Search for a mortgage broker on the Northern Beaches and you will find dozens, from national franchises to one-person practices. Nearly all of them can compare rates. What separates them is harder to see from a website: how the loan is structured, who actually handles your file, and whether anyone looks at it again after settlement.

This is a practical checklist for choosing one, written from our side of the desk. We are a Northern Beaches brokerage ourselves — our office is at 16 The Centre, Forestville — so read it with that in mind, and apply the same questions to us.

1. Check the licence before anything else

Every mortgage broker in Australia must either hold an Australian Credit Licence or be an authorised credit representative of someone who does. Both are public. You can look up a broker's licence or credit representative number on ASIC's professional registers in a minute or two. A broker should be able to give you the number without hesitation — ours is in the footer of every page on this site.

Brokers must also belong to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), the free external dispute scheme, and since 2021 they have been legally required to act in your best interests when recommending a loan. Ask how they document that.

2. Understand how they are paid

For most residential home loans, a broker is paid a commission by the lender once the loan settles, so there is usually no direct cost to you. That commission has to be disclosed to you in writing before you proceed. Some commercial, business or specialised lending carries a fee instead, and that should be agreed up front — not raised at the end.

If a broker is vague about how they are paid, treat that as the answer.

3. Ask about the lender panel — and how it is used

A larger panel gives more options, but the number on its own says little. What matters is whether the broker actually works across it, or sends most loans to the same handful of lenders. Ask which lenders they have used recently for borrowers in a position like yours, and why.

This matters most if your income is not a simple PAYG salary. Self-employed income, bonuses, commission, trust distributions and contract work are assessed very differently from one lender to the next. Our guide to self-employed home loans explains why.

4. Find out who will actually handle your loan

In some practices, the person you meet is not the person who prepares your application or chases conditions before settlement. That is not necessarily a problem, but you should know who your point of contact is, how quickly they usually respond, and who covers when they are away. On the Northern Beaches, where a lot of property sells at auction, slow responses can cost you a property.

5. Look past the rate to the structure

Comparing rates is the part everyone expects. It is also the part that tends to matter least in five years' time. Structure is what decides how a loan works out: whether personal and investment debt are kept separate, whether an offset account sits where it should, and whether properties are cross-secured in a way that limits your next move.

A good broker will ask what you plan to do next — renovate, upgrade, invest, start a business — before recommending anything. If the first conversation is only about rate, ask what else they would look at.

6. Ask about pre-approval and auctions

If you are buying, ask how the broker approaches pre-approval. A pre-approval that has been properly assessed against your documents gives you far more confidence at auction than one issued from a quick online form. Our pre-approval guide covers the difference.

7. Ask what happens after settlement

Your circumstances, the loan market and your property's value all change. Ask whether the broker reviews your lending after settlement, how often, and what would prompt them to suggest a change — or to recommend leaving things alone.

8. Read reviews for the details

Star ratings help, but the detail is more useful. Look for reviews that mention a named broker, describe a situation like yours, and talk about communication and what happened when something went wrong. Google, RateMyAgent and ProductReview are good places to start.

Questions worth asking in the first conversation

  • What is your credit licence or credit representative number?
  • How are you paid on this loan, and will you confirm it in writing?
  • Which lenders would you consider for someone in my position, and why?
  • Who will handle my application day to day?
  • How would you structure the loan given what I plan to do next?
  • Do you review the loan after settlement?

How Sabea works

Sabea is a team of licensed credit advisers based in Forestville, working with property owners, investors and first home buyers across the Northern Beaches and North Shore — Frenchs Forest, Dee Why, Manly, Belrose, Chatswood, Mosman and surrounding suburbs — as well as clients across Sydney and Australia-wide. We compare more than 60 lenders, put one prepared application to the lender that fits rather than several speculative ones, and review lending with clients after settlement.

If you would like to talk it through, speak to a Sabea broker or call 1300 001 755. You can also see the suburbs we work with.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to use a mortgage broker on the Northern Beaches?

For most residential home loans there is no direct cost to you. Brokers are generally paid a commission by the lender once the loan settles, and that has to be disclosed to you in writing before you proceed. Some commercial or specialised lending carries a fee, which should be agreed in advance.

How do I check that a mortgage broker is licensed?

Ask for their Australian Credit Licence or credit representative number and look it up on ASIC's professional registers. Every mortgage broker in Australia must hold a licence or be authorised under one.

Do I need a local mortgage broker?

Not necessarily — most of the work can be done by phone and video. A broker who knows the Northern Beaches and North Shore market can help with timing around auctions, local valuations and suburb-specific purchase costs, but licensing, lender panel and how they structure the loan matter more than postcode.

Where is Sabea based?

Sabea's office is at 16 The Centre, Forestville NSW 2087. We work with clients across the Northern Beaches and North Shore, across Sydney and Australia-wide. Phone 1300 001 755.

General information only. It does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account, and it is not credit or financial advice. Lender policy, rates and eligibility change regularly and vary between lenders — talk to us about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.