Real Estate Finance Solutions
Unlock Your Potential.
Master Mortgage Broking.
REFS Australia: Professional Mentoring, Training, and Consulting
At REFS Australia, our dedicated team of seasoned mentors and industry professionals is resolute in its mission to provide essential guidance to mortgage brokers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to navigate the mortgage and finance broking pathway. Our tailored training programs are designed to give individuals, teams and organisations expert knowledge.
Our comprehensive mentoring, training and consulting services offer both 1:1 and group sessions with our experienced mentors who assess your challenges and support your growth.
Your success is our mission.
We aim to ensure competent and confident mortgage brokers and we know that every individual has the potential to excel. With REFS Australia on your side, we provide the experience, support and dedication you need from day one.
Mentoring
I’m a new broker looking for the right mentor
Training
I’m looking for specialist training for my team or organisation
Consulting
I’m looking for 1:1 or group consulting
New Broker? Not Sure Where to Begin?
Download our Information Pack –
Ready to take the first step toward your successful career as a mortgage broker?
Download our information pack today and kick-start your journey to excellence! To receive your copy and sign up to our newsletter, please complete the form below:
REFS Australia: Your Path to Success
Choosing REFS Australia as your mentoring partner means unlocking a wealth of benefits to become an exceptional mortgage broker:

Personalised Guidance

Vast Expertise

Comprehensive Training

Networking Community
Access an extensive network of industry professionals, from brokers to lenders, for relationships, referrals, and industry insights.

