ORIUM FINANCE AT A GLANCE Owners: Luke Heavey and David Hancock Location: Sydney CBD Year founded: 2016 Services offered: Home loans, investment loans, refinancing, commercial loans, car and asset finance. First home buyers and mum-and-dad investors make up 60% of loan book; high-net-worth clients, such as accountants, comprise 40% Number of employees: 5
“We pride ourselves on educating our clients along the way so they know exactly what’s going on” throughout the process and ensuring they have a good experience, he gives them the confidence to refer Orium Finance to others. Heavey says the brokerage quickly adapts to changes, helping clients understand why banks sometimes alter their processes. “This creates more of an understanding and more of a relationship,” he says. Orium Finance took a proactive approach to communication during COVID, and Heavey says he personally called clients for three reasons: “one to check in, two to see if we
could help, and three to see if they were looking to expand, or did they want to take advantage of a better interest rate putting them in a better financial position”. “We do have a client-first approach,” he says. “It’s not the size of the deal or what that deal looks like – it’s about what is the best outcome for the client.” Looking at risks ahead in the mortgage market, Heavey wants to see higher barriers to entry. He says “the biggest risk is other uneducated people in the market letting customers
down, giving them products they don’t need”. While compliance regulations are a good thing, he says, he doesn’t want brokers to be burdened with the same level of reporting and regulations as imposed on financial planners. “Coming from a private banking background, I really love simplifying what seems to be complicated, taking out all the fluff, just being completely transparent,” Heavey adds. His private banking clients often operate through trusts and other structures, some of which they find daunting and complex. “It’s about having a very simple conversation where they trust me to go and get the best possible result. I’ve had a lot of success with the private banks. I probably settle $35m with them per year with those exact scenarios.” Heavey also enjoys the challenge of taking on residential loan customers who have been rejected by a bank and helping them “buy the house they thought they couldn’t have”. Orium Finance is enjoying rapid loan growth and looking to continue that momentum and bring on new referral partners. “I’m quite proud of where we started and where are at the minute,” Heavey says.
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