How Matt Bees Built a $1B Brokerage in 6 Years
Sam Panetta sits down with Matt Bees, founder of Evoke Capital, to unpack the systems, mindset, and relentless execution behind building a billion-dollar brokerage in just six years.
In six years Matt Bees went from leaving a banking career to building a brokerage that has now settled over $1 billion in loans. The journey wasn’t smooth — it began right before COVID — but through systems, relentless follow-up, and hiring the right people, Evoke Capital became a high-performance brokerage machine.
1) The billion-dollar milestone started with a boring foundation
Matt attributes the foundation of Evoke Capital’s growth to one thing: systems and process. His background at Westpac taught him that scalable businesses rely on structured workflows, repeatable processes, and clear SOPs across every part of the operation.
- Systems create scale. Without them, growth becomes chaos.
- Refinement never stops. Even mature processes evolve constantly.
2) Starting during COVID forced extreme resilience
Matt launched Evoke Capital in January 2020 — weeks before COVID shut down economies. At one point he went from three income sources to zero, burning through savings just to survive.
- Pressure builds performance. When there’s no plan B, you execute harder.
- Early hardship builds long-term resilience.
3) Momentum drives massive months
Matt once wrote $67 million in a single month — not because of one giant deal, but because momentum was already in motion.
- Consistent business development fuels pipeline momentum.
- Follow-ups compound. Deals sitting idle often just need another call.
4) The four categories Matt uses to plan his life
To stay balanced while scaling a brokerage, Matt plans his goals around four areas each year.
- Health: physical and mental wellbeing.
- Wealth: building personal financial freedom.
- Growth: personal and professional development.
- Business: company goals and performance.
5) Routine creates high performance
Matt starts most mornings at 5:00 AM with training and time at the beach before work. That routine sets the tone mentally and physically for the day ahead.
- Do the hard things early.
- Routine creates discipline.
6) The Evoke niche: business owners and property investors
Rather than chasing every deal type, Matt focuses on a clear client avatar — business owners who are also property investors.
- One niche, many solutions. Resi, commercial, and asset finance serve the same client.
- Specialisation builds authority.
7) The first big deal always changes perspective
One early refinance — around $6 million — was a turning point for Matt. It showed the true earning potential of broking and reinforced his belief in the business.
- Early wins feel life-changing.
- Momentum grows once belief grows.
8) Hiring the right team changes everything
Evoke Capital now operates with a team of around 15 people including offshore staff. Matt believes hiring earlier would have accelerated growth even further.
- Hire on attitude, not just skill.
- Offshore teams create scale.
- Training systems allow faster onboarding.
9) Follow-ups are the most underrated growth lever
Even at $35M+ per month in settlements, Matt still blocks time every day for outreach and follow-ups.
- Most deals don’t die — they stall.
- Follow-up converts pipeline into settlements.
10) The future of broking: bigger teams and stronger brands
Matt believes the future of mortgage broking will move toward larger brokerages, stronger brands, and more advisory-style relationships with clients.
- Advice will be the core differentiator.
- AI will assist — but relationships will still win.
The core lesson from Matt’s journey
Build strong systems, commit to relentless follow-up, and surround yourself with great people. Do that consistently for long enough and momentum compounds into extraordinary results.
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