Progress and innovation are being held back in mortgage broking due to a persistent gender imbalance, according to FBAA MD and IMBF chair, Peter White.
The managing director of the Finance Brokers Association of Australasia (FBAA) and chair of the International Mortgage Brokers Federation (IMBF) has noted the persistent gender imbalance in mortgage broking, but flagged that more mentoring and sponsorship of women could help attract and retain more women in industry.
Peter White AM has highlighted new research that shows that female representation is still low in the mortgage and finance broking industry and called for more action to encourage greater gender diversity.
White flagged that the FBAA’s recently released Broker Density Report 2025, compiled by research house CoreData, found that around 30 per cent of Australian mortgage brokers were female or around 6,499 women.
While this is an increase on previous years (the split was 72/28 male to female in 2024), White suggested that more could be done.
He flagged a white paper from the IMBF World Summit, which took place in Dublin in May 2025, which found that the broking industry in various countries is still male-dominated.
The white paper reads: “Across various regions, participants emphasised an everyday reality: mortgage broking remains a profession dominated by men. Despite its relationship-driven and often flexible nature, the perception persists that broking is high-pressure, financially risky, and unsuitable for women seeking balance or re-entering the workforce.
“The lack of visible female leaders reinforces this perception.
“You can’t be what you can’t see,” one participant noted, highlighting how the absence of senior women mortgage brokers indicates a shortage of opportunity, even when it’s not intentional.
“In several markets, clients still assume that mortgage brokers are male. While some countries, such as Canada, have made promising progress, others are only now seriously addressing this gap.”
White noted that the IMBF conference heard that some countries have started to formalise mentoring programs for brokers; however, many still depend on informal networks that are often male-dominated.
One conference participant noted: “There are plenty of women entering the field, but few stick with it. Mentoring is what helps you stay.”
He said that the IMBF had identified five clear recommendations that emerged to advance the industry:
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Make women visible: Use industry campaigns to highlight diverse, genuine stories of women excelling in broking across various life stages, roles, and business models.
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Mentor and sponsor intentionality: Formalise structured mentoring programs and incentivise senior mortgage brokers to support new female entrants by providing access to networks, leads, and opportunities.
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Monitor what matters: Mortgage broker associations should publish data on participation and progress by gender and region, establish benchmarks, and celebrate achievements.
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Support the transition: Reduce financial and psychological barriers to entry.
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Rebrand the profession: Change the story from hustle culture to professional independence, relationship-building, and significant impact – values that resonate widely, including with women.
White noted: “Men continue to dominate the broking profession.
“But with more mentoring and sponsorship, we can attract and retain more women to mortgage broking, which stands to benefit from the skills and experience they bring to the profession.”
The FBAA MD also reflected that a growing number of women are winning industry awards, including the FBAA’s recent Awards of Supremacy, held on 31 October on the Gold Coast.
“It was pretty clear that while women might represent 30 per cent of our industry, they also represent a much larger percentage of higher performing brokers,” he said.
You can find out more about how the industry can better support women in the broking industry at the upcoming Women in Finance Summit 2025, where the FBAA is a gold partner.
Hosted by Momentum Media’s finance network, the event will take place this Friday (14 November) at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney. Click here to buy tickets.
[Related: Women in Finance Awards 2025 finalists revealed]
