The Mortgage Gallery ranked 3 nationally

The Mortgage Gallery is among Australia’s top mortgage and finance brokers ranking third in the Mortgage Business’s top 25 brokerages in Australia for 2009.

Ryan Dhue, Managing Director at the home loan franchise group said the solid brand and professional structure had helped build a successful franchise operation.

“The Mortgage Gallery’s ranking as a top performer on the 2009 list cements our place as a company which has the ability to meet challenges head on during times of economic hardship,” he said.

Mortgage Business is Australia’s provider of mortgage and finance industry news and praised the focus on quality that the home loan franchise group has displayed.

The report said: “The group performed the strongest out of the top five groups in terms of broker productivity, clocking up revenue of an average $18.6 million per broker. This result highlights the importance of brokerages focusing on quality, training and mentoring as part of its overall broker offering.”

The Mortgage Gallery was founded in WA in 1992 and after rapid growth evolved into a franchise structure in 2004. The franchise has 36 finance lending franchise offices throughout WA and Victoria.

Mr Dhue said the value of a solid franchise structure was always more apparent when times were tough.

“The past financial year has thrown significant challenges at businesses and one of the main positives of a franchise is the fact franchise owners are equipped with the tools to prepare and adapt to the changing market place,” Mr Dhue said.

“A good franchise brings together the best of both worlds; small business owners have access to tools, process and resources which are generally only available to larger companies with deeper pockets.

The Mortgage Gallery Shenton Park home loan franchise owner Fiona Dempsey said it was the strong reputation of chairman and founder John Bignell which attracted her to the business.

“The Mortgage Gallery has a solid reputation in the market place, especially with banking institutions. And the company’s cooperative and positive culture keeps business productive,” Ms Dempsey said.

“There is excellent direction and leadership in the company and I believe the reason for its success is because they are continuously forward thinking. Having access to senior management is also very appealing, there is an open communication which is appreciated.”

The Mortgage Gallery Whitfords franchise owner Mark Terhoeve said the family-orientated culture within the company was an overwhelming positive for the business.

“The Mortgage Gallery also provides an excellent platform for industry-best systems. We’ve got an excellent reputation with our customers and lenders which is testament to the quality of the people we’ve got on board,” he said.

Mr Dhue said the mortgage business was potentially a difficult landscape which could be easily influenced by outside economic factors.

“The Mortgage Gallery gives people the opportunity to own their own business, but we help them navigate the challenges that come with owning a business and now we’re looking to increase our presence in WA with at least ten new offices,” Mr Dhue said.

“We have identified at least 10 areas in both regional and metropolitan WA which show significant opportunities for The Mortgage Gallery and we are working on building our network of franchisees to help us achieve this. The Avon Valley and Broome are particular regions of interest for us at this point."

“However growth for us is very dependant on finding the right people to partner with. We are to very selective about who we choose and therefore it is quite an exhaustive process.”