Aidan Hartley

Home Loan Officer

Owl Home Loans

Getting home loans approved (with 98.3% success rate)

Mortgage Broker & Director

St.George Bank

Senior Home Loans Manager

Intelligent Finance - Australia's #1 Mortgage Broker

Home Loans Manager

Great Southern Bank

Home Loans Team Manager

The broker for first home buyers - helping you keep more of your time, money and sanity. Home loans, Investment, Refinance.

There's 22,031 mortgage brokers in Australia

Home buyers chose me to get their home loan approved because;

🎯 They access my 98.3% home loan approval record

🏠 They have choice of 53 lenders, meaning you can access the best offers

🦉 They leverage my experience of over 13 years in home lending, helping over 3,000 Aussies into their homes

🌱 They love that we plant 5 trees for every home loan 

🏦 You'll have access to; CBA, ANZ, Westpac, NAB, Suncorp, Bankwest, St George, Ubank, ING, Macquarie, ME, Bendigo.... the list goes on and on.

☎️ Let's begin - book a chat, or message me on LinkedIn 

🙋🏼‍♂️ About Me - I'm a home owner, I'm a property investor (9 properties). I'll organise and set up your loan as if it were my own.

Married, two cats, one dog.


You must be bored if you're still reading...

Fun fact - you can typically shave off 5.5 years from a 30 year home loan, just by paying it weekly or fortnightly, instead of monthly. 
Crazy hey!

Mortgage Broker & Owner

Getting home loans approved (with over 98% success)

How I paid-off my first Sydney unit by 33 (and bought with just 3% deposit)

My secret isn't complex

I didn't

- live off baked beans
- have a massive salary
- refinance every 6 months
- attend 'wealth creation' seminars
- get help from bank of mum & dad

I did

- buy a property within my means
- cut out the crap spending
- use an offset account
- smart debt recycling
- avoid bad debt

I've since used the equity to buy my Sydney house, which is now also paid off 

And leveraged that to buy a total of 10 quality properties (none of this regional $150k druggie town / flood zone crap)

P.s. my mortgage broking business exists to help you do the same, if you so choose.

The broker for first home buyers - Saving your time, money... and sanity. *Open to media and podcast opportunities*

I've used these 4 banks for my home loans:

(they got me to $10M property portfolio)

1st) Commonwealth Bank - Because I banked with them. Didn't really know what a broker did. Big error, cost me $1,000s

But, quickly made $150k equity, which allowed me to pull out the cash, and buy again.

2nd) St.George Bank - I was an employee, so could buy with 10% deposit and LMI waived

Bought my first investment with them.

3rd) Suncorp Bank - Locked in a 1.79% fixed rate with a refinance (ahhh those were the days!)

4th) NAB - allowed me to easily borrow as self-employed with high commission, scaled the property portfolio - just bought my 'forever' home!

Honestly... it's highly unlikely just one bank will help you climb the property ladder.

You purchase a home 2-3 times in your life

I do 2-3 purchases, per day.

Who do you think is better at picking the bank that will actually approve your loan?

---

My name is Aidan, and I get home loans approved standing on my head.

30, 40 or 50 year home loan term? It makes no difference 

You're going to pay it off in 5 years anyway 

Probably less.


Chances are, in two to five years you'll either:

A) Refinance to another bank

OR 

B) Sell the property (to upgrade)

So, just get whatever loan suits you at the time to acquire the property.

Because even if we get to 50 year loans

45 of them won't matter.

Swap 7pm mates for 7am mates 👍

w/ Matt Spears at Bondi this morning

The 10 Commandents for First Home Buyers: 

I) You don't need a 20% deposit

II) The best loans are the ones you're eligible for

III) Explore every single way to avoid LMI, but pay it if you must

IV) Never provide more documents than the bank requires

V) Pick the fast bank when purchasing

VI) Offset and redraw are not the same, get the offset

VII) View your credit history before applying

VIII) Always get the loan pre-approved first

IX) Pick a specialist first home buyer broker 

X) Thou shalt not skip thy property checks 🙏

If I can get myself to 10 properties...

