For Arnab Baral, MD and senior finance broker at Cinch Loans, the most important moment in his broking career wasn’t about saving a deal at the last minute. It was about stopping one.
Faced with a loan that met the criteria on paper, heavy pressure from other parties, and a willing client, the 2025 5-Star Broker chose to walk away. That decision, Baral says, captures what modern broking should really be about: long-term protection, not short-term approvals.
Baral points to a particularly difficult file as a turning point in how he defines his duty to clients.
“One of the most challenging experiences was advising a client not to proceed with an off-the-plan purchase, despite intense pressure from the builder and other parties to push the deal through,” he says. “On paper, the loan could settle. In reality, the risk profile didn’t align with the client’s long-term interests.”
Saying no didn’t come easily.
“It was uncomfortable, and I knew it could cost me the deal,” he says. “But it reinforced a lesson I carry into every file: a broker’s job isn’t to make loans happen at all costs. It’s to protect clients from decisions they may regret years later. Integrity compounds, even when it hurts in the short term.”
In an industry often measured by settlement volumes and conversion rates, Baral’s stance is clear: the real value of a broker is in the bad deals they prevent, as much as the good ones they facilitate.
Baral’s path to mortgage broking wasn’t linear. He spent nearly two decades in the IT industry before he transitioned into finance in 2020.
“While technology gave me structure and problem-solving skills, I felt something was missing. I wanted my work to have a direct, positive impact on people’s lives. I call it a 'value-added' conversation,” he says.
What drew him in was not just the numbers, but the profound human impact of lending decisions.
“Mortgage broking appealed to me because it sits at the intersection of trust, long-term decision-making, and real human consequence. People don’t remember interest rates, but they remember how secure or stressed they felt during one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. That realisation pushed me to transition into broking, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Asked about the most positive development in broking, Baral doesn’t hesitate: he points to a lift in professionalism and accountability across the industry
“Regulatory changes, while challenging, have forced brokers to lift standards, document decisions clearly, and genuinely act in the client’s best interest,” he says.
Instead of viewing regulation as a compliance burden, he sees it as the framework that supports tougher calls—like the decision to advise against that off-the-plan purchase.
Technology, he adds, is now helping the right kind of brokers thrive.
“At the same time, technology has matured. When used well, it doesn’t replace brokers; it frees them,” he says.“Automation, digital verification, and smarter data tools allow brokers to spend less time chasing paperwork and more time thinking strategically for clients. That balance between compliance and care is where good broking now lives.”
Despite this evolution, Baral sees growing obstacles for both brokers and borrowers.
“The biggest challenge is complexity,” he says. “Policy changes, credit tightening, rising living costs, and inconsistent lender interpretation have made borrowing harder to navigate, especially for everyday Australians.
“Another issue is noise. Clients are overwhelmed by conflicting advice from social media, property spruikers, and unqualified commentators.”
For Baral, the way forward is sharper positioning and better education.
“The solution is clarity and specialisation,” he says. “Brokers need to deeply understand niches rather than trying to be everything to everyone. The industry also needs to embrace education, both for clients and within broker businesses, supported by responsible use of technology and stronger mentoring of new entrants.”
Many professionals talk about integrity; Baral treats it as a working principle that actively shapes who he takes on and which deals he’s prepared to back.
The off-the-plan case is a clear example: by advising against a transaction that could have settled, he put the client’s long-term wellbeing ahead of immediate business. His belief that “Integrity compounds, even when it hurts in the short term” is more than a line—it’s a business model.
A client who feels genuinely protected, he says, is far more likely to return, refer, and rely on their broker when life circumstances change. In a referral-driven industry, that trust becomes a core asset.
For those entering the industry, Baral’s message is blunt: slow down and get the basics right.
“Don’t rush volume. Focus on fundamentals. Learn the policy deeply. Understand risk, not just approval pathways,” he says.
Baral argues that strong mentorship and meticulous habits are just as important as product knowledge.
“Find mentors who challenge you, not just support you,” he says. “Document everything properly, even when no one is watching. And remember that trust is built slowly and lost instantly.”
Above all, Baral wants newcomers to understand what broking truly is.
“Broking is not a sales job disguised as finance. It’s a long-term advisory profession. If you respect that, the career can be both meaningful and sustainable,” he says.
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