Mortgage Brokers Australia

About mortgage brokers in Australia

27 September, 2023
Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief, Canstar  || Fact Checked

A mortgage broker can assist you in the process of applying for a home loan, so how do you find a good one, and what do you need to know?

What is a mortgage broker and should you use one?

Mortgage brokers write more than half of all home loans in Australia, making it a multi-billion dollar industry. The Australian Mortgage Report 2020 from Deloitte suggests that mortgage brokers are most influential for millennials, which the report says is “a demographic likely to be taking out their first home loan”.

But what exactly do they do that a home buyer can’t do themselves through online research?

What is a mortgage broker?

A mortgage broker is a type of financial professional who specialises in helping their clients to find a home loan. Their job is to gather information about the needs of their clients and to suggest lenders and products that match those needs. Once they have helped their client to select a home loan, a mortgage broker may also assist the home buyer with the application process.

What are some pros and cons of using a mortgage broker?

As a go-between for borrowers and lenders, mortgage brokers can play a useful role if you aren’t confident in your understanding of finance or the home-buying process. They may also offer a helpful service to borrowers with more complicated financial situations, such as someone who is self-employed or who works as a contractor and whose loan application may be more complex as a result.

It’s important to carefully consider the pros and cons before booking an appointment with a mortgage broker, and to check that the broker you choose has the qualifications and experience necessary to provide you with quality advice and support.

What are the pros of using a mortgage broker?

• A broker may be able to explain the financial aspects of buying a home to people who aren’t confident in navigating this process for themselves.
• A broker can suggest a range of products based on your situation, enabling you to compare several options, rather than simply going with a provider you already bank with, for example.
• If you don’t have the time to research home loan options yourself, a mortgage broker could do some of that work for you.
• Mortgage brokers are often free to use for borrowers, and instead make money by charging a commission to lenders.

What are the cons of using a mortgage broker?

• Mortgage brokers typically act on behalf of a limited selection of lenders with whom they have a commercial arrangement. This means you may not get a full picture of the products available to you, some of which may represent better value.
• Educational qualifications and industry experience can differ between brokers, and so too can the panel of lenders they deal with. It’s important to research your broker before agreeing to use their services.
• Using a mortgage broker may still be more time consuming for borrowers than researching options online, or dealing directly with a lender.

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What questions should you ask a mortgage broker?

1. Are they licensed? According to Moneysmart, you should check that your broker is licensed to give you credit advice. You could ask your broker to give you details about the licenses they hold, or do an online check. Industry bodies representing mortgage brokers, such as the Finance Brokers Association of Australia Limited (FBAA) and the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) may be able to assist you with finding an accredited broker.

Licensed mortgage brokers are regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which issues and enforces rules on how brokers operate. For example, new regulations that came into effect on 1 January 2021 require mortgage brokers to act in the best interest of the consumer if a conflict arises between the needs of the consumer and the lenders a broker works with. Mortgage brokers are also now required to reduce the potential for conflicts of interest to impact the advice they give to their clients.

2. How many lenders do they deal with? Generally speaking, the more options a broker can offer you, the better. There may be little advantage to using a mortgage broker that recommends products from only two or three lenders. It could also be worth asking whether they have a bias towards any particular lender and if so, why.

3. What are their fees and commissions? Consider enquiring about how much the mortgage broker will be paid by the financial institution for referring your business to them. Do some lenders pay them more than others if they secure a sale, for example? It could also be worth checking how their commission will be structured. For example, will it be an upfront commission or one that is paid to them on a recurring basis for as long as you have the loan?

4. What will the borrowing costs be? While you may not be required to pay a fee to your broker, it’s important to understand the various costs you may incur when you take out a loan such as a loan application fee, a property valuation fee and lenders mortgage insurance (if applicable). These fees are applicable in addition to the interest charges that will apply to the loan. A mortgage broker should be able to explain how these costs will differ based on the various options they suggest to you.

List of mortgage brokers in Australia

According to the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA), the following is a list of its members who are ‘mortgage aggregators’, which are the larger brokers who act as an intermediary between lenders and individual finance brokers. For example, some of these are franchise groups made of up of individual brokers who collectively operate under a single umbrella brand. Well known examples of these are Aussie, Mortgage Choice and Smartline.