First Home Buyer Signs Up For Mortgage Via Facebook

Friday September 11, 2009

It started as a way of showing their proud families back in Serbia and around Australia their successful mortgage broking business, located on Sydney’s northern beaches. But for Serge Scekic and Jim Sharif, their “Fans of Aussie Dee Why” Facebook site has become a business tool with their very first home loan being sold via the social networking site.

Serge Scekic said the customer sent a “friend request” to him and then emailed asking about Aussie Dee Why’s service.

“He said he was a First Home Buyer and was interested in getting pre-approval for a loan,” Serge said. “I sent him a questionnaire, which outlined his needs and preferences for a home loan and he completed it and sent it back straight away.”

Serge said he then submitted the application to the lender and the customer signed the papers for his first home loan this week.

“He came into the office to sign up for the loan,” Serge said. “I knew what he looked like from his Facebook profile, but it was the first time I had met him in person.”

Serge, who also owns a store in Balgowlah, said it was an unconventional way of doing business, but had been quick, convenient and easy for both him and the customer.

“Facebook wasn’t something that we looked at before as a way of developing new business,” Serge said. “We really just wanted to show off our stores to our friends and family back home. But now that we’ve seen how it can work, and how easy it is, we will definitely look at doing more of it in the future.”

Aussie founder and executive chairman John Symond said the “Facebook deal” was another example of Aussie’s entrepreneurial spirit and applauded Serge and Jim’s innovation.

“Our franchise owners are committed to helping their local community by offering choice, convenience and exceptional customer service,” he said. “Serge and Jim are proud of what they’ve created at Aussie Dee Why, and this passion to showcase it through modern channels like Facebook, has helped them get more business and a first homebuyer into his first home.”

“The combination of increasingly popular social media tools online and great face-to-face service has proved to be a great option.”

As one of the country’s largest non-bank providers of financial services, Aussie has a loan book of over $33 billion. With the acquisition of Wizard, there are now over 140 retail storefronts and 800 brokers across the country ready to help customers get a better deal on their finances.

An Aussie broker will offer information, assess eligibility, lodge the application and then support the first home buyer borrower through the home loan process. Aussie brokers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in all capital cities and regional centres at the request of customers who call.

For further information or to request an interview, please call:

Brooke Stoddart
Snr Mgr – Public Relations
(02) 8297 0381 or 0438 677 588

Tim Allerton
City Public Relations
(02) 9267 4511 or 0412 715 707

Links

Aussie Dee Why Facebook Page

Aussie Facebook Page

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