Respect and diversity key ingredients for thriving broking business

A focus on people, grounded in respect, set this award-winning broking business up for a positive work environment, and business growth.

MTA Mortgage Brokers won both the Diversity and Inclusion Award and Diversified Business Award at the 2024 MFAA National Excellence Awards.

Founder Kerry Kalendra explained it was recovering from burnout, that led him to realise that by looking after himself, and his staff, his business would be better off. 

Acknowledging that he was working long hours and didn’t know how to manage staff, Kerry says he “basically expected people to work like robots.”

“In my mind I worked hard, they should work hard, and I went through a lot of turnover of staff,” he recalls.

“I pretty well had a breakdown. It was at that moment that when, fortunately I was able to recover from that, I realised that by looking after your people, because they’re your best asset, they’re what make the business.

“It’s not me, it’s not my business partner, it’s the whole team and we wouldn’t be where we are without them. And our turnover now is basically next to zero.”

Respect is key

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a priority for Kerry, and for him this means having a diverse range of people from different backgrounds who all can relate to and respect each other.

Despite its small size, the MTA team represents a wide range of demographics with staff ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s, ethnic backgrounds from Afghani to Lithuanian, members of the LGBTQI+ community, family structures ranging from single to people with grandchildren and everything in between.

“One thing is that everybody within the team has respect for each other’s backgrounds: nationality, religion, sexuality and even things like dietary requirements. We all have respect, and I think that’s the one thing brings everybody together,” he said.

This respect is noticed and valued by the team at MTA Mortgages. 

Having previously worked in a corporate environment that was simply focused on “getting the work done”, Client Relationship Manager and mortgage broker Naz Rezai says he feels that the leadership at MTA Mortgage Brokers have taken him under their wing to help him feel at home.

Likewise, Customer Service Manager, Liz Dimovski, who joined the business early this year says she has noticed the difference compared to other workplaces in financial services.

“I find it quite gratifying to be part of a group that is so inclusive of lots of different cultures,” she said.

Connecting with community

Director and mortgage broker Vee Shah views his own experience as an example for how DEI benefits both individuals and businesses.

Vee joined MTA Mortgages as a loan processor before transitioning to being a mortgage broker and then finally a partner in the business.

“Diversity in the business has actually helped us grow professionally, but at the same time financially as well because we can attract customers who feel more comfortable with their own community,” he explains.

“Being Indian, I thought I might not have the opportunity, but I got a really good exposure.”

“I now have a really good client base from the Indian community, who I feel wouldn’t have come to MTA Mortgage Brokers if I was not from the same background.”

Diversity of languages among staff has opened doors for MTA Mortgage Brokers. Naz, for example, speaks Afghani which allows him to connect with the Afghani community, and they also have Greek speaking staff.

“Also, it goes both ways,” says Vee.

“The business gets the benefit of having access to these different communities, but you also learn how to interact with different people.”

Have fun

One tip from Kerry for creating an inclusive environment is to have fun.

“Just have fun with your team. We know our boundaries, but we like to mix it up and have a bit of fun.”

One way the MTA team have fun is through food with monthly dinners giving everyone the chance to come together and share and explore each other’s cultures.

And together, they’ve discovered French, Greek, Indian are among their favourite cuisines!