Mortgage brokers are already using AI. The real question is which kind

AI has rapidly shifted from novelty to everyday business tool faster than anyone expected. For most brokers, that has meant using it for straightforward tasks such as drafting emails, summarising meetings and creating social media content. Those use cases are valuable, but they’re also widely accessible and easy to replicate.  

But there’s an important distinction: the difference between AI tools anyone can access and the ones your aggregator can build for you. One is a widely available. The other can create a genuine sustainable edge.  

AI isn’t replacing the expertise, judgement or relationships that define brokers. It’s helping reduce the workload that sits around them, freeing up more time for the conversations and decisions that matter most.  

The AI you can get anywhere  

Plenty of the everyday wins are genuinely do-it-yourself. The tools are accessible, affordable and good enough to start today: 

• Client communication: drafting updates, answering common questions and keeping clients informed at each stage. 

• Document chasing and admin: prompting clients for outstanding information and organising what comes in. 

• Marketing and content: turning conversations and market updates into posts, newsletters and review requests in minutes. 

• Business insights: spotting patterns in your own numbers to sharpen how you plan. If you’re not doing at least some of this, start. But be clear about what it is: a productivity layer you assemble yourself, one subscription at a time. 

But there’s a layer these tools can’t reach  

These tools are valuable for generic, repeatable tasks. But they have limits. They can’t see your live deals, client portfolio, lender panel or compliance requirements, because they weren’t designed to. That’s where aggregator-built AI comes into its own, operating within parts of the business that off-the-shelf tools simply can’t reach.  

The AI only your aggregator can build 

The AI that genuinely changes how a broking business runs is built on things a standalone tool can never reach, like the patterns drawn from thousands of brokers, not just your own book. That can’t be bought off the shelf. It should be built into the platform that already runs your business, and that’s something only your aggregator can do for you. Done well, every new capability flows to everyone inside your aggregator’s ecosystem, so the advantage grows without you lifting a finger. If your aggregator has added AI by adding a chatbot, that isn’t achieving the same thing. What matters is AI that’s embedded in the work you actually do, built on data only your aggregator holds. 

What that looks like in practice 

That’s where AFG’s technology strategy is focused. Suite360 brings customer management, lenders, compliance, analytics and learning into a single ecosystem, with BrokerEngine Plus, built for AFG brokers, at the centre of it. AFG has invested more than $1 million in AI as part of its technology roadmap, with a focus on solving real broker challenges. 

The proof lies in what these tools can do with data that generic AI simply can’t access. AFG is trialling document recognition in BrokerEngine Plus to identify and classify deal files as they arrive, helping brokers spot missing information before submission rather than chasing it later. Because it’s built around real workflows and real data, it solves problem generic AI can’t. The same applies to Assist AI, which is already helping brokers by answering AFG Home Loans policy questions in real time and providing and providing guidance based on current policy.  

Our approach is deliberate: practical, proven capability built into everyday workflows, not features launched for the sake of a headline. 

What is your aggregator building for you? 

The commodity layer you can sort yourself. The question worth asking is about the rest: when did your aggregator last release a technology update that genuinely changed how you work, built on the data and systems only they have? 

AFG’s answer is to keep investing in technology that delivers measurable value, while being transparent about what’s being built, what’s been learned and what’s making a difference for our brokers.  

With more than 4,300 brokers, record settlement volumes and a panel of 80+ lenders, the foundations are strong. The technology built on them has never been more capable. 

AI isn’t here to replace brokers. It’s here to reduce the friction and administrative workload, freeing you to focus on the relationships, advice and lending expertise that creates real value.  

This article contains general information only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax or accounting advice. The information does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. Before making any financial or business decision, independent professional advice should be obtained where appropriate.