A change of scenery at Mortgage Link

Mortgage Link's new owners Rod and Moira Hart with former owner Dorothy Barns (right) who is staying on to work with them

"A change of scenery but not a new business": that's the word from two new faces and one well-known face at Whanganui's Mortgage Link.

Dorothy Barns, who has owned the business for six-and-a-half years, recently sold Mortgage Link to Moira and Rod Hart but is staying on indefinitely as a mortgage broker.

The Harts moved to Whanganui from Christchurch three years ago with the intention of eventually retiring here.

"We came for a trip up to Whanganui to have a look as we wanted to move to the North Island and within three months we had sold in Christchurch and moved," Mrs Hart said.

"Everything just fell into place. We love Whanganui, it's a very pretty town and we love the parks and green spaces.

"Rod is keen on hunting and fishing and it's fantastic for recreation."

They enjoy living on a lifestyle block overlooking the city with their two dogs and "flock" of five sheep. But the dogs are feeling a little neglected now that the Harts are busy getting settled into the new business.

Mrs Hart is working alongside Mrs Barns as a mortgage adviser. Her background includes 20 years in insurance and financial services, from investments to big insurance companies and, more recently, banks in Whanganui.

"Getting people into homes when they don't think they can buy a house is great," Mrs Hart said.

"Sometimes they feel intimidated going into a bank but here we can provide them with choices and they can be relaxed. We sit down and talk about what they want and any ideas they have. It changes people's lives being able to get a mortgage and get into a home."

Mr Hart, who is a registered financial adviser and has a New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services, transferred his insurance business from Christchurch. He has been an insurance adviser for 13 years with a large farming client base as well as small to medium business clients. He is now also heading the local Insurance Link franchise associated with Mortgage Link, dealing with "mum and dad" clients as a personal insurer.

"With insurance you save people's bacon and you really get to know them as you work through the claim with them," Mr Hart said.

"The benefit of having Insurance Link alongside Mortgage Link is that we can not only get people into a house but keep them in a house if something goes wrong. When people go to an insurance broker they are getting the benefit of their knowledge, not just one product from a particular company. I really get a kick out of helping people."

Mrs Hart says the business helps people with solutions, not just products.

"You can buy a product anywhere but offering solutions is a skill. We can provide tailor-made solutions for both mortgages and insurance. We are looking after everything people have, from themselves [through personal insurance] to their biggest asset."

Mortgage Link is busy enough to need two brokers and Mrs Barns is enjoying showing the new owners the ropes.

"I'm happy to be teaching Moira and Rod everything about the business and I'm also looking forward to having a bit more time out," Mrs Barns said.

"This business is all about giving customer service. Our clients hear about us by word of mouth and we often get referrals from existing clients and lawyers."

The Harts plan to expand the business in the next two or three years, while continuing to work with Mrs Barns' "extremely loyal" client base.