Ahead of this year's awards, New Zealand Adviser is talking to past winners and sponsors
The New Zealand Mortgage Awards are almost here.
The annual event — scheduled for April 10 from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, at the Auckland War Memorial Museum — brings together the nation's top talent in the mortgage world, as the industry shines a light on best practices and leadership over the last year.
Attendees include commercial mortgage advisers, lenders, aggregators, business development managers, brokerages, loan administrators and service providers, all of whom come to mingle, learn about new trends in the mortgage space and hopefully take home one of the coveted awards.
This year's event includes an appearance by New Zealand's own radio and television host Jeremy Corbett, who will serve as MC, and DJ Venetia supplying the tunes.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Non-bank lender Liberty Financial will once act as event partner. Sponsors include Avanti Finance, Basecorp Finance, Bizcap, FAMNZ, Finbase, Finsure New Zealand, First Mortgage Trust, Kiwi Advisor Network, Link Financial Group, NZFSG, Pepper Money, Prospa and XCEDA.
Ahead of this year's celebration, New Zealand Adviser is talking to past winners and sponsors for their thoughts on the industry, what made them successful and what's to come in the new year.
Laura te Kaat (pictured), Christchurch-based adviser at The Mortgage Girls, took home the Pepper Money Adviser of the Year — Residential Award in 2024. The adviser shares her ideas for success, how her company supported her throughout the year and what others can do to make them standout. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.
NZA: What is the secret to your success? Why do you think you won?
Te Kaat: I genuinely love what I do. I’m not perfect. No one is. But I believe that the genuine desire to help people is the actual secret sauce. I give everyone the same energy and opportunity, whether I can help them now or not. I never pre-qualify a new lead; they all get one-on-one support and time from me. I recognize that helping people in their entire journey is an absolute privilege. And if I do a good job, they get a great outcome and tell their friends and family about me.
NZA: How did your company help support you throughout the year?
Te Kaat: The Mortgage Girls is a tight knit collaborative company where we all have each other's backs. Without a doubt, my success is attributable to the wider team. I cannot be successful without them. I even managed five weeks off in 2024 last year without having to look at my emails once. That is a massive win in this industry.
NZA: What makes The Mortgage Girls special in the adviser space?
Te Kaat: I think a major point of difference is that we are a female-led, all-female team. This makes us stand out in a unique way. This can [mean] leaning towards helping women in situations like separations, and those wanting a female perspective on finance. It is staggering how many women are the money handlers in the household. I think female empowerment is having a moment and people love getting on board with trends like this and I am here for it.
NZA: What can competitors learn from The Mortgage Girls?
Te Kaat: Our company sees collaboration as more important than competition and we support each other rather than compete with each other. We have team goals and rewards so that everyone feels valued equally.
We also see other advisers as part of a collective mission: to educate and assist Kiwis in securing their financial futures. What sets The Mortgage Girls apart is our genuine, client-first approach. We don’t just process mortgages; we empower our clients with knowledge, confidence and a clear path forward. Competitors could benefit from embracing a more educational approach, ensuring clients truly understand their options rather than just focusing on transactions.
NZA: What are some of your best practices as an adviser? What are you doing as an adviser that other advisers are not doing?
Te Kaat: I don’t tend to focus on what others are doing, because I believe we all do wonderful things for customers. But what I feel like I do really well is simple things, like picking up the phone. This can make all the difference to the customer experience and building long-term relationships. It’s never just about a single transaction; I stay with my clients well beyond settlement to help them with future financial goals.
If a customer sends a referral I reach out and say thank you. If I see something cool online [or] social media that my customer has achieved, or their business is advertising, a simple comment or like can strengthen the relationship
I also always take an education-focused approach. I make sure my clients understand every step, so they feel in control of their decisions. Industry collaboration is super important also. I often tap into a vast network of advisers, lenders and experts to ensure I’m always providing the most current and strategic advice.
NZA: What kind of advice would you have for advisers who are hoping to be recognized in the year ahead?
Te Kaat: Be genuine. Focus on your clients, not the accolades. The recognition comes when you consistently put in the effort to network, educate, support and guide people through what is often one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. And never stop learning. Stay ahead of industry changes, build strong networks and be the adviser your clients trust wholeheartedly.
NZA: What are your thoughts on New Zealand's loan and property markets as we enter into the back half of 2025?
Te Kaat: The second half of 2025 is shaping up to be an interesting one for the property and mortgage world. Interest rates have started to ease, which has been a massive relief for borrowers, and we’re seeing more confidence in the market as a result. The Reserve Bank has finally loosened up after a long stretch of high rates, and we’re expecting to see some gradual drops over the rest of the year. But don’t expect rates to plummet overnight. Everything is still being managed carefully to keep inflation in check.
For mortgage advisers, this means more clients looking to refix or refinance, trying to figure out whether they should lock in lower rates now or wait for more drops. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. So now’s the time for us to be having those conversations.
In addition, lower rates have definitely brought some buyers back to the market. First-home buyers who had been waiting on the sidelines are jumping in, and we’re even seeing more investors poking around again. That being said, house prices aren’t going crazy. Things are still balanced, which is actually good for stability.
We’re in a period of change, but overall, things are looking much better than they were a year ago. For us as advisers, this is the time to be checking in with clients, helping them make sense of the rate changes and making sure they’re in the best position moving forward. There are plenty of opportunities ahead.
