With the 2025 Australian Mortgage Awards (AMAs) fast approaching, Australian Broker is checking in with past winners to uncover their winning formulas.
We've reconnected with Sally Hillman (pictured), Gold Coast-based business development manager and broker mentor at St. George Bank, doubling down on insights and impact from her award-winning approach.
Hillman took home the 2024 AMA “So Money Best Non-Major Bank BDM” award. In part two of our series, we dive into what fuels her success – from her mentoring style and relationship-building strategies to her take on Australia’s fast-moving lending landscape and the key lessons she’s picked up along the way.
The following article has been edited for grammar and clarity.
AB: What are some of your best practices for working with brokers? And lenders?
SH: Be succinct. I appreciate that everyone in this industry is time poor; we are all running at 1000 miles per hour. So I tend to keep my points of contact brief and to the point. A clear concise email or discussion will save so much time in the future. I try to ensure my instructions are able to be saved and referred back to in the future, as a sort of educational library.
Remembering that we are all people, with different challenges going on in the background, I can tell when one of my brokers needs an ear and I will be there in those times. Again, it comes back to being personable. This goes a long way. Remember that saying, that you catch more bees with honey, it is so true. Respect, loyalty and trust are three traits that are so undervalued and something I try to always be mindful of.
AB: What are your thoughts on Australia's loan and property markets as we enter into the back half of 2025? Are you seeing more activity? Or less than a year ago?
SH: With much talk around rates reducing, we are starting to see activity increase, and I believe this will increase further should [there be more] rate cuts coming into effect. It will hopefully assist with affordability and people will be in a position once again to review their current lending and look for alternative lenders with the confidence they can meet lenders servicing requirements to do so.
I do feel, however, that a rate reducing market could also lead to rate wars with clients chasing the lowest rate possible, which can then put pressure not only on margins, but also on the brokers who are trying to find the best deal for the client via the options available to them on their panel.
AB: What are your thoughts on Albanese's re-election? How will this influence the housing market?
SH: The Labor Party's expansion to the "Help to Buy Scheme," for homeownership, on the face of it appears to be a massive assistance to drive the first home owner market. With the removal of the income threshold and the price caps increasing on the property value, [the government] is claiming it to be the largest housing investments in Australia’s modern history. Clearly, this will create an ignition within that first home buyers market.
However, there are many negatives on the flip side. There will be even more buyers chasing the same number of homes; it will not make housing more affordable. I believe it will drive prices higher, becoming even more of a sellers’ market. And despite the forecasted lower rates, serviceability and affordability will still be an issue for those first home buyers who, in turn, will still struggle to get a foot on the property ladder.
AB: With the possibility of more rate cuts and the continued threat of US tariffs, what advice or tips do you offer brokers who are trying to navigate a continually volatile market?
SH: I am a big believer in not worrying about something you cannot control, and to stay focused in your lane. It is a very volatile political field, especially if we start to focus on what is going on overseas. Opinions and decisions seem to change daily. While we need to stay aware of global markets and the impact it has locally, I really would advise to not waste energy and important time worrying about what could be. Instead focus straight ahead at your own goal and keep pushing on through.
AB: What other trends are you seeing in the market at the moment?
SH: I am seeing a lot of enquiries around relocation lending, and also the desire for assessed pre-approvals. With so many people searching for housing to purchase, and a limited supply of stock on the market, it is a fight out there for anyone on the market for a new property. I hear that many agents are insisting on seeing pre-approval for finance before even permitting an inspection. This is leading to pressure on the clients. So, our ability to offer a fully assessed pre-approval is a level of comfort for them.
In addition, we are seeing more of the relocation [loan] feature that enables the clients to purchase that next property before selling theirs. Gone are the days of a seller accepting a subject-to-sale condition on an offer. They don't have to, as there are plenty of others in the wings. So, the relocation loan removes that requirement, again giving clients the comfort to proceed with that purchase of their next home they have fallen in love with.
Tickets to this year's Australian Mortgage Awards, scheduled for Oct. 17, can be purchased here.
