Industry experts to address regulatory priorities, economic trends and broker business growth strategies
Mortgage and finance brokers will hear directly from regulators, economists and peers on the outlook for 2026 at the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia’s (MFAA) upcoming “Looking Ahead 2026” virtual event.
The professional development session will take place online on Tuesday, 10 February, from 11:30am to 3pm, and is free for MFAA members. Attendance will count for 3.5 CPD hours and a recording will be available for one month after the live broadcast.
The event will be hosted by journalist Hugh Riminton and will feature speakers from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), HSBC and Domain, along with practising brokers discussing how they are managing growth, compliance and operational pressure in their own businesses.
MFAA chief executive Anja Pannek (pictured top) will set out the association’s strategic priorities for 2026 and outline upcoming member activities. “This is a not-to-be-missed event for all MFAA members and brokers across Australia,” she said. “The information shared on the day will help you tackle 2026 with clarity and confidence.”
A key segment will examine how brokers are expanding services and building partnerships to support sustainable growth. Paul Katranis, director of SA Wealth Group, and Kate Sadler, director of The Broker Society, will discuss how they have used complementary offerings and strategic alliances in their businesses, followed by a live question-and-answer session with brokers.
Regulatory oversight will also be a central theme in a session with ASIC. Naveen Ahluwalia, MFAA executive of policy and legal, will moderate a discussion with Nathan Bourne, ASIC senior executive leader – credit, payments, general insurance and Indigenous Outreach Program.
ASIC will outline its regulatory priorities for 2026, with particular emphasis on its current monitoring of mortgage brokers’ Best Interests Duty (BID) obligations. This is ASIC’s first monitoring exercise focused specifically on BID since the duty came into force in 2021, and will be the first time many brokers hear directly from the regulator on how it is approaching this work.
The program will also address macroeconomic and property market conditions and how they may affect broker businesses and their clients in 2026, with HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham set to present an update on economic trends and forecasts, highlighting issues likely to shape mortgage demand and refinancing activity.
Domain Insight senior economist Joel Bowman will examine residential market conditions, including key trends and emerging opportunities for brokers, and both economists will take questions from attendees.
Brokers and other MFAA members can register for the event via the MFAA website.
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