The results are out: the MFAA has crowned its top performers.
To celebrate, more than 300 of the mortgage industry’s best and brightest, dressed to the nines, gathered at Sydney’s upscale Sofitel on Thursday night to see who would take home some of the sector's most coveted awards.
The state event – which was hosted by the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) – brought together brokers, lenders and aggregators to celebrate industry excellence across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory with cocktails, dinner and plenty of photo ops.
"Whether you're an industry leader, an up-and-coming broker, an innovator or someone who is laser focused on meeting client needs, you're all here for the same reason. And that's helping Australians reach their financial goals," MFAA chief executive officer Anja Pannek told the crowd. "And in doing so, what you're contributing to is, can we just say, it's got to be one of the best industries around."
As guest mingled and nimble on bite-sized confections, Australian television presenter Faustina "Fuzzy" Agolley served as MC. Eighteen winners were honored across a range of categories, including standout achievements in customer service, innovation, business performance, professionalism and more.
Pannek pointed out that mortgage broker professionals are currently helping Aussies navigate one of the toughest housing markets in years.
“Our members are at the forefront of helping Australians secure homes, build wealth and feel confident in their financial futures,” she said, underscoring the crucial role brokers play in today's market. “It’s inspiring to see so many professionals delivering such a high standard of service while adapting to the demands of a changing market."
The non-profit broking organization recently reported that 76.8% of residential home loans in Australia were written through brokers.
Tim Lemon, national sales manager at MA Money, was among the attendees and said in-person networking events are an important way to build community.
"You've got BDMs from all different walks of life, all different experience levels, and it's a split to see the ones that give their most amount of effort get rewarded for their hard work," he said. "And then also, the institutions like the non-banks that invest in a lot of technology and focus on the broker; they get rewarded for that in these events."
Natalie Viney, a Sydney-based BDM, who recently joined Bridgit, walked away with the "Business Development Manager – Aggregator" award.
"Obviously it feels amazing," she said. "The time that I've spent at Connective, I'm truly grateful for, and I have spent the last three years supporting some of the best workers in the industry.
"I definitely think it's important to network," she added of the in-person event. "And also, it's important to recognize various people in the industry with various achievements, because this industry has a lot of challenges and stresses, and it's good to come together to celebrate this group."
The NSW and ACT awards are the second stop on the MFAA’s national awards tour, which includes five state-based events across South Australia and Northern Territory, NSW and the ACT, Western Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania and Queensland. The tour wraps up this winter with winners from each state competing for at National Excellence Awards in Melbourne on July 23.
Winners list
