Celebrating the road to the 2025 Australian Mortgage Awards (AMAs), Australian Broker is revisiting past winners to uncover what’s been driving their momentum since taking the stage. One such winner is Helia, Australia's largest provider of mortgage insurance.
The firm claimed the 2024 AMA "SPRNT (LBH) Best Industry Marketing Campaign" award, thanks in part to its “Better, Sooner, Brighter” campaign, which reframed how borrowers and brokers alike think about lenders mortgage insurance (LMI).
Known for its broker-focused approach and innovative use of digital tools, Helia has continued to refine its strategy to meet the needs of today’s lending landscape — and set a new standard for broker support in 2025.
In this follow-up profile, Australian Broker caught up with Sydney-based Dimi Bartolillo, Helia’s head of marketing and brand, to explore how the campaign came to life, the tools driving broker engagement, and her perspective on Australia’s shifting property market in the second half of the year.
The following interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.
(Pictured: Dimi Bartolillo, Helia)
AB: How are you continuing to support brokers in ways that the competition is not doing?
DB: To further support brokers, we expanded our digital resources last year, including education, quick guides, language-translated fact sheets, interactive estimators and on-demand video series.
For education, we delivered 52 hours to brokers through webinars, podcasts and other formats. Quick guides include postcards and explainers to support client conversations. Language-translated fact sheets have been released in Punjabi, simplified Chinese and Arabic to help brokers engage multicultural buyers. Interactive estimators compare deposit options and show long-term equity growth with LMI.
And the on-demand video series feature real-world scenarios. That includes the “Better, Sooner, Brighter” campaign — two couples, same deposit, same location and a very different outcome. With the power of LMI and the guidance of a mortgage broker, one couple secures a better home more suited to their needs. And the "Start your home with LMI" video — a couple breaking free of the rental cycle and purchasing their first home with a 10% deposit. All of our resources are available on our website with no login or payment required.
We're working with aggregators to embed LMI education and tools into platforms, training and workflows, making it a seamless, strategic part of broker-client conversations.
Our education strategy targets both brokers and home buyers, supported by targeted digital campaigns across our website, lender portals, aggregator platforms and industry sites. Delivering this transformation has required a suite of tools and initiatives, all while maintaining strong customer relationships.
AB: What are some of the marketing strategies and tips you offer brokers who want to grow their businesses?
DB: We always say, lead with the goal, not the product. If your client wants a better home, closer to work, with room to grow — show them how they can get there sooner. Use tools like LMI to bridge the deposit gap and don’t assume clients know their options.
Also, embrace education. We’ve found brokers who confidently explain LMI, convert more leads. Our LMI resources on our Helia website are a good place to start.
AB: What about working with brokers and lenders? Do you have any best practices or tips?
DB: Co-create, don’t just deliver. The best outcomes come when we work alongside brokers and lenders to build relevant tools, resources and content that help solve current pain points. For example, we developed tailored messaging frameworks and LMI conversation starters’ that brokers could plug into their conversations with clients.
Also, don’t underestimate internal education. Utilize your own internal resources, your BDMs and also reach out to us about LMI resources and tools that can support you.
AB: What are your thoughts on Australia's lending environment in 2025? Anything worth noting? What trends are you seeing?
DB: Purchasing a home in 2025 is still tough for many Australians, as affordability remains a major barrier. While falling interest rates can ease mortgage costs, they also tend to bring more buyers into the market, putting upward pressure on prices.
First-buyers [can] access various pathways to home ownership. While government schemes exist for eligible first home buyers, many first-time buyers continue to rely on family support or alternative financing options, each with different sustainability or equitability considerations for their circumstances.
We’re also seeing a trend toward the use of LMI as a solution. In fact, 48% of recent home buyers used LMI to enter the market according to "Helia’s Spotlight 2025" [survey]. This highlights the growing role of LMI in helping home buyers, especially first-time buyers, younger investors, like rentvestors, looking to enter the market sooner without a 20% deposit. As these segments grow, so does the demand for brokers who can guide them through their options and help them on the path to home ownership with confidence.
Tickets to this year's Australian Mortgage Awards, scheduled for 17 Oct., can be purchased here.
