James Dooley: So as a fractional CMO if I came to you as a mortgage business owner and wanted more mortgage inquiries being generated, what strategies would you recommend for me? Let's say I'm just a startup.
Kasra Dash: As a mortgage broker looking to grow your business, the first thing is choosing the right branding and the right niche. Then choosing the right domain name and getting a website built is where I would start. Once you choose your branding, secure the social media accounts too. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. Anywhere your clients could be.
James Dooley: One thing to add to that is SEO takes time to rank, especially in finance. So a few quick wins, especially if you're just setting up, would be daily posting on LinkedIn. You might get commercial mortgages from that, which pay more for the broker. You can also set up ads on Facebook Marketplace. I call them ads but they're free to set up. Then when someone searches on Marketplace, they can see that James does mortgages and enquire. Those are things you can launch right now. But let's say you've done Marketplace and the website, what's next?
Kasra Dash: If I was a mortgage broker trying to grow, the first step is finding a quality lead generation company. I'm biased because I own FatRank, and FatRank offers no-risk supply of enquiries where you only pay on conversions. I'd start there because there's zero risk. Then I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. I'd go to FatRank, say what enquiries you specialise in, like remortgages or first-time buyers, then take those leads. But I’d also go to one or two others like Bark or similar platforms. That gets you leads today that you can convert into profit. Then after that you can start thinking long-term with your website and SEO.
James Dooley: For anyone who doesn’t know SEO or the importance of content and backlinks, can you expand?
Kasra Dash: If you go down the Bark strategy, one thing we see often is poor KPIs. If you get a lead at 2pm but you follow up the next day, that lead is probably already gone to another broker. Same with leads you're buying late. You must be fast.
For SEO, ranking number one is vital. If you're ranking position five for “mortgage broker near me”, the people clicking you are usually price-shoppers who didn’t like competitors. You get the worst type of leads. So aim for position one.
SEO simplified. For every service you provide, create a dedicated optimised page. Commercial mortgages, residential mortgages, first-time buyers. Optimise for your local area. Make sure the site is technically sound. Then build links. Links are mentions from other websites.
James Dooley: There are other advertising strategies like TV, radio, magazines, but you can't track KPIs. You can't see return on investment. On Facebook ads or Google PPC you can, although PPC is expensive. Another thing is Bark sells the same lead to four or five brokers. They're not exclusive. You want real-time, exclusive leads. Those convert best.
SEO is long-term. But it builds your brand. If someone searches “Kasra Mortgages”, how good do you look online? Many brokers have a lovely high-street shop but online they look worse than smaller competitors. So build reviews and testimonials. An unoptimised website is like a shop down a back alley no one walks past.
Kasra Dash: Growing your business also means expanding beyond just new leads. Use a CRM. If I sign you up to a 4-year mortgage, set a reminder to contact me at 3.5 years. That's a brilliant way to generate repeat business. Many brokers have 10 years of clients but aren't reactivating that list. It's not always about new. It's about maximising previous clients.
James Dooley: Two big points. Average transaction value and lifetime value. Can you increase income by offering insurance, income protection, life cover? Can you refer them to a conveyancer and get leads or commissions? That increases your ATV per customer. And nurturing them before their fixed rate ends increases lifetime value. You've now done their mortgage and their remortgage. That grows the business massively.
Kasra Dash: And once you increase ATV, you can spend more on acquiring customers. If a big broker can spend £600 per converted lead, but you without upsells can only spend £200, you’ll lose. Backend systems matter. Before doing anything, hire a fractional CMO or a consultant for an hour. They can assess where you're wasting time and money. A 30-minute call can transform everything. Stop spending on things with no guaranteed ROI. Start investing in things that bring results or long-term growth like SEO.
James Dooley: Anything else to add?
Kasra Dash: Just leave a comment and let us know how you're growing your mortgage broker business. If you want more advice, contact myself at mekra dash.com or James at mejames.com. Our links will be in the description. I strongly recommend booking a 30-minute consultation call to see what would work best for your mortgage broker company.
