International Women's Day - Aussie Prospect #BreaktheBias

The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is #BreaktheBias, and Aussie is fully committed to providing a workplace that is free of discrimination and creating a culture that is diverse, equitable and inclusive for all.

At a time where there are fewer women entering our industry than ever before, we are proud that women accounted for more than 40% of the nearly 200 brokers we inducted in 2021. This International Women’s Day, we’d like to acknowledge the hard work of our female brokers and corporate team members for the invaluable contribution they make to progressing our brand and business.

Our broker network is full of wonderful women who are helping our customers achieve amazing things, and nowhere is this more evident than at Aussie Prospect in South Australia. For franchise partners Belinda Woodley, Sam Walker, Matthew Rose and Bechara Boutros, having a diverse team reflective of the diversity in their customer base is a major priority. Of the 26 brokers and support staff at Aussie Prospect, 12 are women, including 5 female brokers who each play a major part in Aussie Prospect being the highest performing store in the network. Belinda highlighted that ‘Historically, our industry has been male dominated. However, our customers come from all backgrounds and various walks of life. Having diverse representation in our office means we’re able to better cater to the needs of our customers and make them feel comfortable, and I believe this is a huge reason for why the store has been so successful’

Belinda and her franchise partners have plans to further expand the team, and to achieve this objective, they are dedicated to breaking down barriers for women entering the industry. Belinda notes, ‘Broking is a great choice for women, especially mothers. Like any business, it’s a lot of work to get set up in the beginning, but the flexible nature of mortgage broking allows you to schedule work around your other commitments. My husband has to spend a lot of time away for work and we have two young children, so not being constrained by a traditional 9-5 means I’m able to juggle family life with running a successful business’

Belinda also noted that ‘broking is a skill for life, so for any young women looking to enter the industry, it’s always something they can come back to if they decide to take time off to start a family’. Flexibility is something that is extended to the support team at Aussie Prospect as well. Tara Bower, the store’s Operations Manager said ‘I was looking for a part-time role, but I was having difficulty finding a business that was willing to accommodate me, until I met the team at Aussie Prospect. They’ve created a great culture and facilitated a flexible working environment that’s enabled me to maintain positive work life balance’.

We commend the team at Aussie Prospect and everything they’re doing to #BreaktheBias, and we celebrate all the amazing women who make Aussie the powerhouse brand that it is.