Franchise brokerages: How the big brands keep standing out

In the mortgage industry, few names resonate as strongly with the public as the branded brokerages, which are often the first to come to mind for those less familiar with the sector.

Franchise brokerages like Aussie, Mortgage Choice, Resolve Finance, and Yellow Brick Road are among the most recognisable to consumers. But why are brokers drawn to them?

Brand power

Choosing to operate through a franchise brokerage – or stay independent – is ultimately about finding the right fit for each broker’s goals and working style.

Operating under an established name means brokers don’t have to build trust from scratch, while also benefiting from professional marketing materials and national campaigns that save time and money.

Another appeal is the steady flow of leads. Many franchise networks assign client inquiries by geography or availability, giving brokers a ready-made pipeline. However, this can also raise questions around client ownership and trail books, particularly for those planning to sell their business later.

Over the past year, the big franchise groups have been working closely with their brokers to ensure they’re offering a strong service proposition and strong cut-through with borrowers.

Approach shift

Aussie has undoubtedly been one of the big movers in 2025.

In March, Lendi Group, the parent company of Aussie and Lendi, confirmed that Aussie would become its primary broking brand, with 200 Lendi brokers making the switch.

Soon after, Aussie also unveiled a new proposition, Find.Buy.Own., marking a shift from being a traditional broking business to a “fully integrated property ecosystem”.

This involves leveraging technology such as the new Aussie Homes search platform and the Aussie App – which has already surpassed 100,000 downloads with more than 70,000 active users – while also offering brokers access to a range of in-house services, including buyer’s agents and conveyancing.

Speaking on The Adviser’s In Focus podcast earlier this year, Brad Cramb, Aussie’s chief distribution officer, said the group saw the pivot as an opportunity to offer consumers a better experience.

“Today’s experience is a bit fragmented when you’re buying a property. Brokers do a great job, but they rely on a lot of third parties,” he said.

“There are a lot of hand-offs, etc, as people are looking for property, all the way through to owning it. We see a future where we could provide a one-stop shop – a seamless experience for our customers as well as our brand.

“Find.Buy.Own encapsulates what we’re offering; it’s creating an ecosystem around the broker and it’s designed to address some of the problems brokers and customers face.”

New innovation

Franchise brokerages’ scale also gives them the capacity to innovate. Mortgage Choice’s new artificial intelligence (AI) suite, announced in August, is a good example.

The brand, which is part of REA Group (the global tech business behind property platform realestate.com.au), confirmed it had rolled out a range of new AI tools to brokers, as well as a new training centre to help brokers make best use of them.

Branded Gems, the AI suite – built on Google’s Gemini platform – includes a social media assistant that creates marketing content, a meeting assistant that transcribes and summarises client discussions, and a document checker for compliance and accuracy.

Mortgage Choice CEO Anthony Waldron stressed these innovations weren’t about replacing brokers, but amplifying their capacity to build relationships and close deals.

“Customers are expecting more personalised lending services,” he said.

“But that means that we also need to be able to make your jobs easier.

“We need to provide you with tools that make it more efficient for you to do your job, and technology and AI is reshaping the way that engagement works.

“There’s still a massive role for brokers to provide confidence and assurance – and that makes you more important than ever before.”

Reach and amplification

Another advantage of working with the big brands is their recognition, and these groups invest heavily to maintain their status as household names.

Loan Market, for example, launched a $5.5 million national advertising campaign to boost brand awareness and generate leads for brokers, updating its messaging from ‘Seriously Helpful’ to ‘Make it Yours’ across television, radio, outdoor, digital, and search engine channels.

Aussie also rolled out its Find.Buy.Own proposition with a new consumer campaign spanning TV, broadcast video on demand, high-impact outdoor, radio, and digital platforms. Viewers may have even spotted Aussie brokers and buyer’s agents on House Hunters Australia on Network 10, as part of the brokerage’s official show sponsorship.

Meanwhile, Mortgage Choice followed suit with its ‘More’ campaign, featuring around 40 brokers across TV, radio, digital, and outdoor executions. The brokerage brand was also announced as the official sponsor of 2025–26 National Basketball League (NBL) season, which will include in-stadium branding and activation, amplification through digital channels, and consumer promotion.

Franchise groups are also known to sponsor community organisations, events, and sporting teams, giving brokers opportunities to engage locally and increase visibility.

All these initiatives help keep the brands front of mind for consumers.

As 2025 shows, franchise brokerages are evolving rapidly, combining innovation, marketing reach, and community engagement to support both brokers and consumers alike. Ultimately, the decision comes down to the balance between independence and support.

For many, that combination of innovation, amplification, and camaraderie makes a branded path not just practical, but rewarding and professionally fulfilling.