I can (probably) get you to 1 🤷🏼‍♂️

This will spin your head - but AVOID applying with the bank you do your banking with 

The reason is simple:

They have years of your spending habits

They have too much information mate.

Yet, most banks these days DON'T require to see your transaction statements... 👀

maaate - buy the property BEFORE you buy the fancy car

My first home buyer was about to go to auction - but she didn't know she could save $30k

She's buying in Sydney, so stamp duty is fully waived up to $800k

BUT she was thinking the property might go for $805k...

So she thought the WHOLE stamp duty would then be applicable 

We ran the calculations, and the stamp duty is reduced from $31k, to just $1k

Because - she still gets a first home stamp duty reduction, when buying between $800k and $1m.

That extra few $k's could get you the property (and dissuade other FHBs you're competing against 😉)

p.s. she ended up winning the auction on this knowledge...

That money you salary-sacrificed to Super...

You can use it to buy your first home 🤯

Steps to see how much you can use:

- Log into MyGov
- Open ATO
- Click 'Super'
- Click 'Manage'
- Click 'First Home Saver'
- Click 'Start Determination'

Scroll down, and you'll be able to see the funds you can withdraw for your first home deposit 👌

Flint

Flint has grown into one of Australia's most awarded mortgage broking firms, recognised for our commitment to excellence and innovation.  In FY26, Flint will settle over $2bn in residential mortgages, making it Australia's largest independent brokerage, with offices across Australia, serving clients worldwide.

Our accolades include:
🏆 Best Broker in Australia x 5
🏆 Australian Broker of the Year x 3
🏆 Leading Finance Brokerage - 2024
🏆 Best New Brokerage - 2024 

With a 98%+ loan approval rate and over a decade of experience, Flint continues to empower Australians on their path to homeownership and financial growth.

Managing Director

Australian Property Talk

APT is one of Australia's most downloaded property podcasts, with over 10,000 subscribers and 1million+ yearly downloads.  

We discuss all things Economics, Property & Lending and provide a fresh take on Aussie Real Estate.

Co-hosted:
- Adi Chanda, Founder of Alaya Property 
- Curtis Stewart, CEO of FlintInvest

https://www.youtube.com/@AusPropertyRedom

Youtuber | Australian Property Talk

FlintInvest

Confidence Finance is now FlintInvest! 

I created Confidence Finance in 2015 with the aim of educating Aussies about home lending & delivering outstanding customer experiences. Since then, we have become one of Australia's most awarded mortgage brokering companies.  

We are home loan experts. Understanding how property finance works is our specialty. We partners with professionals to help you save time & money.  Our approach is to educate our clients through the home buying journey.  In short, we partner with you to achieve your financial goals.

Among other awards, we have been recognised as one of Australia's TOP 100 Mortgage Brokers 7 times (2017-2024).

Founder

The Federal Treasury

> international lending policy with the IMF
> domestic tax policy 
> corporate governance reform

Economist

Graduate at Ernst & Young.
Audit & Advisory

Advisor

The Broker for Homebuyers and Property Investors | 🏆 5 x Top 100 Mortgage Broker in Australia

Here's why LinkedIn Professionals choose us for their home lending needs:

🌟 We've been recognised by #MPAMagazine as one of Australia's Top 100 Brokers, 7 years running! Want to work with someone who's been at the top 0.1% for half a decade? Thats us.  

🎯 They leverage our property market experience.  Together, my team have been on the full property journey - starting as first home buyers, purchasing investment properties and growing a real estate portfolio. 

🧠 As Ex-Treasury Economists, we are not sleek sales-people servicing you.  We are highly skilled professionals who've mastered our crart over nearly a decade @ Flint Invest.

