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Beyondblue has called for the industry to have a discussion about mental health, with a majority of brokers saying they feel highly stressed.
According to a recent poll on The Adviser, 53 per cent of respondents said they were under a lot of stress in their job.
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Another 29 per cent said they were under a moderate amount of stress, while 17 per cent said they experienced only a little stress.
Beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett said brokers can put a lot of pressure on themselves to chase work and complete deals, especially those who desperately need the commission.
“There needs to be a conscious understanding that mortgage brokers should pursue mentally healthy workplaces,” he told The Adviser.
“For goodness sake, understand your role is more than just selling a good product. It’s about earning the trust of your client and giving them a reason to be happy with that relationship.”
Mr Kennett said diet and exercise were an important part of mental health – and warned brokers could cost themselves business if they didn’t keep themselves fit.
“If a client works into a mortgage broker and the mortgage broker is overweight and down in the dumps, that doesn’t inspire confidence in the relationship,” he said.
Mortgage Choice chief executive Michael Russell said the group had recently surveyed its veteran brokers to discover how they had managed stress during their careers.
Their tips included staying healthy, exercising regularly and committing to spending time with family and friends, he told The Adviser in a video interview.
“It’s being quite disciplined in terms of the management of your day to allow time to do things that you enjoy to alleviate stress,” he said.
Finances For You director Dave Kerr said his stress levels ebb and flow according to his workload.
“I work by myself, and when I’m busy I’m busy. You can get a fair amount of pressure from clients and solicitors, and usually when it happens, it happens all at one time,” he said.
“But usually once all the work has been achieved, the stress levels die down a little bit.”
Mr Kerr said he manages stress by playing sport and unwinding with some quiet personal time.
[Related: Mental health impacts productivity, says Beyondblue]
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