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In this episode of The LVR Podcast, Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze wrap up this run of episodes with a topic that underpins everything: knowing your stuff. Because no amount of great systems, referral relationships, or brand clarity will save you if you walk into a client meeting underprepared and underdone.

Ruan opens with something counterintuitive — in your early days, don't look like you're always available. A professional voicemail, a structured booking process, and a confident command of the five Cs of lending (character, capacity, capital, conditions, collateral) signals to clients immediately that they're dealing with someone who knows what they're doing. That perception of competence buys you trust before you've even started the meeting.

Marissa is candid about her own early days — she entered the industry with a steep learning curve and leaned hard on preparation to bridge the gap. Before every client meeting she would map out likely scenarios, anticipate questions, and research outcomes so thoroughly that when she walked in the room, she was ready for wherever the conversation went. The result was a noticeably higher conversion rate from the meetings she prepared for versus the ones she didn't. It's a habit she still backs today, regardless of experience level.

Ruan closes with a reframe that every broker should carry with them: clients don't come to you to find out how much they can borrow. They come to find out what they can repay. That distinction — and the ability to articulate it clearly in a tailored conversation — is what separates a great broker from an order taker.

Ready to sharpen your knowledge and show up with confidence? Explore the Broker Journal at successandbroker.com.au/the-broker-journal

Thank You To Our Hosts: Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze

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In this episode of The LVR Podcast, Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze get into what it really means to be a top player in the broking industry — and why that status is earned through consistent behaviour, not just settlement volumes.

Ruan's take is straightforward: the brokers that BDMs drop everything for are the ones who make their job easy. Well-structured deals, thorough notes, clear communication — every time. When a credit manager consistently loves your submissions, word gets around. That reputation becomes currency, and it opens doors that cold calls never will. He also makes the point that top player status isn't limited to lenders. The same principle applies to real estate agents, financial planners, aggregators, and any referral relationship in your world — show up professionally, keep people informed, and always ask what you could have done better.

Marissa shares a personal story that sets the tone beautifully — she entered the industry nine months pregnant and had to quickly prove to lender BDMs that she was serious, capable, and worth their time and attention. The lesson she took from that experience: respect their time, show genuine gratitude, demonstrate a commitment to growth, and treat every interaction as an opportunity to build something long-term. Especially in your early days, strong BDM relationships are one of the fastest paths to confidence and capability.

The challenge: look at your current lender and aggregator relationships honestly — where are you a top player, and where have you been taking those relationships for granted?

Ready to level up your relationships? Explore the Broker Journal at successandbroker.com.au/the-broker-journal

Thank You To Our Hosts: Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze

More From Marissa and her company, Rise High Financial Solutions:

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In this episode of The LVR Podcast, Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze dig into one of their favourite topics from the Broker Journal: clear purpose. And the message lands hard — if you don't know why you're in the room, you're wasting everyone's time, including your own.

Ruan opens with a scenario that will feel familiar to a lot of brokers: walking out of a referral partner meeting feeling like nothing happened. His challenge is simple — what was your purpose going in? If the answer is "to get leads," that's not a purpose, that's a wish. A purposeful meeting starts with understanding the other person's frustrations, figuring out whether you can genuinely solve them, and leading with value before you ever ask for anything in return. That shift — from taking to giving — is what turns a one-off coffee into a long-term referral relationship.

Marissa builds on this with a broader view of purpose as a daily discipline. Going into every interaction — client meetings, networking events, BDM catch-ups — with a clear intention means you're far more likely to walk away with something meaningful. Without it, you're just showing up and hoping for the best.

Ruan closes with a personal story that underlines the depth of his commitment to purposeful action: early in his career he completed his real estate licence, his auctioneers licence, and a diploma in financial planning — not to change careers, but to understand his two key referral sources deeply enough to have genuinely valuable conversations with them. That's what clear purpose looks like in practice.

The challenge: are you and your team going into each day, each meeting, and each client interaction with a clear intention? If not, that's where to start.

Ready to bring more purpose to your broking business? Explore the Broker Journal at successandbroker.com.au/the-broker-journal

Thank You To Our Hosts: Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze

More From Marissa and her company, Rise High Financial Solutions:

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