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

I’m Redom Syed, FBAA Broker of the Year 2025 and Founder of Flint Group, one of Australia’s fastest-growing mortgage businesses.

What started as a mission to help families like mine make better money decisions has grown into a $10 B vision — to build one of Australia’s largest, most impactful mortgage groups.

💡 Who we are:
Flint is a modern brokerage, built for modern brokers who want to command attention.  We are a group of 100+ professionals across Australia and overseas united by one purpose: to empower Australians to understand, plan, and act with confidence.

🏆 Why clients and professionals choose us:
	•	Award-Winning Expertise – Recognised as Australia’s FBAA Broker of the Year (2025) and in MPA’s Top 100 Brokers for 7 years running.
	•	Ex-Treasury Economist Insight – We combine data, economics, and lending strategy to create smarter client outcomes.
	•	End-to-End Property & Finance Support – From first homes to complex investment portfolios, our clients access 50+ lenders and hundreds of tailored solutions.
	•	Proactive Loan Management – Our dedicated review team ensures every client stays on the lowest rate available — without needing to ask.
	•	Research-Driven Guidance – Our in-house research team has predicted every major rate and policy shift for nearly a decade, helping clients save tens of thousands.

📅 Book a chat → calendly.com/redom/15min￼
🌏 Learn more → www.flintinvest.au￼
📞 Contact → 0489 943 079 | info@flintgroup.au

Redom Syed - Mortgage Broker

Thinking will be a rarest skill in 2026…

Most don’t even try.

Thats exactly how I built one of Australia’s most watched property pods with 10,000+ downloads every week.

By having my OWN opinion.

I use my brain, think, and share my view. 

Being right or wrong doesn’t matter.  

Actually using your brain does.

Pro tip: move your hands around and talk with confidence (even if you, like the rest of us, have no idea 🤷‍♂️)

Redom Syed

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

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Most good decisions that moved my life forward felt uncomfortable at the time.

Like the kinda uncomfortable we all get when we gotta dance on stage…

*gulp*

✅ Quitting a job I loved.
✅ Starting in an industry I knew nothing about.
✅ Deciding to join Flint last year.

None of it felt safe.

They were all risks.

(Now my beautiful kids are doing the same, dancing their way through the real world!)

Because things that scare you often change you.

They help you grow in confidence. 

And avoiding them has a bigger cost.

I started broking in 2015, and I had no idea what I was doing.

So I did the only sensible thing I knew, and became a student.

I found the best brokers in the biz, and watched and studied how the existed.

I really didn’t have any experience.

But I had a healthy fear of being exposed,

And a lot of time. 

Clients can tell when you know things.

And more importantly they can tell when you don’t

You don’t need years. You need obsession.

That’s just how you get better.

People talk a lot about habits, strategy, and mindset.

My biggest and best performance hack?

Going home.

Dancing like crazy with my girls.

Spinning around our living room for hours.

Getting absolutely humbled by tiny humans with better rhythm than me.

Being actually present.

When home is good, work gets easier.

Decisions are clearer.

Pressure doesn’t stick the same way.

Turns out joy is a pretty solid productivity tool.

Big goals are easier to chase when you’ve got something real to come home to.

That’s where my energy comes from, and it's truly incredible. 🤪

Chasing outcomes is easy.

Revenue. Growth. Milestones.

All the things you can put in a slide deck, and feel good about for maybe 5 minutes. 😭

But they’re all just results.

What really matter though, is how everyone grows while you’re achieving those.

Learning together, figuring out problems, making huge mistakes, fixing them, and pretending we knew the answers all along, are the real results.

The numbers will move around.

They always do.

But watching a group of people get better together...

More confident, more capable, more in sync…

That feeling you get from seeing that, never changes.

And that’s what makes building a team worth it.

I used to think being taken seriously meant acting serious.

Polished, composed, and “all under control.”

But that isn’t me.

(My current idol is Bandit from Bluey...)

Turns out Mr. Serious Face version of me isn't very good.

So i stopped trying.

I joke more, and laugh at myself, and play at work regularly.

And weirdly…everything becomes simpler.

I learn faster now.

Bad days don’t stick as long, if at all.

And work feels lighter, even when it’s hard.

Highly recommend trying 'playing' more, and being 'Mr Serious' less.

A few weeks ago, I had dinner with one of the most successful mortgage brokers in the country.

We ended up talking about what actually separates the best from everyone else.

It wasn’t strategy.

It was speed.

In his business, when a lead comes in and no-one calls within five minutes, it’s an issue.

