Gladstone mortgage broker wins top gong at MFAA awards

Ruan Burger from Home Loans Etc has been named mortgage broker of the year at the 2012 Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) Excellence Awards held in Sydney over the weekend. 

Burger also picked up the MFAA Excellence Award of Distinction, chosen from all the individual award winners. 

Home Loans Etc operates from offices in the mining boom town of Gladstone as well as in Brisbane. 

Speaking to Property Observer, Burger says the firm only set up in Gladstone in 2007 but has already become a household name in what is a “great market”. 

“Gladstone is not the biggest of places and with the kind of rental yields on offer here you can’t go too far wrong,” he says. 

Despite the high yields, Burger says a lot of the loans his team writes are for owner-occupiers. 

“There are a lot of people moving here. The town has a lot to offer. People are saying, ‘Why not bring the whole family’,” he says. 

Burger says he believes he won the award because the business returned good numbers as well as because of its involvement in community projects. 

“We don’t just write loans,” says Burger, who originally hails from Windhoek, Namibia. 

Listed mortgage broking franchise Mortgage Choice picked up two MFAA awards. 

It was named retail aggregator/originator of the year of the year for the sixth time in eight years, defeating other finalists John Symond’s Aussie Home Loans and Smartline, while Glenelg loan consultant Keith added to the company’s success by winning the individual achievement award. 

AFG was named retail and wholesale aggregator/originator of the year, ANZ was named best major bank lender, while Bankwest picked up the prize for best tier two lender. 

MFAA chief executive officer Phil Naylor says the awards recognise mortgage and finance professionals who “display a high degree of professionalism, commitment to service, integrity, ethical conduct and innovation. 

“Winners have also demonstrated a contribution to their local community,” he says. 

The full list of 2012 MFAA Excellence Award winners is: 

The MFAA Excellence Award of Distinction 2012 

• Ruan Burger, Home Loans Etc, Gladstone  QLD 

Individual Awards: 

• Achievement Award: Keith Caine, Mortgage Choice, Glenelg East, SA 
• Mortgage Broker Of The Year: Ruan Burger, Home Loans Etc, Gladstone, QLD
• Finance Broker of The Year: Daniel Zadnik, Hawthorn Finance, Burwood, VIC.
• Business Development Manager of the Year: Fiona Brown, Connective OSN, Sydney, NSW

Business Awards:

• Lender of the Year (Tier 1): ANZ Bank
• Lender of the Year (Tier 2):Bankwest
• Finance Broking Business: Horizon Financial, Cairns QLD
• Retail & Wholesale Aggregator/Originator: AFG, West Perth, WA
• Mortgage Broking Business: 2-5 loan writers: Great Aussie Dream, Glenmore Park, NSW
• Mortgage Broking Business: 6+ loan writers: Bernie Lewis, Mile End, SA
• Mortgage Manager of the Year State Custodians Mortgage Company, Toronto, NSW
• Mortgage Manager of the Year 30+ employees: Homeloans Ltd, Perth, WA
• Retail Aggregator/Originator: Mortgage Choice, Sydney, NSW
• Support Services: Stargate Group, Richmond, VIC
• Wholesale Aggregator/Originator: Vow Financial, Sydney, NSW