Open banking and AI adoption featured alongside a renewed focus on client advice and compliance
Mortgage and finance brokers have been urged to focus on technology, client relationships and internal culture as they plan for 2026, following a national series of member breakfasts hosted by the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA).
The association said the events were held in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart during February and March, attracting hundreds of attendees. The breakfasts featured presentations and panel discussions with MFAA executives, state managers, industry partners and broker panellists.
According to the MFAA, recurring themes across the sessions included using digital tools to tighten processes, maintaining personal relationships alongside automation, and treating compliance and efficiency as linked operational priorities.
The association pointed to platforms such as Quickli and Copilot as examples of tools being used to reduce administrative friction and improve client experience. Open banking was also raised as a way to cut time spent gathering financial information, while improving the quality and reliability of client data.
The MFAA said brokers are also facing changing expectations from borrowers, with their work moving away from transaction-focused interactions and towards longer-term advisory relationships. It added that training and workplace culture were repeatedly cited as factors affecting whether AI tools are adopted safely and effectively.
One attendee, Karis Churchill (pictured right), said the events helped brokers compare approaches and learn from colleagues at different stages of their careers. “These events bring out real conversations with your peers,” said Churchill, founder and director at Real Time Finance & Mortgage. “You’ve got people of different levels of the industry and they bring with them a lot of knowledge and expertise that’s very valuable.”
Churchill said the breakfasts also offered updates on advocacy and industry developments, and outlined how she intended to change her business practices this year. “I’m going to be more proactive with annual client reviews and consistent in building that client relationship and I'm going to be building stronger strategic partnerships with different stakeholders,” she said.
For another Sydney attendee, Richard Brown (pictured right), being in a room with brokers pursuing similar goals helped sharpen his approach to service and growth. “2026 is going to be my best year in broking, no doubt,” said Brown, franchise owner at Mortgage Choice.
“I’m going to be building on the skills and experience that I’ve gained in my career. If I can keep the customer and my client at the centre of every decision that I’m making, they’re going to have an amazing experience.”
He added that while he planned to use technology to improve productivity, he did not expect his core proposition to change. “I know that my clients are going to continue to use me and refer me because of my trust and expertise,” said Richard Brown, franchise owner at Mortgage Choice.
MFAA chief executive Anja Pannek (pictured above) said the breakfast series reflected ongoing strength in the broker community, and pointed to consumer-facing activity designed to steer borrowers towards accredited brokers.
“Trust, professionalism and opportunity are shaping our industry and it’s exciting how the broker channel continues to thrive,” Pannek said. “Our national consumer campaign is underway, with thousands of Australians expected to visit our enhanced Find a Broker website to connect with an MFAA Accredited Broker. I encourage brokers to make the most of this opportunity by enhancing their Find a Broker profile via the Member Portal.”
The MFAA also linked the themes raised at the breakfasts to five Business Growth Roundtable Series Insights guides released across December and January, which were developed after broker roundtables held in 2025.
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