Harsh? Maybe

But wrong? Not really.

If someone reaches out, that’s when they want to talk.

Just like when my girls ask me to play, they want me to play now. Not in 5 minutes or an hour.

When I was starting out, I answered the phone wherever I was.

24/7 was the motto

(No one actually calls at 2am)

You can’t do that forever, and you shouldn't.

But early on, it makes the difference.

Deals don’t just fall over because of strategy. They fall over because someone was slow.

Simple lesson.

Trying to do everything yourself is the fastest way to stay small.

If you're doing all of the below ⬇️

✅ Credit. 
✅ Processing. 
✅ Post-settlement. 
✅ Customer management.

You are the wearer of all hats...and likely the master of none.

What all this does is pull you away from where you create real value.

Your value isn't in spreadsheets & servicing calcs...

(and boy...do i love a pretty spreadsheet!)

Brokers value is in lead generation, speaking directly to clients & partners, and building momentum.

Everything else drains time away from this.

That’s what 'thinking bigger' actually looks like.

If you want to grow fast, stop trying to do everything yourself.

Build a team that frees you to focus on what you do best.

If people can’t see you online, you don’t exist at all.

Most trust is built online now.

So early on, I decided I had to be myself.

Not louder.
Not flashier.

Just the daggy dad that is me.

Most people copy each other.

That’s why they blend in.

But the only thing no-one can copy, is how you think.

That’s the brand.

How do you communicate with 120 people across 4 countries?

You don’t overthink it.

I sat in my office.
Hit record.
Talked.

Had a thumbnail made, on the spot.
And sent it.
All in 30 minutes.

No script.
No production.
No drama.

Just a simple and silly message to kick off the year and get everyone aligned.

Sometimes the best way to lead a big team…is to keep things small, human, low-stakes, and fun.

Happy start to the year ✌️

Earlier in my career, I said yes to way too much.

Not because it was smart, but because it felt productive.

I had meetings everyday and everywhere, and lots of chaotic energy, (which I now save for when I’m at home with my girls.)

It took me a while to realise that I was just tired…not effective.

Learning to say no wasn’t about being difficult.

It was learning about being honest with myself and what actually mattered.

Once I started protecting my time, the work just got better.

Not instantly, but enough to notice.

Turns out ‘no’ isn’t rude.

It’s just clear.

And that clarity makes life a lot easier.

Every Tuesday at the office…Toastie Tuesday happens.

No agenda, no strategy.

Just fancy cheeses, breads, deli meats, fresh tomatoes, and actually sitting still for five minutes.

Sure it’s loud, messy, and someone always burns theirs. 
(Someone being me. 😬)

But it’s there, where half the real team bonding lives.

No slides, and no meetings.

Just a small weekly ritual we always show up for.

Turns out teams aren’t built in boardrooms.

They’re built over melted cheese.

One thing I didn’t expect after a year of building businesses

Almost everyone starts with making money as the goal

That’s important, it’s how businesses stay alive, thrive and grow.  

But…

That’s not where the fun lives.

The stories you collect, the people you meet and the experiences you live while building…

Living life knowing i’m having a real crack at the biggest boldest version of myself…and won’t be dying wondering or living ‘what ifs’

That’s what all the old wise men who claim the journey is better than the destination mean…

Happy Monday ✌️

Organic content gets you seen.

People start to recognise you, hear your voice, and trust you.

That’s the real challenge.

Once that’s working, paid ads just speed things up.

I’ve always looked at it pretty simply - ads can’t replace your brand.

But they do turn the volume up.

(Like me in the car when Taylor Swift starts playing.)

The mistake is running them up too early.

Or chasing the noise, instead of the right people.

When your message is clear, and your process actually works, ads feel like acceleration instead of chaos.

Brand first. 

Fuel later.

The RBA just delivered a hammer blow. 

They've just INCREASED the INTEREST RATES.

They called it a "line ball" decision. It wasn't.

Every single Board member voted to increase rates. 

It was unanimous. 

And if you looked at the Aussie Dollar the second the announcement dropped, the market knew it too. It went straight up.

Here is the damage report: 
Households: A $500k mortgage just got ~$80/month more expensive. 
Sydney & Melbourne: Already slowing down on the idea of this hike. Expect the brakes to be tapped harder. 
The Affordable Markets: Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, and Hobart are defying the trend.

The Economic Reality: 
When rates rise, borrowing capacity falls. People don't stop buying homes; they just buy cheaper homes. Money flows away from the expensive luxury markets (Sydney/Melbourne) and into the affordable segments (Perth/Adelaide).

