iscover 
Speaking on the Finance Specialist podcast, Liam Garman and Trent Carter said the current market presents opportunity for brokers who are prepared to act early and engage more deeply with their clients.
“Where complexity is and where confusion reigns for your clients… this is where you can win,” Carter said.
As interest rates increase and serviceability settings tighten, borrowers are facing a more challenging path to accessing credit. However, the pair noted this is not a crisis-driven environment – but one defined by policy shifts and changing lender behaviour.
Policy shifts driving complexity
According to Carter, a range of factors are influencing how lenders assess borrowers, including higher cash rates, cost-of-living pressures, and adjustments to internal benchmarks such as household expenses.
“Inflation is starting to drive the conversation more and that drives cost of living pressures and that cost of living pressure is a real thing because we’re starting to see banks adjust their policy,” Carter said.
At the same time, debt-to-income (DTI) limits and tighter rules around trust and company lending are beginning to impact investor activity, while housing demand continues to support price growth.
“So these are the things that are going on in Australia that people need to start thinking about. It’s not sort of the real crisis-driven-type stress. It is complex,” Carter said.
This complexity, he added, is where brokers can differentiate themselves by moving beyond rate comparisons and focusing on guidance and strategy.
“This is where all of a sudden you can elevate yourself to a finance professional rather than just a broker they go and see when they want to buy something,” he said.
Opportunity in proactive engagement
The discussion also highlighted the importance of re-engaging existing clients, particularly as many borrowers continue to absorb cumulative rate increases.
“I think now where people have perhaps absorbed cumulative rate shocks… all of a sudden the cost of the mortgage has crept up,” Carter said.
He warned that brokers who fail to initiate these conversations risk losing clients to competitors or direct channels.
“If you’re not in control of that conversation, someone else definitely will be,” he said.
Rather than focusing solely on refinancing, Carter encouraged brokers to prioritise long-term relationships and trust by providing honest, situation-based advice.
“What we are recommending is that we take stock and do a thorough review and making sure that your next move is the smart one,” he said.
The pair also pointed to growing opportunities in areas such as non-bank lending and business owner clients, particularly as borrowers seek more flexible solutions and support in navigating both personal and commercial debt.
Ultimately, Carter said the brokers who succeed in the current environment will be those who adopt a disciplined, process-driven approach to managing their client base.
“Process wins,” he said.
“I think in volatile markets, what you’re going to find is process is going to beat anyone’s personality.”
[Related: AMP to ‘embrace’ AI as tech reshapes banking]
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