While Australians continue to grit their teeth against skyrocketing cost-of-living pressures, the decision to take out a mortgage won’t be one taken lightly by those looking to secure a place to live over the next 12 months. Now, more than ever, it’s important to would-be buyers, whether they are looking for their first home, to upsize, downsize or to invest, to know the choices that are out there. While banks continue to report record profits, they have also closed branches and suggested a shift towards other avenues to drive stronger financial returns. This all means that simply walking into the local bank branch to “see what they can do” is no longer cutting it.

It’s why thousands of buyers are now trusting brokers, rather than banks, to make sure they get more bang for their hard-earned buck. The trend is one we expect will continue to grow over 2025, given the impressive market share gains by brokers in the past 12 months.

2024 marked the first time ever that brokers settled more than $100 billion in loans over a three-month period, as reported by the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA). It was also a year where brokers consistently secured more than 70 per cent of new residential loan market share (peaking at 74.1 per cent) - meaning more than seven in 10 buyers went to a broker to secure a home loan.

As outlined in this report, buyers should see some rate relief over the next 12 months, which is set to flow through to market confidence. As rates change, it is likely lenders will be inconsistent in what they pass on. This means those with existing loans will require even more independent assistance, while new buyers will see affordability trends differ, so will require expert independent advice.

This could easily mean that more consumers will trust a broker, as much as 8 in 10 Aussies, to secure them better lending opportunities in 2025.