Momentum Media and mortgages brand The Adviser are delighted to unveil the best and brightest in the broking industry who have been recognised at this year’s Australian Broking Awards in Sydney.
The Australian Broking Awards are the benchmark for excellence around Australia and, year after year, recognises those influencing the profession, propelling the industry forward.
Run with the support of principal partner NAB, the 2022 Australian Broking Awards cocktail luncheon was held on Friday, 19 August 2022 at The Star in Sydney.
More than 750 members of the broking industry glammed up and attended this year’s gala ceremony to cheer on the 230 finalists competing to win 28 individual and group awards, with everyone eager to learn who would be named the 2022 Broker of the Year.
Finalists included brokers, aggregators, loan administrators, mentors, thought leaders, wellness advocates, and the rising stars of tomorrow.
Spirits were high among members of the broking industry as Australian comedian, radio and television presenter, and recurring panellist on Channel 10’s Have You Been Paying Attention? Ed Kavalee appeared as this year’s host and MC and provided entertainment throughout the afternoon.
Individual awards
This year, the coveted Broker of the Year award was conferred to Loan Market Rheuben & Associates senior finance broker (and highest-scoring individual winner) Grant Rheuben - who also picked up the Commercial Broker of the Year award earlier in the day.
Mr Rheuben was praised by the judges for showcasing what it means to be a successful broker through his submission.
Managing director of boutique commercial and asset finance brokerage Scott Rumble was named Asset Finance Broker of the Year for his focus on specialisation and relationships, which formed the recipe for his success.
The Finance Broker of the Year award was given to Thomas Magdalene Finance Group director Belinda Gibson for her strong, high-quality submission.
Shore Financial senior credit adviser Christian Stevens took home the Best Residential Broker award, repeating his success from the 2022 Better Business Awards in NSW/ACT, where he nabbed the same trophy.
Regional brokers were also represented this year, with Dubbo-based Flair Finance director Kirsty Colliver picking up the Regional Broker of the Year trophy. She was praised for establishing her own business in 2021 with a clear focus on face-to-face meetings and customer support.
Support for brokers applauded
The awards program also celebrated the support provided to brokers by loan administrators.
Gavin Hepponstall, the head of finance credit at finance, accounting, and property advisory firm Elephant Advisory, was awarded the Loan Administrator of the Year title.
He was unanimously commended by the judges for minimising costs and doubling the business by outsourcing, as well as instituting quality control and internal audit.
Previous Australian Broker Awards nominee, two-time winner at the 2022 Better Business Awards in Melbourne, and Broker Essentials founder and director Jason Back won the Industry Thought Leader of the Year award for his passionate advocacy and significant reach and impact of his initiatives in the broking industry.
Exceptional customer service is at the heart of being a broker and this year, Eventus Financial director and mortgage broker Alex Veljancevski was recognised for going above and beyond for his clients with the Customer Service of the Year – Individual award.
Founder of the Mr Mentor program and CEO at Loanworx Pauline Ryan was named Mentor of the Year for her initiatives and providing substantial data that showed the high level of enrolment in her program.
Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) managing director Peter White was awarded the Wellness Advocate of the Year title for using his experiences stemming from personal issues to effect positive change in the broking industry.
The successful brokers of tomorrow were recognised for their achievements in the early stages of their career, with Zimeland Finance Brokers director Angelique Zimmer named Newcomer of the Year for her focus on helping others.
Meanwhile, Glass Financial finance broker Steven Korner was given the Rising Star award for his hard work, passion, and motivation, and achieving stellar growth in his new business.
Group awards
Along with individuals in the broking industry, various groups were recognised for their hard work and exceptional results at the 2022 Australian Broking Awards.
While Aussie walked away with the Major Brokerage of the Year – Franchise award for its high-quality submission, Empower Wealth Mortgage Advisory (headed by founder and managing director Ben Kingsley) won the Major Brokerage of the Year – Non-Franchise for delivering high growth and its strong mentoring program.
Mortgage Choice South Melbourne – which is owned by mortgage broker Paul Williams – was given the Office of the Year – Franchise trophy for its commitment to existing clients and clever digital tools for new business prospecting.
The Office of the Year – Non-Franchise award was conferred to founder, director, and broker Andrew Johnson’s Legal Home Loans for specialising in lending to lawyers, which has allowed it to identify the key areas of support and opportunities for its client base.
Mortgage Advice Bureau Sydney (steered by managing director and finance specialist Mark Kevin) won the New Office of the Year award for achieving exceptional results in a fledgling business and demonstrating potential to scale greater heights.
For the second consecutive year Smartline Dunsborough (owned by personal mortgage adviser Rod Holt) took home the prize for Regional Office of the Year for its achievements throughout 2021.
The Customer Service of the Year – Office award was given to Mortgage Domayne (led by director Mark Polatkesen) for its strong service ethic supported by robust systems and its team, while Purple Circle Financial Services (which has directors Frank Paratore and Michael Stephens at the helm) won the Innovator of the Year award.
Aggregators, tech platforms take centre stage
Aggregators received recognition for their unrelenting support of the broker community, with Loan Market winning the Major Aggregator of the Year award for its hands-on approach to workshops and training sessions, as well as its Let’s Get Digital sessions.
The Boutique Aggregator of the Year award went to MoneyQuest – headed by managing director Michael Russell – for demonstrating quality growth and a strong business model.
Australian Finance Group (AFG) – which has CEO David Bailey at the helm – won Broker Marketing Platform of the Year for its innovative artificial intelligence feature and for demonstrating the benefits of its platforms for its members.
While director Nathan Smith’s Birdie Wealth won both the Diversification Program of the Year award and the Marketing Campaign of the Year award, Mark Winter’s Loan Market Greater Springfield was given the Social Community Engagement Program of the Year award.
Technological developments were on show this year, with aggregator Finsure (headed by managing director John Kolenda) winning the Technology Platform of the Year award for its effective use of artificial intelligence and predictive data to support brokers.
Finally, for its consistent effort at nurturing quality brokers and providing strong evidence in its submission with clear data, Connective won the Training and Education Program of the Year award at this year’s ceremony.
Momentum Media and The Adviser would like to congratulate all of the winners!
To view the full list of this year’s winners and finalists, click here.
For more information about the Australian Broking Awards, click here.