Finance marketing
How people choose
a mortgage broker.
Most Australians buying a home now expect to use a broker: in a YouGov survey for the MFAA, published in October 2026, 77% of prospective buyers said they were likely to use one, and 58% said they trust brokers, against 48% for their bank. So the question isn't broker or bank. It's which broker, and that's decided by what a borrower can check before they call, and how the first conversation goes.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.Who uses
a broker.
The same MFAA survey found the share was higher again for first home buyers (86%) and investors (84%). MFAA's 2025 value of broking report adds that 45% of brokers' owner-occupier clients are first home buyers, against about 25% of the market, and one in four broker loans is regional.
That shapes the marketing. A first home buyer has a lot to learn and a lot to lose. Content that explains the process plainly does more than any rate headline.
Where clients
come from.
Brokers report that repeat clients (44%) and referrals (28%) are their main sources of business. That's brokers' own account, not a survey of borrowers, but it points the same way as most service businesses: people ask someone they trust.
Referrals still get checked. A friend's recommendation gets a broker onto the list. What the borrower finds when they search the name decides whether they call.
What they check
before calling.
MFAA's Find a Broker campaign gives a sense of how people look: 75,900 visits, 232,000 profile views and 54,000 contact reveals. MFAA says a complete profile can make the difference between being considered and being chosen.
The checks are simple: a profile that says who you help, reviews, a licence or credit representative number that matches the ASIC register, and a clear explanation of how you're paid.
Shortlist check
Would a careful borrower
shortlist you?
Tick what a borrower can check about you today, without ringing. The gaps show where you could be dropped from the shortlist before the first call.
Checkable
0 / 8
Fix first
What ASIC
found.
In October 2026, ASIC's review of eight large broker groups found that seven of them reported their brokers didn't recommend the cheapest loan in more than 20% of cases, and some files lacked clear evidence for why the higher-cost option was chosen.
That's not a marketing rule, but it's a reason to be careful with marketing claims. If the website says 'we find you the best rate', the file needs to back it up. 'We compare loans from [number] lenders and explain why we recommend one' is easier to stand behind.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
A rate on the home page and nothing else
A headline rate, a form, and no sign of who the borrower will deal with.
- 2
Association profile half filled in
No photo, no specialties, no areas: easy to scroll past.
- 3
How you are paid, never mentioned
Commissions are normal and legal. Not explaining them leaves the borrower to guess.
- 4
Slow replies to web enquiries
A form answered the next day, by which time the borrower has spoken to another broker.
The honest bit. No website wins a client who's had a bad first call. Marketing gets you the conversation. The conversation gets you the client.
Questions
people ask.
Do most Australians use a mortgage broker?
Most expect to. In a YouGov survey for the MFAA, published in October 2026, 77% of prospective buyers said they were likely to use a broker for their next loan.
Do people trust mortgage brokers more than banks?
In the same survey, 58% said they trust a broker, against 48% for their bank or lender.
Where do mortgage brokers get most of their clients?
Brokers report repeat clients (44%) and referrals (28%) as their main sources of business.
How can a broker get more clients online?
Make yourself easy to check: a complete association profile, reviews, your licence details matching the ASIC register, and a clear explanation of how you're paid. Then reply fast.
Related
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going.
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- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
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