📚 We have a team dedicated to constantly reviewing all of clients loans.  No prompts, no requests - we do it all behind the scenes, free of charge.  Did you know banks discount to new customers more than old ones?  We make sure our customers remain on the lowest interest rates possible by regularly conducting loan reviews.  

💸 They don't get charged by us - we get paid by the lender and disclose all commissions upfront.  They have choice of over 50 lenders, and access to hundreds of products in one place.

🏠  Our market leading research saves you time and money.  For example, in October 2021, we advised all our clients that fixed rates were about to rise.  Over the next 6 months, they doubled in price.  This research saved our clients tens of thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.

Book a time to chat with us here --> https://calendly.com/redom/15min

You can learn more about Confidence Finance here --> www.confidencefinance.com.au

Alternatively, I can be contacted on:
•	Phone: 0489943079
•	Email: info@flintgroup.au

Available to connect anytime - please do not hesitate to reach out to me, i'm always open to growing my professional network and connecting with like-minded individuals.

Redom Syed - Mortgage Broker

One week ago today… the most special night, with the most special person.

Moments like this teach me, real success begins at home.

Because of her, I’m sharper. Clearer. Stronger. More focused.

That energy spills into everything we do.

It shapes the culture we’re building. It fuels the 100+ people I have the privilege to lead.

It creates performance loops that start long before the workday begins.

Getting ‘home’ right has been the key to getting work right.

Redom Syed

Co-Founder Flint Group | Building the Future of Mortgages | 2025 FBAA Broker of The Year

I never had the luxury of being normal.

You see, my family got ripped apart financially when I was a teenager.

I made it my mission to fix it.

Now, with Sydney house prices the way they are, you can’t fix something like that quickly unless you do it differently.

Here’s what I did differently 👇

1. Had the courage to quit the beaten path.

At 24, I walked away from my dream job i spent 10 years chasing to start a business.

Most people thought i was an idiot.  

2. Refused to stop until I was near the best at it.

Because being “good” has never been acceptable to me.

3. Shared openly. Always.

People call it generous — it’s not. 

I do it for me. Sharing gets me closer to my mission, so I do it.

4.  Invested early, reinvested big, and went hard when it was boom time.

Tip: we’re about to enter boom time again. Go big when you can.

5. Used pain as fuel.

Most people run from it. 

I live it, breathe it, own it.

Pain and love are the two most powerful emotions I know. 

I do what I do out of love for my family, and the pain of the past keeps me moving when I can’t be bothered.

6. Followed purpose.

Helping others make better money decisions. Always.

You don't get to outlier results by being normal.

You do it by doing what others won't.

Breaking: Commonwealth Bank just sent shockwaves through the investor lending market.

From tomorrow, CBA will only allow new trust lending for active CBA customers, everyone else is cut off.

This move comes less than 24 hours after Australian Prudential Regulation Authority publicly warned that it is “closely monitoring any build-up of domestic vulnerabilities, particularly in the housing market.”

It was only two weeks ago Macquarie Group made a similar move, blocking all trust lending.

These changes are reflective of a very targeted lending regulator, making a surgical, targeted change...zeroing in on the riskiest pockets of lending.

So why is trust lending viewed as risky?

It's the way they’re used:

Here’s the issue in a nutshell:

→ Under current lending rules, a 3% assessment buffers apply to ANY mortgage debts.  This is designed to protect borrowers and the system, ensuring everyone can afford their mortgages in any rate environment.

 → When utilising trusts, property investors can get creative and find ways to ensure that any existing debts inside that trust often aren’t stressed tested at all.

 → When obtaining a loan in a new trust, the bank checks whether the borrower is meeting repayments today in any 'existing trusts', not whether they can survive a stress-tested environment.

 → Borrowers can thereby 'recycle' trusts here, opening a new one when they are tapped out, and find ways to circumnavigate the 3% mortgage stress test on their existing trust.

