Supporters, award winners share highlights
The sun has set on the New Zealand Mortgage Awards, and the event partner, associate sponsor and two of the award winners are reflecting on the highlights of a highly successful night.
In its third year, the NZMAs in 2023 featured the inaugural in-person mortgage awards ceremony. Held at the Hilton Auckland on April 27, the event attracted a crowd of almost 200 including mortgage advisers, brokerages, lenders and business development managers from around the country.
Organised by Key Media and supported by NZ Adviser, non-bank lender Bluestone was the event partner for the awards, Select was co-event partner, and the award sponsors were Avanti Finance, First Mortgage Trust, Prospa and Mike Pero Mortgages. ASB Bank was the associate sponsor.
Bluestone head of sales Sue Griffiths (pictured below) summed up the event as “a huge success”, noting that the level of attendance exceeded expectations.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve done this event online … to have a live event with everyone together was probably the biggest highlight for me – people want to celebrate together,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths acknowledged that mortgage advisers, lenders and those in sales and supporting roles love what they do and are committed to the industry.
“I’m very thankful to the supporters and other lender sponsors who helped us get this event off the ground,” she said.
Griffiths commended the cocktail-style format, which she said prompted people to network and converse.
The event provided an opportunity to hold successive awards events and develop further education and networking opportunities for the industry, Griffiths said. Previous examples of other events include a national non-bank lender ”speed lender dating” event, at which a non-bank representative was at each table and mortgage advisers rotated every 10 minutes, having the ability to ask questions directly to BDMs.
“From an industry perspective, I think there’s another level that we can start working on,” Griffiths said. “It’s an ideal time for everybody to support each other, particularly as we move through these challenging times.”
iConsult director and chief adviser Satyan Mehra (pictured below), winner of the Avanti Finance Adviser of the Year - Specialist Lending award and the Commercial Mortgage Adviser award, said that events such as an annual awards evening were necessary for New Zealand’s mortgage industry.
“This is the first event of its kind where advisers' hard work and commitment to the industry is recognised,” Mehra said.
The awards gave advisers and broking firms across the country (irrespective of their accreditation group) an opportunity to participate and recognise the “best of the best”, he said.
“Since the inception of these awards back in 2020, COVID-19 hasn't helped to bring life to these awards … talking to everyone present at the awards night, it seems the entire industry is looking forward for this event to grow into even a bigger and better one,” Mehra said.
Mehra also acknowledged that taking home three awards out of four categories for which iConsult was nominated was a personal highlight.
“I am thrilled for myself and iConsult to be the winners of Mike Pero Mortgages Brokerage of the Year 1 to 5 Staff, Avanti Finance Adviser of the Year - Specialist Lending and Commercial Mortgage Adviser award,” he said.
The Mortgage Girls mobile mortgage adviser Elyce Peters (pictured below) said that she and the team enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the year’s successes with advisers and lenders.
“As our team are all currently from Christchurch, it was also a great opportunity to catch up with our fellow advisers from all over New Zealand, actually meeting in person the people we know via photos, Zoom and phone calls,” Peters said. “There were lots of hugs, laughs and banter which was amazing.“
Peters, who won the Adviser of the Year – Regional award, said she was humbled to come away with not just one but two awards, The Mortgage Girls having won the Prospa Brokerage of the Year – 6+ Staff award and the Best Mortgage Brokerage Firms in New Zealand.
“I'm not one who is easily made speechless, however I was speechless twice that night as I wasn't expecting our team to win either of these awards,” Peters said.
Having started The Mortgage Girls with Holly Sullivan in 2015, Peters said that she was proud to have created an “incredible company and team”.
“To be recognised on a national level is just amazing … also to have been presented with this award with my almost three-month old daughter in my arms is a moment I will never forget,” she said.
ASB Bank head of third party banking Amanda Young said that the bank was excited to support this year’s awards as associate sponsor.
“The event was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with business partners from across New Zealand. There was a real buzz and energy in the room, and it was a treat to see the best of the best in the industry together celebrating their achievements,” Young said.
“ASB values the adviser community and working together we play a critical role helping Kiwis into homes and with their homeownership goals. Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners."
