The report draws on a national survey of more than 300 Australian brokers across mortgage, commercial, and asset finance lending, including both Connective members and non-members. The research aligns with findings from credible bodies like the National AI Centre, CSIRO Data61, Cisco, Salesforce, and Gartner.
Remaining competitive
Brokers who ignore these foundational elements risk falling behind.
“Successful AI adoption depends on getting the fundamentals right,” said Lees. “This requires a clear strategy, the right systems and infrastructure, governance frameworks and a culture that prioritises experimentation and safe use.
“With these foundations in place, AI becomes a genuinely useful and sustainable tool. It enhances brokers’ work by automating tasks and streamlining processes, allowing them to focus more on clients and deliver better outcomes while maintaining the compliance and trust that define the broker channel.”
It also means addressing the data problem. Brokers need to strengthen data hygiene, align processes to clear outcomes before adding automation, and ensure safe handling of client information with appropriate security guardrails. Starting with simple, low-risk data workflows with human intervention points for quality assurance is the prudent path.