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The top performers of the broking industry have been named at the 14th annual Australian Broking Awards, run with support from principal partner NAB.
The leading lights of the Australian mortgage and finance broking industry have been honoured at The Adviser’s annual national broking awards program, the Australian Broking Awards.
Held as a cocktail luncheon on Friday (30 August) at The Star in Sydney, over 700 members of the broking industry attended the ceremony to celebrate the achievements of their colleagues and network with industry leaders.
They were treated to an afternoon of laughter and entertainment by Australian stand-up comedian and emcee Gary Eck.
At the awards, 30 leading lights of the broking industry were chosen as winners for 12 individual and 17 group submissions-based awards from a poll of over 250 finalists.
Among the winners were brokers and brokerages, aggregators, loan administrators, and the rising stars of tomorrow. Companies were also rewarded for their innovative marketing and CRM platforms.
Top brokers take centre stage
Bold Commercial Finance managing director Jason Gibson was celebrated for his success winning both the Asset Finance Broker of the Year award and the coveted Broker of the Year award (given to the highest-scoring individual winner of the top broker categories).
The judges heaped praise on Gibson for generating large volumes of business and servicing clients to rave reviews with his small team. A key to his success was focusing on repeat business from clients and strong referral partnerships.
The Residential Broker of the Year award went to Azura Financial director Tom Hawley for his exceptional results, emphasis on customer service, and in recognition of his effective systems and processes.
Bernard Desmond, mortgage broker at Blank Financial, won the Customer Service of the Year – Individual award for achieving strong but sustainable growth anchored in customer service.
MC Finance Group managing director Matthew Chik walked away with the Commercial Broker of the Year award for enhancing customer options through his extensive commercial lending partnerships and strong settlement volumes.
Jacob Morris, the senior commercial finance broker at Valiant Finance, received the Finance Broker of the Year award for his success in his specialisation of medico finance and strong client testimonials.
Regional broking was also in focus at the awards, with judges naming Go Mortgage owner and principal mortgage and finance broker Xavier Quenon the Regional Broker of the Year.
Newcomers and rising stars were recognised for a strong start to their careers.
Lendi broker Christopher Moore was named New Broker of the Year for demonstrating efficiency by settling $100 million in loans within just 21 months.
Meanwhile, finance broker Michael Mankin (director of Mankin Finance and formerly of It’s Simple Finance) won the Rising Star award.
Those working behind the scenes were also championed at the Australian Broking Awards.
Loan administrators were championed for consistently supporting brokers, with Mortgage Choice Williamstown loan associate Jess Watson named Loan Administrator of the Year for helping make the office run smoothly and supporting the broker team in settling deals quickly and efficiently.
Industry leaders, customer service rewarded
Members of the broking industry were acknowledged for giving back to their sector.
outsource Financial CEO Tanya Sale was named Industry Thought Leader of the Year for her policy engagement with the industry, her work supporting women in broking, and being a “truly inspiring leader” who is respected and honoured by many.
Broker Essentials founder and director Jason Back was this year’s Mentor of the Year. He was honoured for having genuine consideration for those entering broking and helping brokers grow their businesses.
The Wellness Advocate of the Year award went to MTA Mortgage Brokers’ founder and mortgage broker Kerry Kalendra for his work bringing together members of the industry to discuss and support mental health.
Brokerages, aggregators win group awards
Several brokerages picked up trophies at this year’s awards.
Managing director Ben Kingsley’s Empower Wealth Mortgage Advisory was a double winner, picking up the Major Independent Brokerage of the Year and the Customer Service of the Year – Office award for adapting to challenging economic conditions and changing customer expectations.
Directors Matthew Rose and Belinda Woodley’s Aussie Prospect took home the Franchise Office of the Year trophy while the Independent Office of the Year award went to Inovayt (steered by managing director Nick Reilly) for offering comprehensive financial solutions and a nurturing post-settlement approach.
WestGen Finance (led by mortgage broker Jonni Chin) was declared New Office of the Year for achieving impressive results in its infancy, while Victoria-based GSC Finance Solutions (headed by director and finance specialist Damien Pearson) was named Regional Office of the Year.
The Australian Lending & Investment Centre (helmed by CEO and managing director Damian Brander) was the Diversified Brokerage of the Year.
Aggregators were applauded for their achievements, with LMG named Major Aggregator of the Year in recognition of its successful work bringing together multiple groups and broker offerings in one group.
Loan Market made it a trifecta by also clinching the Broker Marketing Platform of the Year award and the CRM Platform of the Year award.
Mortgage Choice won the Major Franchise Brokerage of the Year award for providing strong support to its franchise network with strong brand work. The judges said that the partnership between Mortgage Choice and the REA Group has proven fruitful for both client groups and broker businesses, while enhancing the home buyer experience.
Meanwhile, Purple Circle Financial Services – the aggregator and broker co-operative – was given the Boutique Aggregator of the Year award.
Innovation, tech in the spotlight
Online mortgage brokerage Finspo, led by CEO Angus Gilfillan, was the recipient of the Innovator of the Year (Company) award for its rigorous, customer-centric innovation.
The Community Engagement Program of the Year award went to Aussiewide Financial Services (led by general manager Alex Bondoux) for raising funds for several local organisations.
Birdie Wealth (founded by mortgage broker Nathan Smith) won Marketing Campaign of the Year for increasing engagement with first home buyers through diverse content and multiple touchpoints.
Meanwhile, loan comparison and broker tech company LoanOptions.ai was named Technology Service Provider of the Year for improving the loan application process for broker clients through the use of artificial intelligence.
Finally, Jason Back’s Broker Essentials won the Training and Education Program of the Year award, marking the second trophy for Back and his education provider business.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
To view the full list of winners and finalists, click here.
For more information about the awards, click here.
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