By Kellie Ell
Australia's mortgage and finance industry's top performers flocked to the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney's central business district Thursday night for the annual celebration of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territories finest.
In fact, roughly 500 professionals — including brokers, brokerages, lenders, aggregators and service providers — turned up at the luxury hotel in honour of the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) the 2026 NSW and ACT State MFAA Excellence Awards.
“The New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory finalists and winners reflect the high standards, professionalism and adaptability that continue to define the broker channel,” Anja Pannek, chief executive officer of the MFAA. “In a lending environment that continues to evolve, brokers play an increasingly important role helping clients navigate complexity and make informed financial decisions with confidence.”
Indeed, amid an increasingly complex lending environment — one that is marked by higher interest rates and inflationary pressures, a stubborn housing shortage and global conflict — borrowers are turning to brokers for their support more and more. According to the MFAA's latest report on broker market share, brokers wrote 81% of all residential home loans in the most recent quarter.
Against that backdrop, Pannek said selecting this year's winners was no easy task.
“The quality of submissions this year highlighted the depth of expertise and commitment across the New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory broking community, particularly in delivering strong client outcomes and trusted guidance," the CEO explained.
Bob Masalkovski, MFAA state manager for NSW and ACT, added that this year's event in Sydney sold out six weeks in advance, underscoring the prestige of the MFAA Awards as one of the industry's highest honours.
"The MFAA Excellence Awards are about much more than recognising individual achievement. They bring together some of the industry's highest performing mortgage and finance brokers, businesses and professionals in one room, creating an environment where people can learn from each other, share ideas and be inspired," Masalkovski told Australian Broker.
"Success leaves clues, and there is real value in surrounding yourself with people who are achieving great things," he continued. "Hearing their stories, celebrating their success and building those connections motivates others to lift their own performance. Events like these strengthen our profession because they create a community where excellence is celebrated and shared."
Edison Xie, AFG
Bella Minns, Deposit Power
Louisa Sanghera, Zippy Financial
Michael Fazzolari, Medx Finance
Louisa Sanghera, Zippy Financial
John Pastega, Australian Finance Hub
Nikhil Goyal, Finance for Tomorrow
Kirsty Mckinnon, Flair Finance
Katie Thomas, Focus Finance
Michaela Shaw, MoneyQuest Penrith & Blue Mountains
Azura Financial
Front Financial
Azura Financial
Macquarie Bank
Bankwest
Pepper Money
Teachers Mutual Bank Limited
Bridgit
Winners were determined through an independent judging process. Results were verified by Hall Chadwick to ensure transparency and fairness, the MFAA said.
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