How 1,000+ Mortgage Brokers Are Earning Extra Revenue Without Extra Clients
Beyond The Numbers With Christian StevensShow Notes
Julian Fayad, Founder and CEO of LoanOptions.ai, joins Christian Stevens on this week's episode of Beyond The Numbers.
As Australia's first AI-powered loan comparison platform, FBAA Industry Champion of the Year, and a Deloitte Tech Fast 50 company, Julian has been building AI in financial services since 2020 — years before it was mainstream. He joins Christian to unpack the full story of how it happened.
But it wasn't a straight line.
From building a loan matching engine in an Excel spreadsheet at midnight, to walking away from a publicly listed company during COVID with nothing but his non-compete removed, Julian opens up about what it really took to build LoanOptions.ai from the ground up into a team of 35 with operations in Australia and New Zealand.
He speaks candidly about the difference between AI hype and AI that actually works, why he refused to let lenders pay to rank higher on his platform, and the coming product releases he believes will triple the business in 12 months.
This episode is a rare look inside one of Australia's most exciting fintech companies — and the obsessive, uncompromising founder who built it.
If you're a mortgage broker, business owner, or anyone curious about where AI in lending is actually headed, this one's for you.
3:15 - From Admin to State Manager: Julian's Path Into Finance
6:00 - The Midnight Excel Spreadsheet That Started It All
8:16 - Why COVID Changed Everything — and Led to LoanOptions.ai
11:30 - Refusing to Let Lenders Pay to Rank Higher on the Platform
13:00 - From B2C to B2B2C: Finding the Business Model That Actually Works
20:45 - What "AI Native Business" Actually Means (and Why It Matters)
29:32 - Team Culture: How Julian Runs a Team of 35 Mid-to-Late 20s
37:54 - What's Coming Next: New Products, NZ Expansion & the Partnership That Could Triple the Business
Learn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/
Connect with Christian Stevens:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertyfinance/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrstevens/
Connect with Julian Fayad:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianfayad/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianfayad/
More from Beyond The Numbers With Christian Stevens
Corey Goldby is the Managing Partner of Source Financial and the founder of the Fat Profits Podcast. In just three years, he’s grown his broking and accounting businesses to a team of 35 — and is now preparing for the next major stage of that growth.
Damien Roylance and Vincent Moore have spent the last decade growing Entourage from a small brokerage into a five-office business with more than 50 people and a multi-billion-dollar loan book.
Mackenzie Jones is a finance broker at Flint and one of the newest faces in the industry. After starting at CBA, she made the jump into broking at just 22, bringing the same discipline, competitiveness and consistency that made her a two-time martial arts world champion.
Ryan Sweeney is the Founder and CEO of Front Financial, and at just 25 he’s already gone from broker to running a fast-growing finance business.
*Content warning: This episode includes an open conversation around suicide and mental health, including personal experiences with loss. Viewer discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a support service.