It all came together for Ravi Velampally during the pandemic, when the Brisbane local decided to buy his first home in Queensland, and realized how hard the process was.
"[It] came with plenty of ups and downs, including being priced out multiple times by investors paying cash and outbidding first-time homebuyers," Velampally told Australian Broker. "That experience exposed just how challenging and opaque the process can be for everyday buyers."
That's when the long-time tech industry veteran decided to start his own firm. Fast forward to August 2025, and Velampally launched Home Buying Network, a tech platform focused on improving how home buyers connect with mortgage brokers and other property professionals.
For our latest Spotlight Series — where we highlight standout professionals in the mortgage and finance space — Australian Broker caught up with Velampally, who serves as founder and chief executive officer of Home Buying Network, to find out more about the firm and how he is helping both brokers and borrowers simplify the home loan process.
The following interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.
RV: I come from a technology and systems background, and have spent much of my career working on large transformation programs. I became interested in the property space after buying my first home during COVID-19, which came with plenty of ups and downs, including being priced out multiple times by investors paying cash and outbidding first-time homebuyers. That experience exposed just how challenging and opaque the process can be for everyday buyers.
During that purchase, I also learned a lot about the mortgage process itself and became more interested in the broking space. In fact, I found myself guiding my own broker through a few missteps, which highlighted how complex and fragmented the system still is, even for professionals. Those experiences, combined with ongoing conversations with brokers and buyers, pulled me deeper into the mortgage and property ecosystem and eventually led me to focus on how technology could reduce friction and improve trust across the journey.
RV: My company is based in Brisbane, but I work with mortgage brokers and other property professionals across all major cities and regional centers in Australia.
RV: Going through my own home-buying experience, and spending time speaking with brokers, made it clear that the biggest issues weren't people. They were the processes and structure. Even good brokers were dealing with fragmented information, heavy admin, and increasing compliance requirements. Buyers often felt overwhelmed and unsure who to trust. I decided to start my own company to focus on those systemic gaps and explore how better structure, transparency and technology could make the experience smoother for both brokers and buyers.
RV: At the moment, we're primarily focused on residential home loans. Our intention is to expand into commercial lending over time, once we've consolidated our position in the residential space.
RV: We’re an early-stage firm, currently operating with a small core team. We launched August 2025 and have been focused on building the platform and working closely with brokers and property professionals to refine the model.
RV: We work closely with brokers and property owners by focusing on reducing friction in how buyers are introduced, engaged and guided through the process. A big part of that involves helping professionals be more visible and easier to engage with, while ensuring buyers have clearer pathways and better information from the start. The goal is to support stronger, more transparent connections rather than adding another layer of complexity.
RV: One often overlooked factor is how much buyer behavior has changed. Many buyers are far more cautious, better informed and slower to commit, even in a competitive market. Brokers who recognise this and spend more time on education and expectation-setting tend to build stronger trust and longer-term relationships, especially in uncertain conditions.
