Making moves together: meet the Sunshine Coast's broking power couple

Gordon MacVicar and Larissa Barton decided to swap Sydney for the Sunshine Coast 10 years ago. Together, the duo opened up several Mortgage Choice franchises offices. Today, the brokers run Noosaville and Coolum Beach, and have been honored with multiple awards. 

"The husband-and-wife setup works too," MacVicar told Australian Broker. "If I'm flat out, Larissa covers it. If she's flat out, I cover it." 

For Australian Broker's latest Spotlight Series — where we highlight standout professionals in Australia's finance and mortgage industries — we caught up with MacVicar to hear more about the power couple's journey, the secrets to their success and how they navigate Australia’s loan market as interest rate shifts and global economic uncertainty continues to ripple through the industry.

The following interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.

AB: Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How did you become a broker?

GM: I spent nineteen years in the electrical industry, starting as an electrician before moving into sales and sales management. Larissa came from a financial services background, working for a mortgage firm before starting her own Mortgage Choice franchise in Sydney. We both got into property investing in our mid-twenties and always wanted to build something together. When a business came up on the Sunshine Coast we knew it was a good opportunity. The timing wasn't perfect; our son was due within days. But we jumped in. Best decision we've ever made.

AB: What made you decide to become a franchise owner? 

GM: The Mortgage Choice brand gave us credibility to build on quickly. The platforms, compliance frameworks and systems take a real burden off the business. It frees us up to do what we're actually good at: broking and looking after clients. Every lead we have is self-generated, same as any well-run business. The franchise works alongside everything we've built, and we wouldn't change it.

AB: What is the secret to your success? Why do you think you've been successful as a broker? And what can competitors learn from you?

GM: In the early years it was hustle: wrapped cars [with advertisements], social media two or three times a day, grinding to get in front of people. But it's one thing to hustle and another to back it up. We always put team structure and infrastructure above margin in those early years, built the right support around us before the volume justified it. We've been consistent in that approach ever since.

After 10 years, that compounds. Ten years of good client outcomes means 10 years of referrals, from clients, real estate agents, accountants and solicitors. We sponsor our son's rugby team and our kids' school. People know who we are in this community. We've moved from chasing every lead to running a referral-based business. People come to us because someone sent them, or they've researched us and approached us directly. Outcomes and communication are what set us apart.

The husband-and-wife setup works too. No competing egos. If I'm flat out, Larissa covers it. If she's flat out, I cover it. Clients and agents notice that consistency over time. We own both our office premises and have invested heavily in the fit-outs. When clients walk in it's clear that we invest in our business.

For other brokers, I would tell them, find your own model and know what size and scale of business works for you. Tell people the outcomes you get. We all have access to the same products. Outcomes and communication are what set you apart. If you're leasing your premises, look at buying it. Even if things get tough, the business is paying down an asset. And don't lose sight of the impact you're having. I'm doing an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) debt consolidation this month for a single mum running a retail business. She gets to keep her house. That's real. Focus on that.

AB: What are your thoughts on Australia's loan and property markets as we start 2026? Are you seeing more activity, or less than a year ago?

GM: People with money are making strategic moves. Properties at the higher end that might have been half a million cheaper a few years ago keep climbing and buyers are acting on it. The conversations at that level aren't about rates. They're about seven-day finance clauses and being ready to move. That's very different to when rates were rising and buyers were pulling out of contracts.nThe people who were sitting on the fence waiting for rates to move have got off it. We're busy. The phone is ringing and the conversations are serious.

AB: With recent rate hikes, inflationary pressures and continued global uncertainty, how do you navigate these volatile times? What advice do you have for clients and would-be homeowners? And how do you help brokers prepare for this?

GM: Show them data. Remove the media noise. Show clients housing approvals, immigration numbers, asking prices in their suburb over ten years. All the data points the same direction: not enough supply, too many people moving here. That gives people something rational to act on.

And to be honest, don't tell people what they want to hear. Don't push clients into borrowing beyond what they can genuinely service. We have to sleep at night, and so do they.

For brokers, the same principle applies. Know your lenders, know your clients and move fast. The brokers who thrive in volatile markets are the ones who communicate clearly and don't disappear when things get complicated.