Calls for leadership rethink to promote a more diverse broking industry
Despite incremental improvements, Australia's mortgage broking industry continues to face a substantial gender imbalance.
According to the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA)'s new 2025 Broker Density Report, only 30% of the 22,000-strong broking community are women.
This ratio has remained relatively unchanged in recent years, although it marks a slight improvement from 28% in 2024.
FBAA managing director Peter White said it was “encouraging to see more women entering a broking industry keen to utilise the unique skills and experience they bring to the profession”.
There has been a concerted effort in the industry to close the gender gap.
The FBAA backs the Women’s Commercial Finance Forum (WCFF), which promotes diversity through events, training sessions and awareness campaigns.
The Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) teamed up with the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) on the She Means Business pilot program earlier this year.
She Means Business is a federally funded program targeting small business gender diversity. Ten MFAA member businesses were selected to receive in-person mentoring, interviews and training sessions through to May 2026.
Yet, as Mortgage Choice franchise owner Belinda Sugars (pictured, right) discussed during MPA’s aggregator roundtable in July, the female-to-male ratio has shown little to no signs of changing despite these efforts.
Does broking industry need a leadership rethink?
Anne Bastian (pictured, centre), non-bank lender Liberty’s chief people officer, told MPA that “unconscious bias, a lack of role models, and exclusionary norms still hinder progress” on gender representation in the broking industry”.
“Beyond fostering inclusion at Liberty, our goal is to influence broader change by shifting perceptions, elevating women’s voices in lending, and addressing structural barriers such as income risk and access to networks,” added Bastian.
In MPA’s Elite Women 2025 report, Justine McDonald (pictured, left), franchise owner and finance specialist at Nectar Mortgages, drew attention to the leadership qualities of the broking industry.
“We need to rethink what leadership looks like,” said McDonald. “Let’s open the door to non-traditional paths, shared roles, flexible leadership models, and mentoring that meets women where they are at. We also need more women speaking at industry events, leading strategy, and designing the systems, not just adapting to them.”