The RBA has made their move. 

The era of "cheap money" is definitely not coming back anytime soon.

Are you positioning for growth or just holding on?

Early on, I spent too much time getting ready for 'perfect' to knock on my door.

Biggest rookie move…

Waiting for the perfect investment property? That one costs a fortune.

Some people wait years…and pay a lot more

But you soon realise there’s a great deal out there every single day.

And that 99% of the performance comes from actually executing on one of them. 

So what did I do?
✅ I started showing up instead.
✅ Just bought tha thing, decided on it and moved forward.  

You get better by doing.

Not by thinking, or planning, or staring at the ceiling at 2am endlessly.

The ones who win, aren’t the most polished, or put together.

They act like Nike, they just do it 😄

This is why interest rates are still under pressure.

The Jan 28 CPI came in hotter than the RBA would like, but the details matter.

Goods inflation has cooled.

You can see it rolling over clearly on this chart.

Services inflation hasn’t.

And that’s the problem.

Services = rent, insurance, healthcare, wages.

The stuff that doesn’t come down quickly.

So even though headline CPI looks better than last year, the RBA can’t relax yet.

As long as services inflation stays elevated, rates stay higher for longer.

The CPI print didn’t open the door to cuts.

If anything, it keeps the door firmly shut.

That’s the takeaway.

People think success is about skill or strategy.

I used to think that too.

Then I had four $50m months in a row…after not hitting one in ten years.

Nothing magical changed.

I just started hanging around people who made my standards feel a bit uncomfortable.

Christian Stevens and I push each other daily.

Healthy competition, and zero hand-holding.

He’s been the #1 broker in Australia for years.

I respect it.

(Also…I want it.)

Being that close to excellence messes with you in a good way.

You don’t tolerate average anymore.

Turns out our environment does a lot more work than we give it credit for.

So choose yours wisely.

I partner with Australia’s leading Mortgage Brokers and together we build the most profitable and valuable businesses in the industry 👉 DM or email me to learn more.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐨?

→ From Practitioner Scars to Value Acceleration Engine, I bring a unique advantage to Recludo’s capital partnerships.

“𝘈𝘴𝘩’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘒𝘗𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘸 51% 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦-𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”
~ Tim Brown | Recludo Group CEO

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬

→ De-risked entry: No trial-and-error phase. Proven systems and governance are embedded from the start.
→ Pre-engineered value creation: Businesses are transformed into scalable assets, not speculative ventures.
→ Aligned pathways: Broker ambition and investor ROI move in lockstep.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬

→ Access to playbooks, KPIs and safeguards that shortcut growth.
→ Pathways to succession that protect both business legacy and personal ambition.
→ A partner with scars, stripes, and strategy already earned, so they don’t have to.
→ Recludo is not an experiment. It’s an operationalised model of accelerated value creation, led by a practitioner who has lived every step of the journey.

✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: Growth without guesswork.
✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Compounding returns, pre-engineered.
✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡: Trust built on four decades of lived experience.


Reach out for a confidential chat

📞  +61 419 808885
📩  ash.playsted@recludo.com.au
🌐  www.recludo.com.au

Ash Playsted

Most founders learn this lesson too late: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

That’s the paradox.

And if betrayal teaches you the wrong lesson, it doesn’t just cost you a relationship. It costs you your future.

Because betrayal doesn’t only hurt emotionally...
...it creates a leadership reflex:
→ Control everything.
→ Trust nobody.
→ Keep it tight.
→ Do it yourself.

And that reflex feels like protection…
…but it quietly becomes a cage.

A business built on low trust always ends the same way:
× the founder becomes the bottleneck
× the team becomes cautious
× the culture becomes political
× growth slows
× energy leaks
× and “scale” becomes impossible
 

And here’s what most people don’t want to admit:
╰┈➤ If you stop trusting people, you stop building anything bigger than yourself.

That’s not inspirational. That’s operational truth.

So what’s the answer?

Not blind trust. And not hardened mistrust.

The answer is mature trust:
✓ trust with guardrails
✓ trust with standards
✓ trust with accountability
✓ trust with structure
✓ trust with clear consequences

Because the goal isn’t to avoid betrayal.
The goal is to become the kind of leader who can take a hit…
…and keep building anyway.

This week’s '𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥.' newsletter edition is about a time in my life this lesson came home to roost.

