A decade advising, one lesson: patience turns declines into deals
For Nicole Keane (pictured), home loan adviser at Priority Home Loans, the case that best captures what advising is actually about wasn't a quick approval — it was a client who initially couldn't get one at all.
"Early on in my career I had a client that came to see me and due to the level of short-term debt they had, their borrowing ability was considerably low," Keane said. The client had a family and wanted to settle long-term in a suburb where they could raise their kids.
Rather than turning them away, Keane — a three-time NZ Adviser Elite Woman (2023, 2024, 2026) and Top 25 Broker (2024, 2025) — worked with them over an extended period.
"We had several check ins over around two years where the clients worked incredibly hard to repay short term debt and grow their deposit to put themselves into a stronger position," she said. "Then after two years the clients ended up signing up to build a beautiful family home which they moved into around a year later."
"Not right now, but when"
The experience shaped a philosophy Keane now applies to every borderline case.
"Instead of declining or turning away a client — it’s more of a 'not right now, but when' if they aren't in a position to buy it is our responsibility to give them solutions of how we can turn a no into a yes," she said.
Ten years in, thanks to a family tip-off
That patience was there from the start of her career, which began almost by accident.
Keane marked 10 years in the role this July. She entered the industry through her mother, Katherine Paynter, an adviser who had previously worked at BNZ and invited her to learn the role. Keane was 22 and working as a night and weekend supervisor at a boutique hotel in Brisbane at the time. She started in admin and support before qualifying, working as an adviser, and eventually becoming a full contractor and, last year, her own authorised body.
Advice for new advisers: patience and empathy
Keane's guidance to newcomers centres on the human side of the job.
"Having patience, understanding an empathy goes along way," she said. "You are guiding someone through what is possibly one of the largest purchases of their life. The process can be scary and daunting but with the right adviser and the right advice, it doesn't need to be."
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