Flat-fee model criticised

MORTGAGE Choice CEO Susan Mitchell has rejected suggestions that the industry should look to a lender-paid flat-fee model for brokers.

The Labor Party initially expressing “in-principle” support for all 76 of Commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s recommendations in his final report for the financial services royal commission, including a call for a borrower-pays model in the broking industry.

The Adviser, which covers the latest news and trends in the broking and finance industry, reached out to the Australian Labor Party for confirmation of its reported broker remuneration policy, but the federal opposition declined to comment.

Since then, the Labor Party has officially announced its policy response to the broker remuneration recommendations from the royal commission, softening its position and backing away from a consumer-pays model and calling for a lender-paid standardised flat fee.

Instead of recommending that the consumer would pay mortgage brokers a fee, the Labor Party has proposed that lenders instead pay brokers a standardised upfront fee as a proportion of the loan amount.

Several members of industry have welcomed Labor’s reported change in stance.

Mortgage Choice CEO Susan Mitchell said this is a very pleasing development to have the Labor Party reconsidering the consumer-pays model.

Pointing to evidence provided by Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn during his appearance before the royal commission, Ms Mitchell said that a flat-fee would not sustain the broker model.

The Mortgage Choice CEO also backed the current remuneration model, noting that it ensures that the interaction between brokers and their clients is relationship-based rather than “transaction only”.

Connective director Mark Haron said that they welcomed Labor’s considered position in respect to mortgage broker remuneration.

“Preserving a lender pays commission to broker, not a borrower pays fee, supports competition and choice to all mortgage customers.

“However, we would like to recognise that it was the Coalition Government’s position, as stated at the time of the release of the Commission’s report, that they supported a lender paid commission instead of the recommended customer paid fee.”