iscover
Announced in July, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Online and the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) are offering the Mortgage Finance Professional (MFP) Program, the first university-level mortgage broker qualification available in Australia.
As part of the program, MFAA is offering the Mortgage Finance Professional Australia (MFPA) designation, available exclusively for experienced MFAA mortgage brokers.
MFAA brokers who successfully complete the MFP Program and go above and beyond what is recommended, factoring in professionalism, ethics, and client engagement, could be eligible for the MFPA professional designation.
The six trailblazers to achieve MFAA’s inaugural university-level qualification are:
- Jarrod Smith: Director of Transact Finance in Perth
- Kate Sadler: Director of The Broker Society on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast
- Varun Goyal: Director of Trusted Financial Choice in Melbourne
- Haydn Marshall: Principal of Lend Perspective in Sydney
- Matt McLean: Director of McLean Home Loans in Adelaide
- Spiro Kolokithas: Managing director of What If We Finance in Melbourne
These six professionals have successfully completed the MFP Program. This includes core modules on personal leadership, customer engagement, and business management, followed by an elective in either SMSF lending or financial analysis.
Smith was the very first broker in Australia to receive the designation. He highlighted its impact on both clients and his team.
“Achieving the designation shows my clients that they are dealing with a finance broker with experience, and demonstrates to my teammates that I am always looking for ways to improve on my leadership skills,” he explained.
Echoing the sentiment of investment, McLean described the MFPA as a transformative step. He encouraged any broker considering it to follow through with it.
“It builds your technical knowledge, broadens your perspective, and sharpens the way you approach client outcomes and ethical decision making. Importantly, it also shows a clear commitment to lifting professional standards across our industry, which benefits clients, businesses and mortgage brokers alike,” said McLean.
For Sadler, the program was a catalyst for personal and professional reflection: “I started thinking differently about how I guide my team, how I share knowledge, and how I set up structures that empower new entrants to succeed in our industry,” she said.
MFAA CEO Anja Pannek congratulated the inaugural group, noting they had all shown true leadership and a commitment to professionalism.
“This is a defining moment for broking as a profession in Australia. The MFAA looks forward to many more experienced brokers investing in their career growth and becoming MFPAs,” said Pannek.
[Related: RMIT and MFAA unveil industry-first advanced broker education program]
