Michaela Shaw is a quick learner.
The MoneyQuest broker, who serves Western Sydney’s Penrith and Blue Mountains region, was recently honored with the "Newcomer Award" at the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia's (MFAA) July 2025 national conference and awards ceremony held in Melbourne. Just two years in, Shaw has promptly made a name for herself in the broking home loan industry with her dedication and results-driven approach.
Australian Broker sat down with Shaw to learn more about the foundations of her early success, the industry support that has shaped her journey and how she is navigating the challenges of an ever-changing lending landscape.
MS: It's been two and a bit years now. So before this, I was working in admin at a hospital. And before that, I was a barista. So I didn't even know what a home loan was until about three years ago. So it was just an all new experience to me to kind of learn the whole thing. So my boss is actually my mother in law, Peter Davies, so kind of a bit of a family business, that I saw what she was doing and how she was helping people, and so that I wanted to do that. And so here I am now. I saw other people doing it and I thought I'd give it a go. And I love it.
MS: Primarily home loans. We do some educational events. So we specialize in kind of first-home buyer and investor education events. We do those within our office. It's just kind of free education seminars, but still based around home loans.
MS: I don't know. So it's an honour, it really is. The newcomer category and awards like this, with how much the industry has changed over the last couple of years, it really shows, kind of, the effort and things that people have to do to make way in an industry that now is getting so big. It's a real honour to be recognized in a category like that for less than two years experience and kind of getting in. So I hope this is recognition then of the effort that I put in to make a difference and set myself apart from the industry, and everyone else is kind of doing the same thing, kind of pointing out how I can help people in other ways.
MS: I find with an industry like this that could be so competitive, it is so collaborative. So events like this, like what the MFAA put on, or even our aggregator – I'm part of the MoneyQuest Group, which is part of LMG – it's great to see kind of how everyone can come together to help support each other, particularly as a new to industry broker. Learning from other people and their experiences and their perspectives, it's really good to get everyone together and be collaborative and share experiences and client stories and scenarios. It's invaluable to any other industry that is out there that everyone can get together and be part of that.
MS: I think it's about sticking to doing what you do well. I think there's a lot in the industry about diversification and trying to do so much. But there's so much in the industry, and as a newcomer, and learning something new, it's kind of about picking your lane and doing it well – and then growing as you go. Learn one thing, do it, and get used to it, and then it'll all come with time. It's about really, get your feet in, sink in, learn and just be a part of it.
MS: I think with the uncertainty comes an even more important role for a broker in the industry, or within society as a whole. It's that we can provide that comfort and expertise and things for people in navigating that environment. So they know they have a bit of a trusted advisor on what things look like and what steps are next. So it's not just on the consumer to worry about those things. We can take some of the pressure off and in helping them understand at least. So while it is stressful and it's hard, it's something we can help guide people through.
MS: I think we're going to see some changes and things [in the home loan industry.] I think it'll probably be steady for the next 12 to18 months, and probably more interest rate cuts and things that will help with consumer sentiment, and things around homebuyers. We're seeing within our business a lot of first-home buyers and things, their attitudes are changing, in terms of what they're looking at. So they're wanting to kind of get into the market and seeing what that's like. The nervousness around all the interest rates being so high has really gone down. So I think that that builds [momentum] for a very exciting 2026, and what that would look like. It's going to be a year of growth within the economy. And with our rates coming down, it's going to be a big boom for everyone.
