More Australians are searching for how to become a mortgage broker than how to become a pilot, doctor, or firefighter, according to a new global career aspiration study.
Remitly — a digital financial services provider — analysed Google search volume data across 145 countries and 424 careers to identify the jobs people most want to break into and found mortgage broker ranked third on Australia's dream careers list, sitting between actor and paramedic.
The research measured annual searches for "how to be a..." and "how to become a..." between May 2025 and May 2026. DJ took the top spot nationally, followed by actor, with mortgage broker the highest-ranked finance profession in the country.
The finding lands at a moment of peak industry prominence — MFAA data published this month shows mortgage brokers settled a record 81% of all new residential home loans in the March quarter, placing Australia among only three countries globally where brokers originate more than 80% of home loans.
That mortgage broker outranked pilot, firefighter, and doctor in Australia suggests the profession carries significant appeal beyond the finance sector — likely driven by income potential, flexibility, and the broker channel's growing prominence in the home lending market. Globally, the study's top five were actor, pilot, firefighter, lawyer, and YouTuber, making Australia's result a notable outlier.
Ryan Riley, VP of marketing for EMEA and APAC at Remitly, noted a broader theme in this year's data: "It's notable to see traditionally stable professions such as lawyer and veterinarian climbing the rankings this year. One trend emerging from the data is that people may be placing greater value on financial security."
For brokerages thinking about recruitment and brand positioning, the data offers a concrete signal. Mortgage broking's appearance in Australia's top three — above professions with far greater public visibility — suggests the talent pipeline into the profession may be strengthening precisely when the industry needs it most. At a time when brokers originate four in every five new home loans in Australia — a record high as of the March quarter — the combination of rising career interest and record market share points to a channel that is growing in both output and appeal.
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