 →  The risk here is investor borrowers are not adequately 'stress tested' and can push themselves too far. 

In a market where 40% of all loans are going to investors, and a material chunk of those are running through company/trust structures, you can see why Commonwealth Bank & Macquarie Group moved quickly.

And here’s how it impacts you:

Relying on lending strategies that use trusts to expand your borrowing power?

For the many  investors who rely on trust structures to build multi-property portfolios…your lending playbook just changed overnight.

My life changed when I got better at communicating.

For years, I wasn’t good or clear.

So I studied. 

Spent hours in front of the camera, auditing my own work. Took every course I could find (thanks Vinh Giang!)

Now?

I speak off script. Tell stories. And actually connect.

Here are my 3 biggest lessons to speak better 👇

1. Play. 🎭 

Forget looking & sounding like an old school CEO.  I speak more like the dad I am to my girls, it’s way more entertaining (and real).

2. Slow down. 🐢 

Most of the time, I’m talking about something I know well, but my audience doesn’t. Give them time to catch up.

3. Be vulnerable.❤️

People don’t remember your facts, they remember how you made them feel. I use my emotional range to share how i feel.  It helps connect. 

My lesson?

Get better at communicating.  Going from invisible to being seen can change your life quickly.

You’ve got to be a little crazy to change the game.

Reasonable won't cut it.

This year’s been about building. 

Next year? 

It’s about turning these foundations into results.

My note to my partners this week was simple:

“Be so unreasonable that everyone thinks we're nuts”

So here's what’s coming from me in 2026:
▶️ 250 long-form YouTube videos
▶️ 100 Podcast episodes with Curtis Stewart & Adi Chanda
💥 300+ LinkedIn posts

All while growing Flint to hit some crazy targets.

Because the world doesn’t reward reasonable.

It rewards those crazy enough to think they can do it… and then actually take unreasonable actions to achieve it.

I finally snapped… in the most dad way possible.

When you put yourself out there, you cop all kinds of nonsense.

99.9% of the time I let it go.

But this one? 

Just straight-up unacceptable racism.

So I went full dad-discipline mode: firm voice, eye contact, podcast mic on.

No dessert. No bedtime story. Straight to reflection time.

These 6 content rules will generate me $10mill+ in revenue in 2026.

Copy them 👇

1. I don’t bother selling.
(So you never feel like you’re being sold to)

2. I don’t care what you think.
(Like me. Don’t like me. I’ll still like me… and that’s all that matters here)

3. I absolutely LOVE what I’m talking about.
(I’ve literally turned my podcast into time with my two best mates)

4. I never script.
(Yawn...people want realness, not GPT scripts read out)

5. I always play.
(Because i like to have fun)

6. I study the best
(Every-night i'm watching others who do it well, trying to get a tiny bit better)

Because the second you start creating from love instead of fear, everything changes.

That’s when people actually start listening.

Here are 5 things I love every week (and 1 thing that drives me nuts).

1. Coming in on Mondays and seeing my teams faces.  Instant smile. 

2. My Tuesday night chats with Adi Chanda, we live in different cities and I get an hour with a friend

3. 7-8pm dancing daily with my girls. My rhythm is questionable, but my confidence is elite. 💃

4. The podcast room.  It’s supposed to be serious, but really I’m just hanging with my mates. 

5. Friday nights with my wife.  We’re both building our careers and juggling two little kids. Fridays are for us, we slow down and just talk. 

Oh…

And one thing I hate…cutting my one gray hair that keeps coming back everytime i shoot content 

(If anyone’s cracked the code, please help 🙃)

No alternative text description for this image

Last fortnight, 6 out of my 7 posts hit 10,000+ impressions.

And the secret wasn’t a growth hack or algorithm trick. 

I stopped using GPT…

And I just wrote like me.

(Turns out writing like a weirdo is the secret to breaking the content game)

My biggest business lesson in 10 years

Experiment first.  Then focus all energy on what actually works.

