Show Notes
In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Christian Stevens sits down with Max Harris, Associate Director at Azura Finance - one of Australia’s leading brokerages - and a 7x Top 100 Broker.
Max shares how he went from being a part-time uni student cold-calling buyers at open homes to settling over $300M in loans this year, backed by a lean but highly effective team.
Whether you’re a new broker chasing your first deal, or an experienced operator looking to scale without burning out, Max breaks down what actually works - hiring offshore vs onshore, building long-term referral relationships, managing client expectations, and preparing for an AI-driven future in lending.
This is a practical, honest conversation about growth, pressure, and building something that lasts.
0:00 – Introduction: Meet Max Harris, 7x Top 100 Broker & Azura's Associate Director 5:15 – Azura's Growth Story: From 4 people to 50 staff across two floors in Double Bay 8:02 – The Multi-Mentor Approach: Why one mentor isn't enough for elite performance 12:23 – Team Structure Breakdown: Offshore vs onshore hires and the $50M junior broker mistake 19:03 – The Numbers: $130M → $200M → $300M in 3 years (and the systems behind it) 26:42 – Tech Stack Confession: Why a $300M broker still runs on Google Sheets + AI "James" 30:14 – Future-Proofing Your Business: Why simple PAYG loans will be eaten by AI 38:35 – Trust Lending Crackdown: What the recent policy changes mean for investors 42:22 – Career Advice: Hire earlier, build fewer but deeper referral relationships, slow down proposals
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 Max Harris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxharrisazurafinancial/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxharris_____/
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.