - and the impact from the weather has been another blow to a recovering economyI think we can all recognise that we are lucky. We have alternate routes to travel; we suffered no loss of life; and our homes and businesses are largely intact.

“Resilience” is a hot topic right now and seems to be frequently overused. In a nutshell, it is about giving us tools to adapt to challenges and stressors we face in life. Lately its has felt like the challenges keep on coming, and we don’t have time to even think about tools or levers we could be using to overcome the challenges; we just have to keep going.

The Raglan Business Chamber has been discussing how best we can support our members in light of the recent events and the inevitable, on-going challenges we all face in a fast-changing and competitive market. To start we would like to offer three of our current members a special subsidised programme with the Business Mentors network to help you find some space to take a pro-active approach to your business.

Business Mentors New Zealand matches experienced business professionals (mentors) with small business owners. Our Board Member Steve Murray is a registered business mentor and he is offering a three month, RBC subsidised programme for local RBC members. Steve can sit with you to understand your priorities and needs, or identify specific challenges you face. He will then work with you to get some actionable steps to navigate challenges and work towards your future. Steve can also act as a sounding board for fresh ideas and a catalyst for changes you would like to see in your business.

Whether you are motivated to grow your business, build resilience, or look at particular issues Steve can help. If you are willing to listen and receive constructive feedback in an open and honest relationship this programme could be for you.

The board recognises that some of us will feel we don’t have time to add another thing to our plate, when some of us feel we are already in the weeds, but Steve notes this is a good time to try to get some clarity and support to address the most important issues that are taking our time and energy. Steve says “The time spent on direct contact and any subsequent action is driven by the client, and we move at your pace. Sometimes just having an independent sounding board can be enough to help us gain some clarity”.

If you feel you would like some help to gain some clarity about navigating the next steps for your business, or just have a sounding board to give you strong business advice with an independent and empathetic perspective please register your interest with info@ raglanchamber.co.nz. Once we receive your email we will be in touch with the outline of the programme, and next steps.

**Please note spaces are limited initially but if there is demand we will be running further programmes.