NZMAs strengthen the industry, says event partner
Nominations are rolling in for the 2025 New Zealand Mortgage Awards – the only event which celebrates the achievements of the mortgage and finance industry’s top performers.
The NZMAs, organised by Key Media with the support of NZ Adviser, will honour the best mortgage and commercial advisers, business development managers, brokerages, loan administrators, lenders and aggregators.
Nominations for the 2025 awards opened on Oct. 1 and will close on Nov. 15.
The cocktail-style evening, to be held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on April 10, 2025, has again attracted strong backing from the nation’s leading lenders and broker networks.
This includes non-bank lender Liberty, which supported this year’s awards and will again feature as event partner for 2025.
NZ Adviser caught up with Liberty Financial NZ CEO Aaron Skilton (pictured above) to discuss why supporting the New Zealand Mortgage Awards is so important
Awards bolster the industry, says Liberty
Skilton said as a standard bearer, the NZMAs played an important role in strengthening New Zealand’s mortgage industry.
“The event highlights the accomplishments of top performers while promoting best practices and setting new standards for the industry as it continues to grow and evolve,” Skilton said.
“It’s also a fantastic opportunity for advisers to come together from across the country, enhancing professional development through shared stories and experiences.
“As the official event partner, Liberty is excited to continue supporting advisers and taking the mortgage industry to new heights.”
Backing advisers, lifting their profile
Skilton said with advisers at the heart of its business, Liberty was proud to again be the official event partner of the New Zealand Mortgage Awards.
“This is a meaningful opportunity for us to honour the hard work and dedication of those who support Kiwis to achieve their free-thinking goals.”
Skilton said the awards were a fantastic way for advisers to connect with their peers, fostering a sense of community that strengthened “our collective impact”.
“Following last year’s success, we’re looking forward to another fantastic event that continues to advance the New Zealand mortgage industry.”
Skilton said the NZMAs celebrated the important work of advisers supporting borrowers and the wider community.
“It highlights the achievements of top performers, serving as a powerful reminder of the possibilities within our industry.
“By creating opportunities for advisers to learn from one another, we take pride in helping them adopt best practices and achieve success in their businesses.”
Skilton said in turn elevated the profile of mortgage advisers across the country, enhancing the value they brought to borrowers on their unique journeys.
Liberty a strong partner for mortgage advisers
Liberty is dedicated to forging strong relationships with mortgage advisers across New Zealand, said Skilton.
He said the lender remained focused on delivering innovative products and services to meet the changing needs of advisers and their customers in a dynamic mortgage landscape.
“We have expanded our network of BDMs to ensure unparalleled support and guidance for advisers across the country. In addition to our support for the NZMAs, we host regular networking events that provide advisers with valuable opportunities to connect, share ideas, and celebrate excellence.”
Skilton said by continuing to raise awareness of the unique solutions non-banks offered, the sector empowered advisers to deliver diverse, flexible, and tailored solutions that address customer needs.
“This approach opens doors for individuals and families, making the path to homeownership more accessible for Kiwis nationwide.”
NZMAs have expanded
The New Zealand Mortgage Awards have grown – in 2024, there were 16 categories, while the upcoming 2025 awards will feature 18 categories.
BDM awards
The Link Financial Group BDM of the Year, which was a combined award open to BDMs from banks, non-banks and aggregators, has now been split into three separate categories for the 2025 version.
BDMs will be able to nominate for one of three awards depending on whether they work for an aggregator, bank or non-bank.
The categories include Link Financial Group Best Bank BDM; NZFSG Best Non-Bank BDM; and Bizcap NZ Best Aggregator BDM.
Adviser awards
The efforts and skills of mortgage advisers will be recognised across five categories – First Mortgage Trust New Adviser of the Year; Commercial Mortgage Adviser of the Year; Pepper Money of the Year - Residential; Avanti Finance Adviser of the Year - Specialist Lending; and Adviser of the Year - Regional.
The national award, Liberty Adviser of the Year, is not open for nominations. It recognises the most outstanding adviser in New Zealand and the finalists for the award will be the winners of the individual adviser categories.
Brokerage awards
Mortgage brokerages have five different awards to choose from when it comes to nominations: Regional Brokerage of the Year; Kiwi Adviser Network Brokerage of the Year – 1 to 5 staff; Prospa Brokerage of the Year – 6+ staff; Finsure New Zealand New Brokerage of the Year; and Basecorp Finance Best Customer Service of an Individual Office.
Lender awards
There are two lender categories in 2025: Lender of the year (Major/Non-Major Bank); and Non-Bank Lender of the Year.
Aggregator award
New Zealand’s top broker networks will be vying for the Aggregator of the Year Award.
Other individual awards
There will also be awards presented to the Innovator of the Year, and the Loan Administrator of the Year.
How to enter the NZMAs
Mortgage industry professionals from across the nation are encouraged to nominate their peers who have shown excellence over the past 12 months (October 2023 to October 2024).
Self-nominations are also accepted. Nominations are now open and will close on Nov. 15. You can nominate here for the 2025 New Zealand Mortgage Awards.
For more details on the awards, visit the NZMAs website.
