Australian Broker is back with its Spotlight Series, shining a light on standout professionals across Australia's mortgage and finance industry. We caught up again with Amol Agrawal, founder and finance broker at Juice Finance, to see what’s keeping him busy and what he’s seeing unfold across the market.
Agrawal, based in the Western Australian city of Bunbury, has had a big year, both in the boardroom and on the ground. This past July, he walked away with the "Customer Service Award – Individual" at the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia’s (MFAA) 2026 National Excellence Awards.
But his day to day has been equally as busy. The broker has remained focused on navigating changing market conditions, evolving customer expectations and the everyday demands of running a successful business.
Australian Broker spoke with Agrawal to get his take on the current forces shaping the market, the trends he’s seeing play out on the ground and where he sees opportunities for brokers in the current environment. He also shared the lessons, strategies and practical tips that have helped him build and sustain a successful business, from maintaining strong client relationships to staying agile as the market continues to shift.
The following interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.
AA: The national data is starting to suggest some softening in property values, while WA has held up better so far. But that doesn't mean WA is immune to what's happening elsewhere. The published data can also have a lag. As a broker, I work with actual contracts of sale, so I get to see what properties were advertised for and what buyers are actually paying for them. From what I'm seeing on the ground, there has definitely been a change. Activity has subdued; the pool of properties for sale is increasing. The average selling times are getting longer and the number of groups coming through home opens is a fraction of what I was seeing previously.
From the finance side, the change was quite sudden. My application volumes dropped significantly following the budget. Over the last five or six weeks, I've started to see activity gradually come back. But it's still very early to tell whether that will continue. The biggest change for me has been investors. Three, six or 12 months ago, when a client rang, one of the most common opening comments was, 'I've got equity in my property. How much can I borrow for an investment property?' That conversation has taken a huge hit. From the inquiries I'm seeing at the moment, investors have predominantly disappeared from the market, particularly compared with the level of investor activity I was seeing three, six or 12 months ago.
So compared with three, six or particularly 12 months ago, activity is definitely lower from what I'm seeing in Bunbury and the Southwest. Whether this is a temporary adjustment while people get comfortable with the new environment, or the beginning of a more sustained change, is still too early to tell.
AA: For me, getting the best outcome for the client is obviously the job. But I also believe there are three key stakeholders in every client story: the client, the lender and the aggregator. I try to make sure all three are getting the outcomes they are looking for.
For clients, there is rarely such a thing as a quick phone call, or a quick yes or no. Generally, that initial conversation will lead to a full assessment, regardless of their income, deposit or current ability to borrow. If they're not ready today, that assessment allows me to explain why they're not ready and what they need to do to get there. It gives me an opportunity to coach and guide them towards their goal. Some clients may ultimately never be in a position to proceed. But I still believe they deserve the time to understand their position rather than simply being told they can't borrow.
For lenders, it comes back to quality applications: comprehensive notes, the right supporting documents, understanding the policy before lodging and making sure the client's circumstances meet that policy. I want the assessor to be able to pick up the application and understand the complete story without having to piece it together themselves.
The aggregator is equally important. Good compliance, proper documentation and doing things the right way protects the client, the broker and the broader industry. For me, a good outcome isn't simply getting a loan approved. It's about doing the right thing by all three stakeholders and making the client journey work properly from beginning to end.
AA: One of the biggest trends I'm seeing is simply more caution across almost every type of buyer. The investors who still want to invest, and have the capacity to do so, are increasingly looking for a very competitive finance outcome. With the negative gearing changes, every dollar matters even more. The old saying “a penny saved is a penny earned” probably applies quite well at the moment. Rate, fees, structure and the way different lenders assess the application can all make a meaningful difference.
I'm also seeing asking prices being challenged much more than they were 12 months ago. Buyers appear more willing to negotiate rather than feeling they need to put their best offer forward immediately just to secure the property. Even among first-time homebuyers, I'm seeing more people prepared to wait. The ones who really need to buy, or have the mindset of 'I should do it now,' are still active. But those who don't necessarily have to buy today seem much more comfortable sitting back and seeing what happens.
That change in behaviour is important because when you combine fewer investors, more cautious first-time homebuyers, increasing stock levels, longer selling times and greater negotiation on asking prices, you start to see a very different market from the one experienced over the past few years.
All in all, I think the next 12 months are going to be very interesting from every facet of real estate. Property is probably one of the most talked-about subjects in Australian culture and, economically, one of the most impactful sectors of the Australian economy. There are a lot of moving parts at the moment, and it's probably too early to know exactly where they will take us.
