"We had a broker who didn't make us feel foolish for asking questions, even if it was for the fourth time."

Dee and Henry Read case study

Press releases

Smartline takes out top franchise third year in a row.

09/05/2011

Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers franchisees continue to be the most satisfied in the country, with Smartline named Australia’s top franchise for the third year in a row.

Topfranchise.com.au ranked Smartline number one in its latest top 10 list released today (9 May), following a comprehensive survey of franchisees from some of the best known franchise systems across the country.

The number one ranking – for the third year in a row (2009, 2010 and 2011) – follows Smartline being named Retail Aggregator / Originator of the Year at the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia’s annual awards in March and Franchise Operation of the Year at the Australian Mortgage Awards in late 2010.

In addition to taking out the number one spot overall in the latest Topfranchise.com.au report, Smartline was ranked number one in six of the seven specific categories:

  1. Lifestyle – whether franchisees are satisfied with the lifestyle their franchise affords them – Smartline ranked number 1
  2. Passion – how passionate franchisees are about their customers, brand, product or service they offer – Smartline ranked number 1
  3. Support – the levels of support offered by the franchisor – Smartline ranked number 1
  4. Renewal – intention of franchisees to renew their agreement beyond their current term – Smartline ranked number 1
  5. Recommendation – willingness to recommend a franchise to friends and colleagues – Smartline ranked number 1
  6. Financial– the salary and return on investment franchisees feel they can receive– Smartline ranked number 2
  7. Opportunities – whether franchisees feel there are opportunities to expand their business within the system – Smartline ranked number 1

Head of Intelligence at 10 THOUSAND FEET and topfranchise.com.au, Ian Krawitz, said Smartline’s consistency over the three years was impressive.

“The fact that Smartline has been able to retain the number one ranking three years in a row in the face of some high quality competition is certainly worth recognising,” Mr Krawitz said.

“It says a lot for the systems, culture and passion of both the group office and the franchisees.”

Smartline Managing Director, Chris Acret, said the excellent survey result was a “huge honour”.

“Winning any award is very rewarding but I think the topfranchise ranking is even more so because it is voted by our own people,” he said.

While Smartline has innovative information technology and marketing systems, Mr Acret believes that it is the strong team culture that has been critical to Smartline's success.

“A strong internal culture is one of a business’ most powerful assets,” he said. “At Smartline there is a high level of trust and support within the group and this has given us a big advantage."

“Because there is a positive and open working relationship between group office staff and franchisees, we’re able to make changes in the business and get things done much more effectively than otherwise."

“Culture takes years to build and it based not just on open communication but also doing the right thing, when it matters, time and time again. We are fortunate to have some great leaders among our franchise team and they shape the culture.”

Smartline merged with WA-based broking group Mortgage Force in mid 2009 amidst the GFC, a time in which brokers commissions were slashed by 30% by the major banks. While mergers are notoriously difficult in terms of company morale and culture, Smartline has gone from strength-to-strength.

Now into its third year, more than 3000 franchisees across 80 systems have been surveyed by 10 THOUSAND FEET. Each franchisee is asked 35 questions in key areas, with the feedback used to benchmark performance in comparison to other franchise systems. Franchise systems in a range of industries were included in the survey.

Enquire about joining Australia's best franchise here.

 

Back to Top
Click to call loading ...

Talk to a mortgage adviser. Within 5 minutes you'll know where you stand. - Simply click

Try our smart mortgage calculators

How much can I borrow?

Home loan repayment calculator

What are the costs of buying?

Where can I buy?

Our home loan calculators will help you make smart mortgage decisions

Get FREE market updates and home loan guide.

Click here

SmartGuide magazine - your guide to mortgage finance

Share