If you’ve ever been burned in business and/or life (and you’re still building), this one will land ... full edition below 👇 

#LivedNotLectured #Trust #MortgageBrokers #Founders #Entrepreneurship #Life #Business

Empowering 50 Ambitious Mortgage Brokerage Owners to Create Life Changing Personal Wealth | Co-Founder and Executive GM ​> Broker Business Performance at Recludo

There’s a lesson most people avoid. Not because it’s hard to understand. But because it’s hard to accept. It’s the lesson that sits right at the inter

Open article: The Paradox of Trust: Why You Must Keep Believing in People Even After They Break It by Ash Playsted • 11 min read

The Paradox of Trust: Why You Must Keep Believing in People Even After They Break It

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞.

Not because you’re lazy.
Not because you’re incapable.
Not because you don’t "know what to do.”
But because you keep hiding behind the most expensive sentence in business: “𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”

Let me translate that for you.

It usually means:
“I don’t want to be wrong.”
“I don’t want to look foolish.”
“I don’t want to lose clients.”
“I don’t want discomfort.”

So instead... you plan.
You research.
You tweak.
You refine.
You model.
You workshop.
You rewrite.
You polish.
And you call it progress.

But here’s the truth:
╰┈➤ Preparation without execution is procrastination... dressed up as professionalism.

And it’s quietly killing your business.

Because while you’re waiting for perfect timing... someone else is executing at 70% certainty — and taking your market share.

Here’s what I’ve learned coaching mortgage business owners:
╰┈➤ Strategy is common. Execution is rare.

Every broker already knows the big levers:
↳ re-price your book
↳ build referral partner systems
↳ tighten conversion
↳ document workflows
↳ hire leverage
↳ remove yourself as bottleneck
↳ install cadence + rhythm

That’s not the gap.

The gap is this:
╰┈➤ 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 “𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆” 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.

They’d rather be certain... than be successful.

And here’s why this matters:
Investors don’t buy ideas. They buy proven doers.

Buyers don’t pay a premium for:
● your plan
● your vision
● your strategic roadmap
● your “potential”

They pay a premium for one thing:
╰┈➤ Proven execution.

Because #execution reduces risk.
Execution creates #momentum.
Execution builds #systems.
Execution creates #transferability.
Execution creates #enterprisevalue.

So if you’re serious about building a valuable brokerage...
Stop waiting.
Stop perfecting.
Stop researching.

Here’s the only framework that matters:
╰┈➤ Pick 2–3 moves that will change the business. Then execute them daily before the day steals your oxygen.

Not weekly.
Not “when things slow down.”
Not after clearing your inbox.

Daily.
Because the “perfect time” never arrives.
And the market doesn’t reward hesitation.
It rewards #speed, #discipline, and #momentum.

So I’ll ask you a question most founders avoid:
→ What strategic move are you analysing... instead of implementing?

That’s your #breakthrough. But only if you act.

I've written about this in detail in the latest edition of my 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 Newsletter 👇 

#AcceleratedValueCreation #MortgageBrokers #Success #Action

Empowering 50 Ambitious Mortgage Brokerage Founders to Create Life Changing Personal Wealth | Co-Founder and Executive GM Broker Business Performance at Recludo

View newsletter: Accelerated Value Creation

There’s a quiet killer in the mortgage broking industry. It’s not commission compression. It’s not lender policy volatility. It’s not compliance, claw

Open article: Perfect Timing Is a Myth. Execution Is the Advantage. (Why the market pays for doers, not dreamers.) by Ash Playsted • 10 min read

Perfect Timing Is a Myth. Execution Is the Advantage. (Why the market pays for doers, not dreamers.)

Melbourne based Brokers, want a lender totally focussed on fast, flexible solutions? See you at The Garden Room, Crown Casino Friday Feb 6th 11:00am onwards!

The team at Recludo is proud to announce Thry Group as our newest business partner. Thry (pronounced Three) was formed expressly to serve Mortgage Brokers looking for speed, flexibility, and direct access to decision makers who will always collaborate with you to make deals work.

To celebrate the launch of this broker focused, specialist Mortgage Management business, a grand celebration launch event has been arranged at The Garden Room at Crown Casino Melbourne.

So if you’re a Melbourne (or Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth) based Broker looking for fast, reliable solutions for your clients, come along on Friday Feb 6th for some good company (and free food and drinks!), event details are on the invite attached.

Tim Brown | Ash Playsted | Chris Slater | Layne T.

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Redom Syed - Mortgage Broker

Ash Playsted

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Redom Syed - Mortgage Broker's LinkedIn Performance

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