Show Notes
After a life-altering accident required Katherine Looke to leave her corporate job, she thrived under the flexibility of mortgage and finance broking and now specialises in working with essential services workers.
In this episode of New Broker, host Annie Kane chats to the First Look Finance founder about her first 18 months in the industry and how she's building her broking business for future growth through diversification and deep community networking. Tune in to find out: The unique challenges of writing loans for essential services personnel. How she manages her growing workflow. Why she's diversifying into commercial finance. And much more!
More from The Adviser Podcast Network
Refinancing is accounting for a growing share of broker lending at one aggregation group, while the latest figures point to shifting conditions across the mortgage market. In this episode of What's Making Headlines, The Adviser's senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian and commercial content writer Ben Squires unpack the latest lending figures and what they mean for brokers, aggregators, and the wider industry. They also discuss: Criticism of lender cashback tactics from the FBAA. The Coalition's proposed reset of ASIC and APRA's regulatory approach. What the MFAA's Global Insights Report reveals about Australia's broking model. And much more!
What does it take to transition from a major bank background into building a high-performing solo brokerage writing over $120 million a year? In this episode of Elite Broker, host Charlie Tchetchenian catches up with Tony Xia, director of Sydney-based brokerage The Mortgage Agency, to discuss his 11-year journey in the broking industry, how he built a streamlined residential lending business, and why he works a strict four-day week without sacrificing massive growth. Tune in to find out: How he grew his settlement volume by 37 per cent while only increasing his personal workload by 5–10 per cent. Why 95 per cent of his business comes from residential lending and non-professional referrals. How leveraging sales tracker CRM workflows and dedicated support staff protects his client experience. And much more!
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC's) long-awaited review into the best interests duty (BID) landed this week, prompting plenty of discussion across the mortgage broking industry. In this episode of What's Making Headlines, The Adviser's senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian and commercial content writer Ben Squires unpack the review and the immediate response from brokers, aggregators, and industry bodies. This week, they also discuss: Mortgage and borrower demand, alongside the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) latest minutes. Industry pushback against a proposed 1,000 per cent increase in brokers' Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) levy. A new appointment for an industry stalwart. And much more!
From starting out on the retail shop floor to spending years as CEO of iconic Australian brands Sportsgirl and Sussan, Colleen Callander has built a career in leadership while helping others build their own through her mentorship platform, Mentor Me Women. Ahead of her keynote at the Women in Finance Summit 2026, the transformational leader joins host Annie Kane to discuss her approach to leadership, career progression, and building authentic confidence. Tune in to find out: How she rose from folding denim as a 16-year-old to becoming CEO of major national brands. Why leading with empathy and kindness serves as a true leadership superpower rather than a weakness. Her practical approach to overcoming imposter syndrome and cultivating genuine confidence. And much more!
Retention tactics came under renewed scrutiny this week, with Macquarie Equity Research's latest broker survey revealing concerns that some lenders are holding back their strongest retention offers until a discharge is lodged. In this week's episode of What's Making Headlines, The Adviser's senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian and commercial content writer Ben Squires examine the findings and explore how borrower retention has become a major source of friction between lenders and the broker channel. The team also unpacks the latest APRA ADI statistics and other industry developments, including a new lender joining the federal government's Help to Buy scheme. This week, they discuss: New research showing prospective buyers increasingly want support from brokers. A non-bank lender's projections for commercial broker market share. What the RBA's latest Financial Stability Review reveals about the market. And much more!