Read Time: 3-4 minutes
The best mortgage advisors I know all have one thing in common:
They don’t just know lending.
They know what happens before and after the loan.
And as a lawyer working with first-home buyers every day, I can tell you—this matters way more than you think.
Most clients call their broker before anyone else.
Before the real estate agent.
Before the lawyer.
You’re their first point of contact — at every stage of the purchase.
But if you only know the lending piece, you miss three big chances to add value:
Clients don’t know where your job ends. They just know who helped them feel less overwhelmed.
Clients will ask you about timeframes, conditions, and KiwiSaver. You don’t need to be a lawyer — but you do need a basic understanding of how to guide that conversation.
They’ve got questions about LIMs, builders, insurance, and whether they’re on track. You can’t answer everything — but even just saying, “here’s a checklist,” or “that’s normal at this stage” builds serious trust.
[Insert links to due diligence checklist or other resources]
Most brokers check out once loan docs are issued.
But this is where you stand out.
Explaining what happens from here — signing loan docs, what the lawyer does next, and what settlement day looks like — makes you unforgettable.
Ignore this and here’s what happens:
You don’t need to be a legal expert.
You just need to map the journey.
1. Learn the rough timing and structure of an offer.
2. Understand the standard conditions and how KiwiSaver fits in.
3. Know what typically happens during due diligence.
4. Be able to talk them through the final steps — loan docs, handover, keys.
That’s it. That’s the edge.
In a crowded market, being sharp on lending is the baseline.
Being across the full purchase cycle is the difference.
