Dreams REHL for two decades

ON 23 December, 1999 Paul Ballinger registered his business name, Real Estate Home Loans.

Hitting the ground running in 2000, the born and bred Ballarat broker is now celebrating 20 years of helping home buyers realise their dream.

“Client interaction is what keeps me here. We have a highlight every day, every week. Letting someone know that their finance is approved is the moment at which the dream is realised,” he said.

“The greatest reward is seeing the smiles on people’s faces and the sheer excitement that they’re going to move into their new home. What we do changes people’s lives and it matters.”

Although he’s always found his work satisfying and meaningful, as a business owner, Mr Ballinger said not every moment has been fantastic.

“Every business has its challenges. We’ve been through a Royal Commission recently in the financial sector, which was a very difficult time, but you keep going.

“The global financial crisis was a negative time in our lives, but we’ve seen through that too,” he said.

The industry has not only broadly evolved while REHL has been in business, but the Ballarat landscape has shifted too.

“When I started in broking, I think there were three brokers in Ballarat. There was 55 at one point, and there’s somewhere north of 35 now.

“Twenty years ago, we were averaging loans of $60,000 to $70,000, a reflection of what house prices were then. Now our average loan is around the $300,000 mark. Chalk and cheese,” Mr Ballinger said.

“We’ve had four locations, starting in Lydiard Street south in the old Jens Gaunt building, we moved across the road, then to Peel Street and now Sturt Street. It’s a great environment here at Dunbar House, a financial hub.”

REHL was simply just him in 2000, but two decades on there’s a team of three with integrity, including Bernadette Wood and Grant Newell.

“There’s nothing wrong with being small and local. We’ve had fantastic staff over the years, I’ve always worked with wonderful people and that in itself is rewarding,” Mr Ballinger said.

“We live our core values. Family comes first. You’re in business to make a better life for your family, so it should be a better life for your staff and their families.”