Brenden Lowbridge is a property enthusiast and has been working in the property industry for a decade.

After one year of property sales for a large private developer, he decided that property finance was his calling. He launched his career with a finance brokerage and started a university degree at the same time.

Brenden is an Associate Director of Money Links, which is a Newcastle based finance brokerage that assists clients with their property financing needs. He is also an active property investor himself.

• What career path led you to where you are now?

I’m currently in both the finance industry and property industry. I always had a fascination with property. At school, I got told a few times that I would have made a good real estate agent. I think that was because I talked all the time to everyone and made jokes; everything I wasn’t meant to do.I actually tried being a real estate agent for 12 months.

The global financial crises hit and things changed. I ended up on the finance side of property. I’m still involved with property, but in the way that I’m helping out with lending and doing that sort of thing, rather than selling.

• What motivates and drives you?

I’ve always had a passion to just try to get better. Probably something that’s been both good and bad is that I benchmark myself against successful people who may be older, a similar age or quite successful. I definitely look up to others and chase what other people achieve. I’ve always wanted to become better at what I’m doing and try to do it the best that I can.

• What has been your biggest learning curve in your career?

A big learning curve for me was going from being an employee to a business owner. There’s not any one learning curve that you experience when you do that; there’s lots. You become a manager of people, a motivator of people and look after all of the other things you suddenly get as part of your job description when you’re a boss, rather than an employee.

I suppose it was a big change in having to split your focus amongst multiple things, instead of just being able to turn up and do one role and do that well. That was definitely a big learning curve.

• Where would you like to be in 10 years’ time?

In 10 years, with the way the business is going, I’d like to have some more staff in the business doing some of the day-to-day tasks that I do today. This would then free me up to be more a manager of people and a team leader, rather than doing the daily tasks. That would then probably free me up more to do some charity type stuff, which I really enjoy. More travel would also be good.

Also, as I mentioned, I have a very strong interest in property and a property development business as well. I’d like to see where I could take that if I could devote a little bit more of my time to that business, rather than my current lending business.

• Have you had any significant Hunter-based mentors during your career who inspire you?

I’ve had quite a few. One is actually one of my good friends, and he’s an amazing businessperson – Mick Sexton, who runs a motor auction house. They have three in Newcastle. He’s very successful and has built if from the ground up. We’re lucky enough to catch up a couple times a week, which is really good. Although it’s probably just catching up for him; I feel like I get a lot out of it.

Also, in the lending space, there would be a couple of people who I could name there that have been fantastic. I find the Newcastle area is fantastic for that. Even in property, guys like Keith Stronach, who is a fantastic operator. He’s happy to have a coffee whenever he’s needed. I could probably name 10 or more; there’s a lot of excellent people here in Newcastle that are happy to help out and I often ask them and take them up on it. I’m very lucky.

With thanks to Hunter Young Professionals who Hunter Headline collaborated with to source this interviewee.