In this week’s episode of The Aussie Expat, Tim Raes takes the mic to share the full story behind Aussie Expat Home Loans—from his days as a music student in Brisbane to building a specialist brokerage that serves Australians around the world.

🎵 A Musical Beginning
Tim's story doesn't start in finance. It starts with a clarinet, hours of auditions, and a place at the Queensland Conservatorium. But burnout struck early, and a career pivot began with a job as a bank teller at NAB’s Capalaba branch.

🏦 Climbing the Banking Ladder
From teller to private banker, Tim worked across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth, cutting his teeth through the GFC and mining booms, dealing with everyone from first-home buyers to ultra-high net worth families. But despite a successful career, something was missing.

✈️ The Singapore Leap
In 2015, Tim moved to Singapore. After a rough start—rescinded job offers, visa uncertainty, and job market disillusionment—a retrenchment package gave him the push to start something of his own.

💼 Founding Aussie Expat Home Loans
With nothing more than a name and an idea, Tim set up AEXPHL. It was just him, his laptop, and a belief that expats deserved better home loan advice. The first year was tough—long cycles, manual paperwork, endless coffee meetings—but the service-first model struck a chord.

🚀 Covid, Community & Scale
COVID turned out to be a surprising growth accelerator. While many feared a property crash, enquiries skyrocketed. By 2021, AEXPHL had grown into a team, with offices in Hong Kong and Melbourne soon following.

🏡 Why It Works
For Tim, it's not just about loans—it’s about trust, experience, and making the home buying process feel achievable (and even enjoyable) for Aussies abroad. Fixed vs variable? He's got you. Long-term planning? Covered. Nervous first-time buyer? Held your hand, start to finish.

🎙 Final Words of Advice
Tim's takeaway? "Bet on yourself. You’ll never feel fully ready, but saying yes to the unknown can take you further than any well-laid plan.”

Listen to the full episode to hear the rest—including his favourite travel spot, his return to the stage with the clarinet, and how leadership forced him to grow in unexpected ways.

👉 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

YouTube
Spotify

And if there’s a topic you want us to cover, or a story you want to share, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.

Here’s to making expat life not just easier, but better.