How the mortgage advice business is investing in its own technology to keep the human side of the job front and centre
Squirrel helps arrange roughly $3 billion in residential home loans each year, working with the country's major banks as well as its own suite of unique loan products. The business describes its mission in a single line: making finance fairer for New Zealanders, including borrowers who don’t fit the traditional bank box.
That mission is reflected in the fact that 26 Squirrel advisers have earned a spot in this year's NZ Adviser Top Advisers 2026 list [when available, link to NZA Top Advisers 2026 special report], up from 24 the year before. The growth sits alongside the business’ deliberate investment in its own technologies, built specifically to support advisers rather than replace them.
MORE INFORMATION HAS NOT MADE THE JOB SIMPLER
Lending rules shift, regulation tightens, and clients now arrive with more information at their fingertips than ever before. For Callan Wayne-Bowles, group head of advisory at Squirrel, that shift has changed what advisers are for.
"AI means clients now have access to more information than ever, which is great but can also be quite overwhelming," he says. "People still want and need trusted advice to help them make sense of it all, and make sure they're getting the right solution, tailored to their situation."
THE TIME AI SAVES ON ADMIN GOES BACK TO CLIENTS
Kat McInnes, an Auckland-based mortgage adviser at Squirrel, points to the firm's decision to build its own tools rather than buy off-the-shelf software.
"Squirrel's continually investing in tech and systems, our own bespoke tools and AI, to help us work more efficiently," she says. "It means we can get through administrative tasks more quickly and get to the really valuable stuff faster, providing solutions and recommendations for our clients."
TECHNOLOGY STRENGTHENS THE RELATIONSHIP, IT DOESN’T REPLACE IT
Oli Keogh, a Wellington-based mortgage adviser at Squirrel, describes what that shift has meant for the day-to-day mechanics of his own client work.
"Squirrel's technology speeds up a lot of the traditionally time-intensive, repetitive admin work that used to eat up most of our days," he says. "It means I can spend more time doing the stuff that adds the most value, working with my clients. Technology doesn't replace human relationships, but does strengthen them by allowing me to be more responsive, accurate, and available when clients need it most."
FASTER, MORE INFORMED, MORE PERSONALISED
Tina Liu, an Auckland-based mortgage adviser at Squirrel, frames the firm's technology as something built to sit behind her advice rather than in front of it.
"Technology is most powerful when it's used to complement, rather than replace, human expertise," she says. "Squirrel's investment in AI and bespoke technology takes care of most of the manual administration, giving me more time to focus on what matters most, understanding my clients' goals and offering tailored advice."
THE TECHNOLOGY IS BUILT IN-HOUSE, AND THAT SHOWS UP IN THE OUTPUT
Squirrel has chosen to build its own technologies and platforms, rather than buy off-the-shelf solutions. An in-house team develops and deploys the platforms advisers use day to day, with a specific mandate to solve for pain points as they show up in practice.
Ange Wanoa, a Christchurch-based mortgage adviser at Squirrel, sees that same investment showing up in how straightforward the process feels for clients, not just how fast it moves.
"AI has made the admin piece of our role a lot faster and easier," she says. "That frees us up to be more responsive for our existing clients, meaning faster turnaround times, and to help more people. It also means we can produce clear and consistent diary notes in less time, so the banks are receiving better quality applications."
WHERE THE INVESTMENT IS HEADED NEXT
That same logic extends past any single adviser's day-to-day workload. Squirrel's stated goal is to keep making advice and lending more accessible, simplifying processes and connecting people to the right solution sooner, so a wider range of borrowers can reach a better outcome, including the ones a traditional bank might turn away.
WHAT THE GROWTH ON THIS YEAR'S LIST REFLECTS
The jump from 24 to 26 advisers on New Zealand's Top Advisers list is a small number in isolation. What it points to is a broader bet, that in an industry where AI is rapidly commoditising access to information, the advisers who keep client trust are the ones freed up to spend more time building it.
For an industry watching AI reshape what advice work looks like, Squirrel's approach offers a specific answer to a question most financial services businesses are still asking, which is not whether to invest in technology, but what to protect by doing so.
For more information on Squirrel, visit squirrel.co.nz.
NZA Top Advisers 2026 – Squirrel award winners:
- Aatish Balsara
- Adam Clark
- Ange Wanoa
- Basil Frank
- Bernie Upton
- Carley Brunning
- Daniel Kuo
- Emma Wallace
- Jessica Carr
- Jordan Mitchell
- Kat McInnes
- Kyle Moritz
- Matthew Van Geest
- Mayank Patel
- Nathan Miglani
- Nelson Ford
- Nick Virtue
- Oliver Keogh
- Peimin Huang
- Shiva Iyer
- Steven Hogg
- Stevie Wallace
- Sudam Salunke
- Sunil Chandra
- Tessa Jacks
- Tina Liu
This article is sponsored by Squirrel
