Australian Broker's Spotlight Series is once again turning its focus to standout figures in mortgage broking and finance: those whose work is actively shaping the industry's future across Australia.
In this edition, we caught up with Belinda Sugars, a seasoned mortgage broker and franchise owner at Mortgage Choice in Parkside, South Australia, part of the Greater Adelaide region. A proud mother and grandmother, Belinda brings both personal warmth and professional expertise to her role.
After launching her career in banking with ANZ, she made the leap into mortgage broking two decades ago. That decision has since earned her multiple industry accolades and awards. Today, she specializes in residential home loans, helping clients across Adelaide find the right fit for their home financing needs.
Sugars shares with Australia Broker the keys to her success, how she's keeping up with Adelaide's booming market and her thoughts on navigating an uncertain market.
The following interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.
BS: I am a mum of two beautiful boys and married my husband David, who has five children. So there's seven children between us. We live in the leafy eastern suburbs of Adelaide and have a holiday home on the Yorke Peninsula to escape to whenever we can. I have three gorgeous grandchildren. I worked in ANZ for most of my early working life. Then I had my boys and came back to the bank part time, eventually going full time and managing branches and earned a diploma in financial planning. Then I decided to become a broker. I wanted to run my own business, help people into property ownership and reward myself for the hard work I was doing. That was 20 years ago. Now I have a staff of five people and an office on a busy main road five minutes out of the city.
BS: I work primarily in residential home loans with a small portfolio of commercial lending . I have clients all over Australia. Broking enables this, due to the fact clients don't need branches to attend interviews and Zoom meetings are the norm. The lenders on the panel are from all over Australia and settle loans nationally.
BS: I was tired of the constant changes in management at the bank and the lack of rewards for effort. Broking was a growing industry and I was drawn to the flexibility of the role. And [I knew] the depth of knowledge I had was going to be very helpful in succeeding: the energy and passion to succeed deep inside of me and to the ability to give people choices with more than one bank was what drew me to it.
BS: Adelaide is a conservative market with a slow and steady rise, rather than the ups and downs of the Eastern states. We have enormous room for growth and our clients are slowly but surely adapting to higher density living and smaller land sizes.
BS: Yes, the trend will continue in Adelaide. Supply still cannot meet demand and we are still lower in price than the Eastern states, which makes investing here attractive as well. It's a very liveable city and often rates in the top 20 in the world. Many young people who move to work in the bigger cities are coming back to raise families here.
BS: My secret is very hard work and giving the business 100% attention all the time. And, looking after clients – not just for the purchase – but well after the settlement of the loan. Client recommendations are the strength of our growth and continued success.
BS: Hard work and attention to detail, and forging great relationships with clients are essential. Trust is vital and knowledge is paramount. I treat my clients the way I want to be treated. And always do what you say you're going to do.
BS: I love what I do and I love property. I love helping people secure a home of their own. For clients, build a great rapport with clients and get them to relax and work through what they want to achieve. If they trust you, then you're more likely to be in their necessary financial team suite of people around them: an accountant, a financial planner and just as important these days is a broker.
My advice for working with lenders is to respect their position in the process. Relationship building with business managers is also so important. They will then, in turn, be more likely to help you at all levels and with urgent issues. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
BS: I am seeing more activity than a year ago. Clients are approaching purchases in different ways with the help of brokers who know which lenders to place them with. And the brokers are keeping up to date with government initiatives and lender niches. And lenders are finding better ways to help clients gain approval. And the government is also helping find ways to assist.
BS: I give my clients confidence to buy even with doom and gloom and uncertainty in the world. Rates dropping lowers repayments, so property becomes more affordable. Although this will in turn increase some prices as more people can offer higher prices. The world has had its ups and downs for hundreds of years and historically property is the one thing you can rely on to gain in value. And everyone loves to have a home and to feel secure. I give people confidence and always work in numbers they can afford and manage.
BS: I am seeing growth in different ways to help first-home homeowners get into the market: parents providing some inheritances early and equity guarantors are on the rise. So are siblings buying together. Some clients are staying home longer to save, or staying home and buying an investment property.
