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Ask a mortgage broker to show, in writing, which lenders and products were considered, why the recommended loan suits your circumstances, what you will pay over its full term, and how the broker is compensated. Then verify the broker’s authorization and complaint process with your local regulator before you sign.
The checklist below is designed for a real broker meeting. Rules and disclosure documents differ by country and state, so treat US, Australian and Queensland references as jurisdiction-specific guidance rather than universal law.
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Start with the broker’s access and recommendation
Which lenders and products can you actually access?
Ask: “Which lenders and products can you access, and is that the whole market or a defined panel?” A broker may work with a selected group rather than every lender in your market. Ask which relevant lenders or products were unavailable because they were outside that panel, did not accept your borrower profile, or were temporarily closed to applications.
What alternatives did you compare?
Request a list of the options considered for your deposit, income, debts, credit history, property and intended term. Ask: “What is the next-best alternative, and why did you prefer this one?” The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) encourages consumers to speak with at least three providers. That is US consumer guidance, not a universal legal requirement, but it is a useful discipline wherever you live.
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Why is this loan right for my priorities?
A sound recommendation connects the loan’s features and total cost to your stated needs: predictable payments, the ability to make extra repayments, an offset or redraw facility where available, a short planned holding period, or the lowest sustainable payment. Ask the broker to identify the priority they are solving and the evidence from your circumstances that supports it.
If it is not the cheapest, what justifies the extra cost?
Use the exact question: “If your recommendation is not the lowest-cost suitable option, what specific benefit makes the extra cost worthwhile for me?” ASIC’s 2026 review found that seven of eight aggregator groups reported brokers did not recommend the cheapest loan option in more than 20% of cases. The figure covers those eight reviewed groups and review data from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025; it is not a statistic about every broker or every loan.
ASIC said a higher-cost loan can be appropriate when a valuable feature or a borrower-specific benefit outweighs the price, but its review also found cases where the supporting evidence was unclear. ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland put the standard this way: “Where a broker recommends a loan that costs more than the available alternatives, consumers should be able to clearly understand why that recommendation delivers greater value for their circumstances.” He added: “The greater the cost difference, the stronger the evidence needed to show the recommendation is in the consumer’s best interests.”
Ask exactly how the broker is paid
Who pays, and will you pay a direct fee?
Ask: “How are you paid, who pays you, and will I pay any fee directly?” If you pay, obtain the amount, due date and service covered in writing. Also ask whether a fee is payable if your application is withdrawn, declined or never settles.
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Does compensation vary by lender or product?
Ask whether the broker’s payment changes with the lender, interest-rate option, loan size, product type or any add-on. Request disclosure of incentives, volume arrangements or other benefits that could affect the recommendation. Do not assume a commission percentage is universal: the primary regulatory material describes different structures rather than one current consumer rate.
In Australia, APRA describes market practice that can include an upfront commission, a trail commission paid over time, or both, alongside controls intended to address conflicts and incentives. In the United States, CFPB material notes that a borrower working with a broker may pay a loan-specific fee and that some financial institutions act as both lender and broker. Your contract and local rules determine what applies to you.
What will I receive before committing?
Ask for every required disclosure and a written explanation of compensation before you authorize an application or pay a non-refundable fee. Compare the disclosure with the final loan documents; if a verbal promise, fee or feature is missing, pause and ask for a correction.
Demand a written, like-for-like cost comparison
Ask the broker to place each suitable option in one comparison, using the same loan amount, deposit assumption and term. A lower advertised rate may be offset by points, application charges, ongoing fees or a penalty for leaving early.
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| Comparison item | What to request for every option | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Amount and deposit | Loan amount, assumed deposit or down payment, and any mortgage-insurance assumption | Changing the deposit can change pricing, insurance and eligibility. |
| Rate structure | Interest rate; fixed, variable or adjustable status; first-change date; adjustment frequency; caps or floors | The initial rate does not show how payments may behave later. |
| APR or comparison rate | The applicable APR or local comparison-rate measure, with its assumptions | These measures incorporate specified interest and charges, but coverage differs by jurisdiction. |
| Upfront charges | Points, application and valuation fees, legal costs, taxes, insurance and any amount added to the balance | Costs paid or financed at closing affect the amount you owe and the effective price. |
| Ongoing charges | Account, package, servicing, annual, insurance and other recurring fees | A small recurring fee can materially change the long-run cost. |
| Repayment | Scheduled payment, payment frequency, principal repaid over time and assumptions about rate changes | Two loans with similar starting payments can repay principal at different speeds. |
| Exit terms | Early-repayment, break, discharge, refinance and switching costs | These determine the cost of selling, refinancing or paying off early. |
Ask what the quoted payment includes
Confirm whether taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, escrow or similar charges are included in the displayed payment or billed separately. Ask for the payment both with and without those items when the jurisdiction or lender uses separate billing.
