We listen, we care
Darin Hindmarsh
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Since June 2000
From One Chapter to the Next
Darin began his own finance advisory business in June 2000 and founded Intellichoice in January 2003. His career has spanned mortgage broking, commercial and specialist lending, property advisory and, for several years, financial planning and succession strategy.
What ties it all together is change. People come to Intellichoice when they’re moving from one stage of life to another, and they need their finance, their property and their longer-term plans to line up.
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Life’s transitions
Where We Can Help
Most people come to us because something is changing. These are the transitions we help with most often.
- Building your own home: from paying a builder’s margin to managing the build yourself, with Owner Builder finance and advice
- Adding a home on your land: a granny flat, prefab or manufactured home, funded in a way that suits how these homes are paid for
- Moving into retirement: from a mortgage while you’re working to options such as a reverse mortgage, with the trade-offs explained clearly and independent advice where it’s needed
- After a separation: from shared property to rebuilding your own position, with home loans that make the move as smooth as possible and legal referrals where needed
- Buying, selling or investing: finance for your next property move, with the bigger picture in mind
- Growing or reshaping a business: commercial, private and business funding
- Planning what comes next for your family: lending that fits your longer-term plans, with introductions to qualified financial advisers and legal professionals
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Beyond lending
Finance, Experience and Specialist Connections
Darin’s professional background extends beyond mortgage lending. He previously operated Intellichoice Financial Planning, with experience in estate and succession planning, particularly for Queensland farming families.
Today, Intellichoice Finance focuses on lending and credit assistance, drawing on that broader experience to recognise when a client’s circumstances may require additional professional expertise.
Through established referral relationships, clients can be introduced to appropriately qualified financial advisers and legal professionals where their needs extend beyond lending. This approach is particularly valuable when considering reverse mortgages, retirement, property transitions, complex construction projects and changing family circumstances.
The relevant professionals provide their advice independently, under their own authorisations.
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“Throughout my career I have learned that finance is rarely about numbers alone. Behind every transaction is a family, business owner or investor seeking to achieve meaningful long-term objectives.”
I believe great finance advice starts with understanding the person before understanding the loan.
Darin Hindmarsh
Founder & CEO, Intellichoice
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A specialty we’re known for
Owner Builder Finance, Done Properly
Owner Builder lending is one of the areas Intellichoice is best known for, and one of the most detailed. These projects live or die on:
- realistic budgets and contingencies
- lender conditions and valuations
- quantity-surveyor reports
- staged progress payments
Darin has also spent around 15 years working through the funding of kit, prefabricated and manufactured homes, where payments often fall due before anything reaches the site.
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What clients told us
Listened To, and Kept in the Loop
Change is rarely tidy. Clients may already have heard “no”, received conflicting information or struggled to see the next step. They need people who will listen, look properly at what may be possible, and explain the options and their limits in plain language, without promising an outcome nobody can control.
When Intellichoice interviewed its clients some years ago, they kept coming back to the same things: being listened to, clear explanations, reliable communication and trust. It’s why the whole team still lives by four words.
We Listen. We Care.
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2000 to today
The Road So Far
More than 25 years across lending, property and financial planning.
- June 2000: Established an independent finance advisory business.
- January 2003: Founded Intellichoice.
- 2004 to 2013: Built multi-state property advisory and investment networks, working with major Australian developers.
- 2006 to 2013: Operated Intellichoice Financial Planning, focused on estate and succession planning.
- 2020: Finalist, Pepper Money Broker of the Year (Specialist Lending), Australian Mortgage Awards.
- Today: Founder & CEO, leading a team focused on lending and credit assistance through life’s changes, with referral relationships for advice beyond lending.
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What to expect
Darin’s Standards, Shared by the Team
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We listen first
Before any talk of loans, we want to understand what’s changing and what you want to achieve.
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We look at the whole picture
Finance, property and your longer-term plans, considered together, with other specialists brought in where needed.
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We explain clearly
You’ll hear your options, their limits and the next steps in plain language, with regular updates along the way.
Whoever you deal with at Intellichoice, you can expect the same three things.
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Knowledge, shared
Practical Guides From Our Team
Home Loan for Owner Builders
What’s involved, what lenders look for, and whether it’s the right path for your build.
What is Reverse Mortgage? Is it Ideal for You?
How a reverse mortgage works in retirement, and the trade-offs to weigh before you decide.
More than 25 years of Darin’s experience goes into the guides the Intellichoice team writes for clients. These are good places to start.
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Licensed and accountable
Credentials You Can Check
Every one of these can be looked up on a public register.
- Intellichoice Pty Ltd, ABN 63 106 661 269
- Australian Credit Licence 390190 (issued 22 December 2010)
- Member, Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA), no. 408762
- Member, Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), no. 41753
- Finalist, Pepper Money Broker of the Year (Specialist Lending), Australian Mortgage Awards 2020