Mortgage Choice Limited
ASX: REA
Founded1992
FounderRodney Higgins & Peter Higgins
FateAcquired by REA Group
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Area served
Australia
Key people
Vicki Allan (Chairman)
Anthony Waldron (CEO)
ServicesMortgage broking
Websitewww.mortgagechoice.com.au

Mortgage Choice Limited, commonly known as Mortgage Choice, is an Australian mortgage broking firm.

Mortgage Choice is a current member of the Franchise Council of Australia[1] as well as the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia;[2] and holds a credit licence (number 382869) issued by ASIC.[3]

Mortgage Choice was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange until it was acquired by REA Group in 2021.[4]

History

The company was founded in 1992 in Sydney by Rod Higgins and Peter Higgins.[5] After two years in operation, the company became a franchisor in 1994 by selling its first franchise license in Wollongong. That grew to a national footprint in 1996.

In 1998 Mortgage Choice launched a website and ran its first TV advertisement one year later.

In 2004, the company officially listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

In 2008, it launched a diversified product offering, commencing with mortgage protection insurance; in 2011 that offering runs across commercial and personal loans, asset finance and risk and general insurances.

In 2009, Mortgage Choice acquired mortgage aggregator LoanKit.[6] This re-launched in 2010 as the company's aggregation arm.

In 2010, Mortgage Choice acquired Australian home loan and insurance comparison website HelpMeChoose.com.au;[7] and launched its first white label product bluegum™ home loans.[8]

In 2012, Mortgage Choice launched Mortgage Choice Financial Planning.[9]

In 2016, Mortgage Choice expanded its product offering by launching a branded asset finance offering.[10]

In 2018, Mortgage Choice announced the introduction of a new franchisee remuneration model that would give franchisees a bigger share of trail commissions, via a system in which franchisees can receive commissions based on either their new lending, or existing loans.[11]

In 2021, Mortgage Choice was acquired by REA Group, amalgamating the lesser-known REA Group-owned Smartline broker franchise into the Mortgage Choice brand. The acquisition increased Mortgage Choice's presence to 940+ brokers & 720+ franchises across Australia, as well as increasing the total lending partners to 40+.[12]

Operations

In Australia, Mortgage Choice is a national financial services company with a customer base in excess of 350,000 and a residential home loan panel of over 40 lenders.[13]

The head office is in Sydney, with state offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

References

  1. ^ "Current FCA Members". Franchise Council Australia. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Find An MFAA Member". MFAA. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  3. ^ "ASIC Connect".
  4. ^ "REA Group-Mortgage Choice acquisition gets approved". The Adviser. 27 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Mortgage Choice About Us". Mortgage Choice. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Mortgage Choice acquires Loankit". Business Spectator. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Mortgage Choice acquires HelpChooseMe". Smart Company. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Mortgage Choice launches bluegum home loans". Predictive Text. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Mortgage Choice ready with financial planning offer". Franchise Business. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  10. ^ AB. "Franchise launches branded asset finance arm". Australian Broker. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  11. ^ Ferguson, Clancy Yeates, Adele (12 July 2018). "Mortgage Choice profit to take a hit as it overhauls franchisee pay model". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Mortgage Choice. "REA Group completes acquisition of Mortgage Choice Limited". Mortgage Choice. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  13. ^ "About Mortgage Choice". Mortgage Choice. Retrieved 8 April 2018.

External links

Banking in Australia
Categories