Raising the bar: Australia’s inaugural MFPAs reflect on professionalism in practice

Achieving the MFPA is not just about being the proud holder of the first professional mortgage broker designation in Australia. For brokers who have successfully completed the program, it signifies they’ve made the smart choice to invest in themselves, their career and their business.

This is one of the key insights shared by six MFAA brokers, who are the first Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) members to receive the Mortgage Finance Professional Australia designation.

They are Jarrod Smith, director of Transact Finance in Perth; Kate Sadler, director of The Broker Society in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast; Varun Goyal, director of Melbourne brokerage Trusted Financial Choice; Haydn Marshall, principal of Lend Perspective in Sydney; Matt McLean, director of Adelaide-based McLean Home Loans; and Spiro Kolokithas, managing director of What If We Finance in Melbourne.

These experienced brokers have completed the Mortgage Finance Professional (MFP) Program, developed by the MFAA in partnership with RMIT Online. The MFP Program is the first university-level mortgage broker qualification to be offered in Australia.

It includes core modules on Personal Leadership, Customer Engagement and Business Management, plus the choice of one elective – either SMSF Lending or Financial Analysis for Mortgage Finance Professionals.

By completing the MFP Program, demonstrating excellence, and a commitment to professional standards in ethics, education, conduct and customer engagement, these brokers have been awarded the MFPA.

“Achieving the designation shows my clients that they are dealing with a finance broker with experience, and demonstrates to my teammates that I am always looking for ways to improve on my leadership skills,” said Jarrod Smith, the first broker in Australia to receive the designation.

MFAA CEO Anja Pannek congratulated the first group of MFAA members who have become MFPAs. “They have shown true lea