When you find it, go all in.

For me, two years ago, I started a small podcast.

Today, 80% of my new business comes directly from that podcast and YouTube channel.

I've had over 1300 clicks into my sales team diary in the last 9 months alone.

So my next move?

From Monday, the three people sitting next to me won’t be brokers.

They’ll be:
 🎥 a full-time videographer
 ✍️ a full-time copywriter
 📱 a full-time social media manager

Because when you find the thing that moves the needle…

You triple down, not dabble.

Great leaders don’t rely on one style. 

They switch gears fast.

When I first stepped into this gig, the situation called for unity…bringing everyone together and creating one direction.

So i went about sharing stories, presenting visions with the aim of drawing connection with us, and where we are heading. 

Some days, it calls for strength: setting standards, drawing lines, making it clear what’s acceptable and what isn’t.

And sometimes, it’s none of that.

It’s simply being present. Listening. Showing I care.

Leadership isn’t about being one fixed version of yourself.

It’s knowing which version the moment needs.

My take out?

Intelligence isn’t about knowing things…

(ChatGPT has your back here)

It’s about being adaptable…reading the room and adjusting quickly.

My favourite part of the job?

Playing coach

Getting into the weeds of what it takes to thrive as a broker, sharing everything I know and trying to level others up.

Lately I’ve been flying city to city, working with our team, getting them uncomfortbale in front of the cam.

The lessons:
- tell stories that make people feel
- share who you are, not what you know 
- just do it. Embrace discomfort…confidence will come 

Oddly enough…being ‘cringe’ for years and years is the lesson I’m sharing.

Embrace the cringe…the sound of your own voice…the weirdness of putting yourself out there

(Or in my case, the annoying gray hair that refuses to go away!)

Eventually you go from being the person being laughed at…to the person teaching others how to do it.

"Surround yourself with people who inspire you"

Every leadership book says the same message

So i did...

This year, i jumped out of my comfort zone and partnered with Christian Stevens to grow Flint. 

Today my days are spent with one of Australia's best ever mortgage brokers. 

12 months later, i'm winning the very awards his been filling his trophy cabinet with for years.

Co-incidence?  I think not.

Thank you partner.

Co-Founder Flint Group | Building the Future of Mortgages | Ex-Treasury Economist | 2025 Broker of The Year

Building Australia’s First $10B+ Brokerage! We’re Looking for Great People to Join the Flint Journey. Be Part of Something Bigger 🚀

The best part about being in business is seeing others win.

Massive congratulations to Redom Syed - one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet - for taking out both Australian Finance Broker of the Year and NSW Finance Broker of the Year on Friday night at the national FBAA awards!! 

You can’t fake that smile.
We’re all so proud of you mate.

A well-deserved recognition for someone who continues to lift the standard for our entire industry 👏🏼

Execution > Planning. 99% of the time.

Most of us build mental barriers around the things we want to do.

“I’m too busy.”
“It’s not for me.”
“I’ll start tomorrow.”

What you’re really saying is: “I don’t want to get uncomfortable.”

Last year, I’d spend days preparing, thinking, planning… just to film one YouTube video.

And I still flopped. Over and over.

Embarrassing, low ROI, zero impact.

Now?

I can film three videos in 90 minutes. Minimal prep. 10x the views. And it fills our sales team’s diary for a week.

Thinking about doing what I wanted achieved nothing.

(Just like reading 12 self-help books and taking no action..)

The lesson?

Stop thinking.

Start doing.

APRA acted like the schoolyard bully today.

Shout, scream.  Try to scare.

But actually…

Do nothing.

Today’s announcement is just that.

From Feb 2026, banks can only issue 20% of all new loans where debt is >6× the applicant’s income.