Kasra Dash: As a mortgage broker looking to grow your business, the first thing is choosing the right branding and the right niche. Then choosing the right domain name and getting a website built is where I would start. Once you choose your branding, secure the social media accounts too. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. Anywhere your clients could be.
James Dooley: One thing to add to that is SEO takes time to rank, especially in finance. So a few quick wins, especially if you're just setting up, would be daily posting on LinkedIn. You might get commercial mortgages from that, which pay more for the broker. You can also set up ads on Facebook Marketplace. I call them ads but they're free to set up. Then when someone searches on Marketplace, they can see that James does mortgages and enquire. Those are things you can launch right now. But let's say you've done Marketplace and the website, what's next?
Kasra Dash: If I was a mortgage broker trying to grow, the first step is finding a quality lead generation company. I'm biased because I own FatRank, and FatRank offers no-risk supply of enquiries where you only pay on conversions. I'd start there because there's zero risk. Then I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. I'd go to FatRank, say what enquiries you specialise in, like remortgages or first-time buyers, then take those leads. But I’d also go to one or two others like Bark or similar platforms. That gets you leads today that you can convert into profit. Then after that you can start thinking long-term with your website and SEO.
James Dooley: For anyone who doesn’t know SEO or the importance of content and backlinks, can you expand?
Kasra Dash: If you go down the Bark strategy, one thing we see often is poor KPIs. If you get a lead at 2pm but you follow up the next day, that lead is probably already gone to another broker. Same with leads you're buying late. You must be fast.
For SEO, ranking number one is vital. If you're ranking position five for “mortgage broker near me”, the people clicking you are usually price-shoppers who didn’t like competitors. You get the worst type of leads. So aim for position one.
SEO simplified. For every service you provide, create a dedicated optimised page. Commercial mortgages, residential mortgages, first-time buyers. Optimise for your local area. Make sure the site is technically sound. Then build links. Links are mentions from other websites.
James Dooley: There are other advertising strategies like TV, radio, magazines, but you can't track KPIs. You can't see return on investment. On Facebook ads or Google PPC you can, although PPC is expensive. Another thing is Bark sells the same lead to four or five brokers. They're not exclusive. You want real-time, exclusive leads. Those convert best.
SEO is long-term. But it builds your brand. If someone searches “Kasra Mortgages”, how good do you look online? Many brokers have a lovely high-street shop but online they look worse than smaller competitors. So build reviews and testimonials. An unoptimised website is like a shop down a back alley no one walks past.
Kasra Dash: Growing your business also means expanding beyond just new leads. Use a CRM. If I sign you up to a 4-year mortgage, set a reminder to contact me at 3.5 years. That's a brilliant way to generate repeat business. Many brokers have 10 years of clients but aren't reactivating that list. It's not always about new. It's about maximising previous clients.
James Dooley: Two big points. Average transaction value and lifetime value. Can you increase income by offering insurance, income protection, life cover? Can you refer them to a conveyancer and get leads or commissions? That increases your ATV per customer. And nurturing them before their fixed rate ends increases lifetime value. You've now done their mortgage and their remortgage. That grows the business massively.
Kasra Dash: And once you increase ATV, you can spend more on acquiring customers. If a big broker can spend £600 per converted lead, but you without upsells can only spend £200, you’ll lose. Backend systems matter. Before doing anything, hire a fractional CMO or a consultant for an hour. They can assess where you're wasting time and money. A 30-minute call can transform everything. Stop spending on things with no guaranteed ROI. Start investing in things that bring results or long-term growth like SEO.
James Dooley: Anything else to add?
Kasra Dash: Just leave a comment and let us know how you're growing your mortgage broker business. If you want more advice, contact myself at mekra dash.com or James at mejames.com. Our links will be in the description. I strongly recommend booking a 30-minute consultation call to see what would work best for your mortgage broker company.
