Just 19% of Australian brokers maintain consistent client contact, despite clear links to referral and enquiry growth, research finds
Most Australian mortgage brokers are not keeping in regular contact with clients and referral partners, leaving potential business on the table, according to new research from Cotality.
The findings come from Cotality's State of Content Marketing 2026 whitepaper, which draws on responses from 414 Australian mortgage brokers surveyed through the Broker Pulse Residential Lending Omnibus Survey (2026), alongside 79 New Zealand mortgage advisers surveyed separately by Cotality.
The research found that 45% of Australian brokers do not communicate regularly with clients or referral partners, with a further 36% doing so only occasionally. Just 19% — fewer than one in five — reported maintaining consistent communication.
Among those who do communicate consistently, 85% recorded at least one measurable business outcome, including increased client enquiries, stronger client relationships, and improved referral activity.
"Brokers who communicated regularly shared useful, relevant information that kept them connected with clients between transactions," said Nina Ardila (pictured right), mortgage industry partnership lead at Cotality. "Most brokers understand the value of repeat business and referrals, but many struggle to stay visible once a loan settles.
"Regular communication doesn't have to be complicated. Clients value practical information that helps them make informed property and lending decisions, whether they're thinking about refinancing, renovating, buying an investment property or simply trying to understand what's happening in their local market."
Among brokers who do communicate regularly, market updates and lending tips were the most common content formats, each used by 75% of respondents. More than half (54%) also shared client success stories, while a similar proportion distributed educational content explaining lending concepts in plain language.
"Clients continue making property decisions long after settlement, and brokers who stay engaged with credible, local insights are more likely to remain front of mind when those next decisions arise," said Carl Pinto (pictured right), director of industry solutions at Cotality.
"There is no shortage of property news or interest rate headlines, but borrowers place greater value on understanding what those changes mean for their own home, borrowing capacity or next property decision.
"Property data allows brokers to personalise those conversations. Being able to explain what's happening in a client's suburb, estimate the equity they've built or show how comparable properties are performing creates more meaningful conversations and reinforces the value of professional expertise."
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