Meet a St George Mortgage Lender

I started with St.George in 1991 as a Customer Service Officer in the branches and within two years I was promoted to Customer Service Manager. After two years in that role I was transferred into home lending and have been a Lending Manager now for nearly 13 years. I take pride in my customer service knowledge. It enables me to really understand the customer and their needs, which allows me to help them choose the home loan that's right for them.

I've been fortunate enough to have numerous highlights in my career and have won numerous awards which has been very satisfying - Lender of the Year Northern NSW (2005); Star of the Year for Customer Service (2006); and Top Gun award Northern NSW March 2008.

I really enjoy working for a bank that truly has its customers interests at heart. This is also reflective in my work colleagues' attitudes which create a fantastic team environment. My team are always willing to share and help out when needed.

Research the area you wish to purchase in and have your loan conditionally approved prior to looking. This will allow you to be more in control at auctions or private sales as you will know what your limit is.

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Tomas

I came to St.George as a Customer Service officer in 2000. Twelve months later I was made Branch Manager and managed branches in Doncaster, Chadstone, Shepparton and finally Melbourne CBD over the course of five years. I have worked as a Lending Manager for three years now, a role I thoroughly enjoy because it allows me to maximise my time with my customers and ensure that their current and future financial needs are met.

I’ve won quite a few awards in the past few years. But the award that meant the most to me was Star of the Year 2004. It’s a nation-wide award for outstanding performance in Customer Service and Business Performance.

The team at St.George are a big part of what I enjoy about working at the Bank. It’s important to me that the people around me share my passion for great service.

I recommend making a Lending Manager your first point of contact when preparing yourself to purchase a home. Get an idea of how much you’re able to borrow, or more importantly prepared to borrow. You will be provided with a conditional approval – this will provide you increased confidence when you are looking around for the right property for you.

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Kylie

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Jimmy

I have been in the property and finance industry for over 11 years, based in the Eastern Suburbs. I worked for 4.5 years in mortgage management and was also a Licenced Real Estate Agent for five years. I joined St.George in 2007 as a Mobile Lender. I specialise in customers - understanding their needs and wants and tailoring a solution to suit them. I also speak Russian, which allows me to deal with customers in both Russian and English.

I have received numerous Customer Service Awards and several High Performer Awards for Southern NSW. The real highlights though are my satisfied customers who I have helped with buying their first home or to refinance a loan.

St.George is a family bank. Everyone who works here has the customers needs as their number one priority. All departments works towards the same goal - to give every customer the best possible experience in dealing with us.

Do your homework before you start the inspections. Know the area you want to purchase in, know the street, and know the property. There are many tools available to consumers today to assist in their research. The most important tip is to have your Conditional Approval in place before you make any offers and especially before attending auctions.

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Alex

I have had over 25 years of combined experience within the finance & insurance industry and legal profession. I started with St.George in 2002 as a home loans clerk and have progressed over the past six years to my current position as Senior Lending Manager, Tamworth Branch. My diverse background & knowledge of all areas relating to the home loan process means that I am well equipped to understand my customers needs and assist them with every step of the process.

I treat every customer the way I would like to be treated and ensure they completely understand the home loan process, especially first home purchasers, who need that extra little bit of time, care & guidance. In my spare time I raise awareness of Breast Cancer in the Tamworth & District community

I became a Commissioned Officer in the Army and also received an AMP Merit Award, which took me on a very memorable trip to Canada. Whilst I have received many others awards for various achievements over the years, the ones I enjoy the most are those received from my customers - the flowers; chocolates; bottles of wine & the handwritten notes of heartfelt thanks.

My customers! I love the interaction with my customers at every step along the home loan path. St.George employs great people with a ‘can-do’ attitude that go the extra mile to provide excellent customer service. This attracts customers who appreciate the service and allows us to build a relationship with them over time. Many of my customers are now friends. They keep coming back to do business and also refer their family & friends.

Make extra repayments. If you can make an extra repayment weekly or fortnightly on a variable rate loan, the interest you will save over 25 - 30 years will be considerable. You also have the added benefit along the way of offsetting those extra repayments against your loan balance, hence reducing the amount that the interest is calculated on. Apart from saving interest and automatically reducing the term of your loan, it’s a good way to save, as in most cases you can redraw these advance payments later if you need them for home improvements, a new car, pool or holiday. The list is endless!

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Brenda

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Diana

I’ve worked at St.George Bank since April 1999. I started as a Lending Assistant, which gave me an extensive grounding in bank systems, processes and policies which help me to provide great service in my present role. I’ve been a Lending Manager since January 2006. It gives me real pleasure to match people with the right home loan.

Two of the awards I’ve earned over the years include Superstar (a customer service award) in late 2006 and WA Branch Lending Manager of the Year in 2008.

I enjoy working within a friendly team environment for an organisation that promotes a family focus and a customer service culture. I love receiving positive feedback from my clients and knowing that I’ve been instrumental in helping them to buy their home or further their financial goals.

Do your research on the property you plan to purchase – know the area! Obtain a conditional loan approval so you can enter the market with greater confidence and buying power.

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Julie

I started my career with BankSA in South Australia. I’ve been in banking and finance for over 25 years now. When BankSA opened its first Northern Territory branch, I moved to Darwin to help establish the Bank. While I was living in Darwin, I started my own conveyancing business and for years I worked closely with legal professionals to ensure smooth property purchasing and selling transactions for families and investors. After moving to the Gold Coast, I joined St.George as a Lending Manager in the Gold Coast team.

I was the first female bank manager in the Northern Territory and received one of the very first conveyancing licences to be issued in the NT, but it’s my customer service record that I’m most proud of. I was awarded Top Lender 2007/2008 St.George in Queensland, and I’ve won many ‘Top Gun’ awards for excellence in sales and customer service.

I love the team work and culture that is unique to St.George. I enjoy the customer interaction and take pride in selecting the perfect home loan to suit each customer’s circumstances from the wide range of products offered by St.George. I like telling people I work at St.George, because I know St.George’s principles in both business and the community live up to my own.

Not only should you get all the facts about the home you want to buy, you should also make sure you get the home loan that best suits your individual circumstances.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your lender and tell them what sort of things you are looking for in your home loan. Most importantly, remember it’s one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life, so make sure you have all the information required to make it!

Make an appointment with a St.George lender like Jenni