From a childhood of renting to advocating homeownership
Tapere Hewett's (pictured) advocacy for homeownership isn't abstract. She said growing up in a community of mostly renters, and watching her own family repeatedly uprooted, shaped how she sees the value of owning a home.
"Growing up around a community of mainly renters was not the pathway I saw for mine or my family's future," Hewett said.
She added that being "somewhat controlled by my landlord was never on the cards" for her own life.
Hewett, who was included in NZ Adviser's Top Advisers 2026 list, credited her father with instilling that belief early on, pointing to her family's repeated experience of moving from house to house whenever a landlord decided to sell or raise the rent.
A philosophy carried into her advising work
That early experience now underpins how Hewett approaches her clients. She said she believes "everyone deserves to own their own home if they want too," a principle he said drives her work as a mortgage adviser.
"Living life on my own terms and controlling my own destiny was and is always the way to go," she said.
Entering the industry during COVID
Hewett became a mortgage adviser in 2020, one of the most disrupted periods for the property and finance sectors. She said she was taken on by mortgage adviser Tristan and a former lawyer, Elliot, crediting them with the opportunity to enter the profession.
"It was my mortgage adviser Tristan and ex-lawyer Elliot that took me on as an adviser," Hewett said. "I am forever grateful they allowed me the opportunity."
AI is the industry's biggest challenge
Hewett said keeping pace with AI is one of the most significant challenges facing advisers today, given how easily people can now get workable answers to financial questions without a human adviser.
"AI will be a huge challenge, ensuring advisers keep up with the play, optimise their service offering because there is no doubt, you can ask AI anything and you will get a good response in most cases," she said.
Her proposed solution is not to compete with the technology, but to double down on personal service.
"A solution in this case is to ensure advisers still provide personalized face to face service, people still want to deal with a person and not a robot online, they need an adviser who can validate their future pathways," she said.
Advice for those entering the industry
Hewett said passion is the essential starting point for anyone considering a career as an adviser, along with a willingness to put in the work early on.
"On many occasions building your client base, getting in front of people, showing why you do what you do and how your value helps others is crucial," she said, adding that finding strong mentors was central to her own development in the industry.
"Your first two-three years will be the building phase and where you will work the hardest you have ever worked to build your reputation, gain market presence and value," Hewett said.
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