What are Mortgage Aggregators / Dealer Groups?

Mortgage Aggregators, Dealer Groups and even Franchise Groups are sometimes referred to as acting as a wholesaler between lenders and Mortgage Brokers. On this page all of these bodies are referred to as Aggregators.  There are a large number of aggregators from which a new broker can choose.  We have a number of links to various aggregator websites on our Resources page, at this link.

For a mortgage broker to be able to introduce loans to a lender and get paid by that lender, they would normally need to work with an aggregator. The reason for this is that most lenders have volume and compliance requirements that the average broker would be unable to sustain unless they were a large business. Even then, they might only be able to maintain the volume required to a few lenders and need to employ staff to manage their compliance and relationship with the lenders. This could greatly reduce the offering they have to their customers and increase their overheads and work load.

Aggregators have evolved from the early days of the Mortgage Broking industry. Initially they began as mortgage brokers were approached by new brokers wanting access to lenders through their accreditations. Over time, through the process of bulking loan volumes (or aggregating these volumes ) they were able to negotiate better lender commission and service levels from lenders and set up systems and processes.

Today most aggregators not only offer brokers access to the lenders but also offer support services for their members. The support offered varies between aggregators and can include services like software (loan comparison, loan lodgement, CRM management), training (lending, sales and compliance), management support, lead generation, branding and back office support. The aggregator or franchisor may even offer their members the ability to be an authorised Credit Representative under their Australian Credit Licence (ACL) so that the broker would not then need to obtain a licence themselves. This can also be necessary if the broker is new to the industry and does not yet have two years experience.  An aggregator can also sometimes assist with sourcing a mentor to comply with the first two years' of mentoring required for new brokers.

The aggregator will generally charge a fee for offering these services. These fees may be in the form of a percentage of the fees received from the lenders or they may charge a fee per transaction or a flat monthly or annual fee. Some groups also charge a joining fee and a franchise will typically charge a franchise fee.

Working with an aggregator offers brokers the ability to operate their own business, offering a wide variety of lenders and loan products, but with the support of the aggregator.

With this assistance a mortgage broker is able to provide a sustainable benefit to consumers. Customers benefit from being able to compare different mortgage products available from a panel of lenders through one source (the broker) and subsequently receive products that best match their needs and individual circumstances.