It’s only been a week since the MFAA’s 2025 National Conference ended but for the hundreds of people who attended, the insights gained, connections established, and great memories made will live on.
Over 800 MFAA members flocked to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, 23 July, for The YOU Difference conference.
Brokers flew in from all over Australia to network with their peers, aggregators, lenders and other industry partners, and hear practical strategies from a range of high-quality speakers and industry experts.
In addition to the conference, the MFAA ran several events including the Commercial and Equipment Finance Dinner, the Association’s first Education Summit looking at the future of professional development, and the conference welcome function, highlighted by the launch of the Mortgage Finance Professional Australia designation.
The conference was opened by First Nations leader and speaker Natarsha Bamblett, who performed the Acknowledgement of Country.
Conference MC Yvonne Adele welcomed attendees and led the four panel sessions, featuring experienced brokers and industry experts.
These covered client communication and education; the end-to-end client experience; AI hacks to improve efficiency; how brokerages can scale successfully; and how brokers maintain their work-life balance.
They shared a number of useful insights.
Broker Melanie Cunliffe (Indigo Finance) said being client-centric sometimes meant having the courage to not always do what the client wants.
“It’s about using our experience and leveraging our expertise to show and guide the client on what they need,” Ms Cunliffe said.
Aussie broker Rod Peirce said it was important to “build your trust bank” with clients, providing consistent advice when they needed it.
Mortgage Choice brokers Elijah and Lucas Barrett and Lend Perspective broker Haydn Marshall discussed the step-by-step processes they used to assist clients with home loans, which provided transparency and clear milestones for both the customer and the brokerage.
Marketing expert Katrina McCarter explored how brokers can identify what makes them different from their competitors and how to capitalise on these differences, while wellbeing speaker Rob Edwards shared important tips to maintain wellbeing and productivity.
MFAA CEO Anja Pannek spoke about the aims of the conference: empowering brokers with new insights and skills, supporting their success through advocacy and education, and making the most of brokers’ unique knowledge and approach – the “You Difference”.
Ms Pannek also gave an overview of the MFAA’s policy and advocacy work over the last 12 months, its largest ever consumer campaign, broker market share and industry trends, efforts to lift professional standards and how brokers should prepare for the next five years and beyond.
One of the key highlights of the conference was the launch of the Mortgage Finance Professional Australia (MFPA) designation, developed in partnership with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Online.
Open exclusively to experienced MFAA mortgage brokers, the MFPA is the first professional mortgage broker designation in Australia. The RMIT Online MFP Program breaks new ground as the first university-level mortgage broker qualification to be offered in the country.
“Launching the MFPA is such an exciting and momentous development in our industry’s pursuit of professionalisation and MFAA members are showing a lot of interest in pursuing this designation as a real point of difference in a competitive market,” said Ms Pannek.
Following the conference, the MFAA also celebrated its National Excellence Awards, held at the Crown Melbourne.
Reflecting on The YOU Difference, Ms Pannek thanked all those who attended the conference, associated events and awards.
“It was fantastic to see so many of our members taking time out of their busy work lives, to learn, connect, reflect, share their views and celebrate excellence,” Ms Pannek said.
“There was a real positive energy in Melbourne and we’ve had great feedback from members who enjoyed the panel sessions and speakers and the opportunity to upskill and contribute to the growth and success of our industry.
Recordings of the conference sessions are available for all registered event attendees via the MFAA virtual event portal.
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