Ask for a total-cost explanation
Have the broker explain the total-cost assumptions, including how long you are expected to keep the loan and whether the calculation assumes rates remain unchanged. If the recommendation depends on refinancing or selling before the stated term, ask what happens if that event does not occur.
Understand how the rate and payment can change
For fixed-rate loans
Ask whether the rate is fixed for the entire term or only an initial period. Confirm what happens when a fixed period ends, whether a new rate is set automatically, and what fee applies if you leave during the fixed period.
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Ask when and how the rate can change, which index or reference rate is used, the lender’s margin, adjustment frequency, and any caps, floors or introductory-rate conditions. Request a payment illustration for plausible rate increases and ask whether the loan can become unaffordable under your budget if rates rise.
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Ask how a missed payment affects the rate, fees, credit reporting and enforcement process. If your income is irregular, ask whether payment dates or frequency can be aligned with your cash flow.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check flexibility, features and early-exit costs
Extra and more frequent repayments
Ask whether you can pay weekly, fortnightly, biweekly or otherwise more frequently, and whether there are limits, minimum amounts or charges. Confirm whether extra payments reduce principal immediately and whether they can be reversed.
Offset, redraw and linked-account features
If relevant in your market, ask how an offset account or redraw facility operates, whether access is conditional, and what account, transaction or package fees apply. Clarify whether money in the feature reduces interest, reduces the term, or merely changes the payment calculation. Features differ by contract, so rely on the loan documents rather than a generic product description.
Switching, refinancing and paying off
Ask what it costs to change from variable to fixed, fixed to variable, another repayment frequency or another lender. Request the exact early-repayment or break-cost formula and ask whether a discharge, registration, valuation or government charge is separate. Queensland Government consumer guidance specifically recommends asking about repayment flexibility, changing payments and early repayment; its page was last updated in 2020, so confirm current rules and fees in your contract.
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Test your eligibility and the application process
What information is needed for an accurate assessment?
Ask for a document checklist covering identification, payslips or tax records, bank statements, debts, credit commitments, deposit evidence, property details and records for any self-employment, bonuses or foreign income. Tell the broker about expected changes such as parental leave, a job move, expiring fixed income or a planned purchase of another property.
What could make approval difficult?
Ask which parts of your profile could reduce lender choice or borrowing capacity and what you can change before applying. For example, the broker may identify documentation gaps, high existing commitments, irregular income or a deposit source that needs explanation. Do not hide debts or alter documents; ask what evidence a lender will accept.
Who submits the application and provides updates?
Confirm whether the broker or you will submit each form, who checks conditions, how often you will receive updates, and whom to contact when a lender requests more information. Ask for a timeline with decision, valuation, formal approval and settlement milestones, while recognizing that lender and property delays can change it.
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Verify authorization and complaints routes
Check the correct register
Ask for the broker’s legal name, license or authorization number and the regulator or official register where you can verify it. In the US, CFPB consumer material points borrowers to a loan-originator database. In Australia, use the relevant current national or state register and read the broker’s disclosure documents. Because the reader’s location is unknown, do not rely on another country’s register as proof of authorization.
Ask how to complain
Obtain the internal complaint process, response time and external dispute-resolution body before proceeding. Queensland Government guidance includes dispute-resolution and missed-payment questions. ASIC’s 2026 release reported that, among the Australian groups it reviewed, some best-interests-duty complaints were missed, withdrawn without full investigation or delayed; that finding concerns those reviewed groups, not every Australian broker.
Use a meeting worksheet to judge the answers
- Write down your non-negotiables: payment comfort, certainty of rate, planned holding period, ability to make extra payments and any feature you genuinely need.
- Ask the broker to identify the lenders and products considered, the unavailable options and the next-best suitable loan.
- Collect the written cost comparison and compensation disclosure before authorizing an application.
- Stress-test payment changes, early-exit costs and missed-payment consequences against your budget.
- Read the formal offer and loan contract line by line. Check that rate, fees, term, payment, features and conditions match the explanation.
- Verify authorization and save the complaint instructions, documents and all communication.
Good answers are specific, documented and tied to your circumstances. Vague claims such as “this is the best rate” or “everyone chooses this lender” do not explain suitability, total cost or conflicts. A broker should be able to show the alternatives considered and the reason the recommended loan delivers enough value to justify its price.
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