LJ Hooker Financial Services (LJH FS) said it will launch a recruitment drive to boost its loans writing force.
There is a projected capacity to recruit an additional 100 new brokers in 2009, but that may prove a conservative expectation given early business volume indicators for the year, LJH FS general manager Peter Bromley said.
To meet client demand the firm is looking to add to its team existing mortgage brokers as well as newcomers to the industry, he said.
"Increasing integration of LJ Hooker Financial Services and the real estate side of the LJ Hooker business is driving growth, and the good news is that the relationship still hasn't realised its full potential," Bromley said.
"What we are seeing here is evidence of the synergies between real estate and financial services."
According to a company spokesperson, the added success of an internal referral system between the financial services and real estate businesses has helped grow LJH FS.
The strength of the LJ Hooker name together with the group's reputation for training, technology and support has also provided opportunity, the spokesperson said.
LJH FS has recorded strong growth levels year on year through its five years as the financial services arm of LJ Hooker, a company statement said.
LJH FS offers property loans to those seeking to purchase residential or commercial property, or looking to re-finance an existing property loan through its panel of major lenders.
