How James Bartlett has leveraged his niche expertise to build a growing broking business

From frustrated first-home buyer to a highly awarded broking business owner

James Bartlett is a rising star in Western Australia’s mortgage broking industry. He has a relentless focus on customer care and a commitment to keeping finance simple. 

Niche expertise 

Having previously worked in the mining sector, James possesses a unique advantage in understanding Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) workers. While many brokers struggle with complex mining payslips and irregular rosters (like 2 weeks on/1 week off, or 19 days on/9 days off), James understands the calculations inside and out. He knows exactly when to communicate with shift workers and how to accurately calculate borrowing capacity without putting clients in financial stress during their off-weeks.

In addition, with his family involved in new builds for 40 years, construction loans are James’s bread and butter. In a WA market plagued by land shortages and title delays, James expertly navigates the timing of finance applications. He takes the stress off clients by managing all progress payments directly, ensuring a seamless build process. He consistently writes a minimum of three (and up to eight) construction loans every month.

Simplifying the client experience 

James is famous among his clients for his whiteboard sessions. He refuses to process a loan until the client fully understands their offset accounts, fixed rates and repayment structures. By keeping finance simple, he removes the fear from the transaction.

His service doesn’t end at settlement. He conducts annual reviews to ensure clients are always on the right product. In a rising property market where clients rapidly build equity, he proactively unlocks lower interest rates for them. During times of rate rises, his proactive outreach keeps clients calm, supported, and loyal.

Why Loan Market is the aggregator of choice

Scaling a business to $99.8 million in settlement volume while maintaining a personalised, high-touch service requires heavy operational support.

Behind his growing business is a strong partnership with Loan Market, providing the technology, lender panel and operational support necessary to scale without compromising on a 10/10 client experience.

For James, Loan Market is the only aggregator that delivers the comprehensive ecosystem needed to thrive.

“Loan Market is the first and last aggregator I will work with in the time that I will be broking.” – James Barlett

The partnership provides several distinct competitive advantages:

1. Unrivalled technology and systems

Time is a broker’s most valuable asset. Loan Market’s industry-leading CRM and tech stack make the daily operations of running a high-volume brokerage seamless. T

2. The power of a 100+ lender panel

Access to a broad panel of over 100 banks and lenders gives James a distinct competitive edge, allowing him to find solutions where other brokers hit dead ends. 

Recently, a client wanted to refinance and pull cash out to buy a car. After standard lenders failed to provide a workable solution, James utilised the breadth of the Loan Market panel to discover a niche lender, Zeus. Not only did this lender approve the complex loan, but they also offered an interest rate lower than most major lenders on the panel, securing a major win for the client.

3. Business growth support

Loan Market provides the scaffolding for business growth and team expansion. It delivers hands-on support across the board, including:

• State Directors driving business strategy.
• Comprehensive training programs for new staff members, ensuring seamless onboarding.
• Marketing support to help brokers amplify their local presence.
• Large IT team that ensures systems run flawlessly in the background.

With the backing of Loan Market’s award-winning technology, expansive lender panel and growth specialists, James Bartlett is perfectly positioned to continue his trajectory of organic growth.