The Social Media Strategy Every Broker Needs For Growth in 2026
Beyond The Numbers With Christian StevensShow Notes
Melissa Gielnik is the Managing Director of Smart Lending Mortgage Brokers, a 25-year mortgage broking veteran, former Deputy Chairman of the MFAA during the Royal Commission, and one of the most decorated female leaders in Australian financial service. She built Smart Lending from the ground up and has spent the last two and a half decades helping clients invest smart and generate wealth.
This conversation covers what genuine longevity in the brokerage business actually looks like.
Melissa breaks down her three-pronged growth strategy across social media, agents and referrals, why she believes Melbourne is wide open for hungry operators, and how a team with an average eight-year tenure, including an EA who's been with her 19 years, is her most underrated competitive advantage. She also gets into why she's made 2026 her year of visibility after years of staying deliberately under the radar, and what the next chapter of Smart Lending looks like heading into FY27.
If you're a broker thinking about building something that lasts, this one is the episode for you.
1:54 — The Pivot That Changed Everything — Downsizing From Nine Brokers and $22M/Month
5:10 — 25 Years of Industry Evolution — Paper Fax Applications to AI-Assisted Processing
7:20 — Smart Lending's Three-Pronged Growth Strategy — Social, Agents and Referrals
10:08 — The 19-Year EA and Eight-Year Average Tenure — Why Team Loyalty Is the Edge
22:40 — The Year of Visibility — Why She Stayed Under the Radar and What Changed in 2026
26:45 — The Melbourne Opportunity — Why the Market Is Wide Open for Hungry Operators
32:20 — AI and Offshore — How Smart Lending Is Using Tech to Do More With Less
37:00 — Stepping Off the Tools — Boundaries, Systems and Getting Locked Out of Her Own Emails
43:47 — FY27 Plans — What Conquering Melbourne Actually Looks Like
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 Melissa Gielnik:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagielnik/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissagielnik/
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.