Well…

In the middle of the biggest investment lending boom in nearly a decade

We are at 10%

HALF the cap. 🧢 

My full take 

BREAKING: APRA’s New Lending Cap Targets Property Investors
https://lnkd.in/gQTeEV9v

Open video: BREAKING: APRA’s New Lending Cap Targets Property Investors on youtu.be

BREAKING: APRA’s New Lending Cap Targets Property Investors

The power of brand saved us $50,000 last month

And it happened in the most unexpected way, through our podcast.

Adi Chanda and I did a shout out for staff on our podcast

Within 72 hours, 30+ emails/DMs landed in our inbox.

The quality was insane.

No cookie cutter CVs and boring cover letters.

They knew who we were.

They were well researched, knew property like wizards, and had watched us for months

One guy we hired sent us the best loom I’d ever seen. 

Some were willing to change their whole lives and chase their passion in property

Others just wanted to be around us 

💡 Our marketing efforts isn’t just for clients.  It’s our best recruiter too.

Am I taking enough risk for my business to survive in 5 years time?

This question circled my brain this evening after attending an AI event hosted by Lendi Group, where they shared their journey building with AI.  

Here’s what I learned:

- the pace of change is rapid, but we are still very early on in our change journey 

- take more risk, experiment, and fail very quickly

- ask yourself when building with AI: what can you do today with AI that wasn’t possible yesterday. 

- don’t use AI for AIs sake, there’s plenty of automation and technology pre AI that remains and will remain incredibly valuable.

There’s not many events I leave with more questions than answers…and I think that was exactly the point.

To challenge our beliefs, to inspire new ways of thinking.

Thank you David Hyman for the invitation.

9 months ago, I met a broker who completely changed how I think about leadership

Today, that same broker launching his own office

When I first met Ben Robinson, he was already one of the sharpest operators I’d met.

But what he’s achieved since is next level:
💥 Nearly tripled his monthly lodgements 
📈 Built one of LinkedIn’s most visible mortgage brands
👥 Assembled a high-performing team of brokers, BDMs, analysts, and processors

And he’s done it all with passion, curiosity, and relentless drive.

Now, he’s taking the next big leap, leading FlintNewcastle.

It’s a huge milestone, and one he’s absolutely earned.

👉 If you’re in Newcastle and want to see what real client-first broking looks like, reach out to Ben about growing your career with Flint.

Big news today from Newcastle!! 

After more than 12 months of planning, we have officially opened the doors to our brand-new Flint office right in the heart of Newcastle. 

Newcastle is Australia's largest city outside the major capitals and has always been a place full of energy, growth and genuine people who get things done. Now, we get to be part of that - helping locals, business owners, and investors make smarter moves with the right finance behind them.

Our new space is led by Ben Robinson - one of the country’s best brokers and a close friend of mine. He’s joined by an incredible team including Matt Hollinworth, Anthony Toth, Lauren Franzmann and Bree Atkinson - with two more experienced brokers confirmed to join early next year. We have also built out a dedicated internal team of 15 specialists across complex credit, loan processing, post-settlement and compliance to support the new office. 

If you're a hungry broker based in Newcastle or the surrounding area, we are looking to expand to more than 10 brokers in the next few months, with an annual office settlement target of $1B+ by next year. 

💥 #FlintNewcastle - now open!
https://lnkd.in/gSgaYQXX

Open article: Flint opens Newcastle office by brokerdaily.au

CBA’s lending change explained in 10 minutes 

Property investors are now being targeted with surgical precision…the riskiest areas of lending are being picked apart.

Why?

Investor lending is flying at 2017 levels…

2017 was also the last time APRA intervened in lending policies targeting investors too. 

https://lnkd.in/gZYy859n

Open video: Breaking: Property Investors Are Being Targeted in Lending Crackdown on youtu.be

Breaking: Property Investors Are Being Targeted in Lending Crackdown

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Aidan Hartley

Redom Syed - Mortgage Broker

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The Battle

Aidan Hartley

Redom Syed - Mortgage Broker

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