Winter chills down in Melbourne didn't stop more than 800 members of Australia's mortgage broking community from packing the city's convention centre Wednesday morning to kick off the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia's (MFAA) 2025 National Conference and Excellence Awards.
"Melbourne has put on some nice chilly weather for us," MFAA Chief Executive Officer Anja Pannek told the crowd of brokers, lenders, BDMs and aggregators, as they warmed up with fresh coffee. "So it's wonderful to see so many of you here."
The conference, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, began on a high note as MC Yvonne Adele took the stage, followed by a stirring traditional Aboriginal folk song and key MFAA updates from Pannek, including new broker qualifications and insights into the future direction of the industry.
This year’s event — themed "The YOU Difference" — zeroes in on empowering brokers with “the insights, the inspiration and the skills to succeed regardless of where you are in your broking career,” Pannek said.
"As we stand here today, mortgage and finance brokers have never been more vital to the decisions that Australians need to make every single day — if that's buying a home or getting access to credit for their business," Pannek said. "That's why we believe now it's more important than ever, as a broker, to stand out, to really differentiate yourself. And that's what this year's conference is all about.
"So in 2025, we're focused, at this conference, on what makes a broker exceptional, and that's you," she continued. "It's your unique skills; it's your unique knowledge and approach. How you engage with your clients; how you gain and build trust and deliver great outcomes."
Among the updates, Pannek discussed new broker qualifications from the MFAA: the Mortgage Finance Professional Australia (MFPA) designation.
The new designation marks a series of firsts: Australia's first professional designation for mortgage brokers, and the nation's first university-level mortgage broker qualification.
"When we think about a professional, who comes to mind?" Pannek said. "An accountant? A lawyer? A doctor? Through delivering the MFPA and the foundational work we've been doing over the last five years, we are delivering the framework for you, as a broker, to be clearly recognized as a professional within this cohort.
"By achieving the designation, which is voluntary, you are highlighting to consumers your commitment to ethical standards, to extensive experience, to ongoing ongoing education and a commitment to examination of those standards as well," she added.
The new designation was developed in partnership with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Online (RMIT Online) and is offered exclusively to experienced MFAA mortgage brokers. Brokers who complete the RMIT Online Mortgage Finance Professional (MFP) Program and demonstrate excellence across ethics, education, conduct and customer engagement will earn the MFPA designation.
As brokers continue to gain ground in Australia’s lending market, Pannek offered a forward-looking take on where the industry is headed.
"What's going to drive the growth and future success of this industry?" Pannek said. "In our mind, it's actually the same three things that have driven the growth and success of this industry to date, and that's customer centricity, its resilience and its adaptability."
The CEO emphasized that even in an age of rapid technological change, borrowers still value human connection when it comes to life’s biggest financial decisions.
"More people than ever are seeking out that very personal interaction that only you can provide as a broker," Pannek said.
"And despite the rate of change in technology. … Do you know what's the same and hasn't changed?" she continued. "The fact that we are all inherently human. We're people, and as a result of that, we have, as people, a deep need for connection and for belonging. It's part of our DNA. This influences our behavior; it influences our decision making. And that is not going to go away. Because we're all still going to be people. And as a result of being people, we deeply value human interaction, in particular human interaction when it comes to making those really, really big decisions. And when big decisions are made, they're made in professional environments and professional services industries, just like broking. Because people need that personal interaction. They need trust in a process. And that's in a way that computers, technology, can never do. People want a really hyper personalized experience now, and they're going to want it even more into the future, where there is greater technology and almost a homogenization of service."
In the years ahead, the nation's broker community is set to play an increasingly important role in the lending landscape. Pannek pointed to Australia’s projected population growth — expected to reach 30 million by 2030 — and the increasing demand for credit among both individuals and businesses.
"Another big part of being Australian is home ownership and a desire for home ownership," the executive said.
She added: "We don't see a future where the government and regulators will in any way not stress the importance of consumer protections. We see a future where you'll be further integrating technology in a way that you want, at the pace that you want to be able to deal with your clients, to improve your business and to be able to deal with digitally savvy clients, as well. And what we also see is a future where you'll be providing a broader range of products and services to your clients, and importantly, adding further revenue streams into your business."