Ongoing Support
We work to guide mortgage brokers to excellence. Connect with us today to get started.
Your REFS Australia Mentoring Team
Belinda English
Belinda, having spent over 20 years in the financial services industry, aids brokers in streamlining their processes for efficiency and growth. With a focus on process efficiency and compliance, Belinda’s expertise lies in refining processes, enhancing workflow management, and ensuring brokers navigate their processes with confidence. Her structured and supportive mentoring style provides brokers with the skills needed for a smooth and efficient business operation.
Peter Clark
With more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Peter is committed to aiding brokers in developing sustainable and successful businesses. Focusing on business development and client engagement, he gives brokers the tools and strategies required for long-term success. His practical and results-oriented approach helps brokers become confident in their decision-making and sustainable in their business practices.
John Adams
John offers a strategic and results-focused approach to mentoring at REFS Australia. With a career spanning 45 years, John’s proficiency in mortgage broking, financial analysis, and business development provides brokers with essential tools for business growth. He is dedicated to demystifying complex financial concepts and advising on how brokers can flourish in a changing market. Concentrating on practical solutions and enduring business strategies, John aids brokers in achieving their objectives confidently.
Wayne Milner
Wayne has over 40 years industry experience and dedicated to assisting brokers throughout their business and career journey. His extensive residential and commercial lending knowledge enables brokers to develop the necessary skills to excel in a competitive environment. Wayne advocates for resilience, adaptability, and professional excellence, which ensures mentees are prepared to offer exceptional client service and foster business expansion.
Louise Syphers
Louise, a long-term committed mentor at REFS Australia and 25 years in the industry, is focused on helping brokers enhance their skills and establish prosperous businesses. Concentrating on strategy and client relations, Louise offers pragmatic advice for overcoming obstacles and looking for opportunities. Her hands-on and supportive mentoring style ensures brokers develop the confidence and insight needed to succeed in the industry.
Eli Ajzenman
Eli contributes over 40 years of experience to the financial services sector, guiding brokers through the intricacies of mortgage broking with a strong knowledge across both residential and commercial lending. He excels at simplifying complex processes into understandable, actionable steps, aiding brokers in optimising operations and improving service offerings. Eli is devoted to fostering a learning environment where brokers feel capable of growing their businesses with assurance and integrity.
Debbie Hutchings
As the Director of REFS Australia, Debbie is committed to enhancing the mortgage broking industry through professional mentoring, training, and business development support. Debbie places a heavy emphasis on professional advancement and enables brokers to develop sustainable, high-performing businesses. Debbie’s leadership cultivates a cooperative learning environment, ensuring that brokers acquire the necessary skills and confidence to effectively navigate the industry.
What Clients say about us
I highly recommend Belinda at REFs as mentor. I have recently moved into mortgage broking within my financial advisory business and have found her to be incredibly supportive, easy to deal with, and very knowledgeable. She has a great ability to make complex processes clear and precise, while providing practical and helpful guidance. Her support allowed a smooth transition into this role and I would highly recommend Belinda to anyone looking for a great mentor and trainer.
great team, always available to assist, helped me learn and grow! highly recommended
I’ve had a great experience with REFS Australia. There are plenty of helpful resources and training sessions, which have been particularly valuable to me as a new broker who had new clue what to do. My mentor, Belinda, has been incredibly supportive, responsive and helpful throughout the journey. Thanks to her, I know which areas I need to work hard to improve on. I would definitely recommend REFS Australia to any new brokers looking for great support and guidance.
I had a great learning experience as a mentee under Wayne. Much appreciate your support and willingness to guide me through each step of the way. Thanks
I recently completed my mortgage broker mentorship through REFS Australia as part of my accreditation, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience. The program provided a structured, supportive, and practical framework that helped me build confidence and competence as a mortgage broker. A special thank you to my mentor, Belinda English, whose guidance, professionalism, and depth of knowledge were outstanding throughout the entire process. Belinda was always approachable, thorough in her feedback, and genuinely invested in helping me develop as a broker. I’d also like to acknowledge Debbie Hutchings for leading REFS Australia and creating such a well-organised and valuable mentorship program for new and developing brokers. It’s clear that a lot of thought and industry experience has gone into shaping the program. I would highly recommend REFS Australia to any broker needing mentorship. It’s an excellent pathway for meeting compliance requirements while also gaining real-world insight and support that genuinely adds value to your professional development.
When I first started out in mortgage broking, I began my mentoring journey because it was a requirement — but it didn’t take long for me to realise just how valuable and important having a mentor truly is. I feel so grateful to have had Debbie Hutchings as my mentor through Refs Australia, and I can honestly say that her guidance has been one of the most significant parts of my development in this industry. Debbie was nothing short of amazing as a mentor. There were so many things I didn’t know that I needed to know, and she consistently went above and beyond to equip me with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to succeed. Her insight, patience, and the many suggestions she offered helped me grow in ways I hadn’t even anticipated, and I will forever appreciate the time, care, and expertise she poured into me. I would highly recommend Refs Australia — and Debbie Hutchings in particular — to anyone new to the mortgage broking industry. Having the right mentor truly makes all the difference, and Debbie is an outstanding example of what mentorship should be.
Refs Australia came highly recommended by many people, so I knew their mentoring and coaching would be very professional, but it was not until I tried their service did I realise the extra effort that is made to set-up your business for success for the future. It was very personalised and I was pleasantly surprised how much they cared for me and my business. The mentoring wasn't just at a micro level but at a marco level as well. Refs Australia has helped me establish a valuable business that I am proud of. Thank you.
Choosing REFS for my new broker mentoring has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career! Working with Wayne and Deb over the past two years has been nothing short of incredible. My mentor Wayne is incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, always available to talk through scenarios and walk me through the details step by step. His experience and steady guidance gave me the confidence I needed in my first years as a broker. Deb was just as important in helping me make the leap from the 9–5 into building my own business. From our very first conversation, she gave me the reassurance, encouragement, and practical advice I needed to succeed. Their coaching, industry insight, and ongoing support have been invaluable in shaping both me as a broker and my business. REFS is more than just a mentoring, it’s a team of people who genuinely care about seeing new brokers succeed. I’m grateful to have had their support and would highly recommend them to any broker looking for the best mortgage broking mentors in the industry.
REFS came highly recommended to me from my aggregator as a provider of broker mentorship and they fulfilled the lofty expectations that were set. At an individual level my mentor Wayne was practical in his approach and slotted in in guiding me in what I knew and didn't know given my experience in commercial lending. At a group level Deb is committed not only to providing engaging and relevant training but also to forming relationships with the other 'mentees' which has been extremely valuable to me and my business. I will miss having them looking over my shoulder.
Deb and her team were absolutely fantastic to work with and gave a massive boost to my mortgage broking career. There isn’t a lending scenario or broker personality they haven’t come across—and helped others through—before. Their experience, guidance, and support have been invaluable, and I can confidently say that they are the best in the business when it comes to mentoring brokers. I would highly recommend Deb and her team to any broker looking for the support of Australia’s leading mentoring business.
REFS Australia – The Best Place to Start Your Mortgage Broking Journey If you’re thinking about becoming a mortgage broker, I can confidently say that REFS Australia is one of the best places to start. The mortgage broking industry in Australia is in desperate need of strong, structured mentoring, as many mentors operate solo or with limited capacity to train brokers across all the critical areas of the business. REFS Australia is different. Led by Debbie, it’s a powerhouse team with multiple experienced and passionate mentors. I was fortunate to be mentored by Peter Clark, and I can’t speak highly enough of the experience. Peter is an absolute gun—he’s been in the industry for over 20 years across various roles and brings a wealth of practical knowledge to the table. What makes him stand out is that he’s not just a coach—he’s walked the walk, having actively written loans himself, which is rare to find in a mentor. When I began the mentoring program, I had already worked for two years in a mortgage brokerage back-office role, and I thought I had a solid grasp of the industry. But Peter’s guidance humbled me. He opened my eyes to how much I didn’t know and helped me shift my mindset. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned weren’t just about what to do—but what not to do. That distinction has shaped me into the confident and capable broker I am today. The mistakes Peter helped me avoid have been just as important—if not more—than the strategies he shared for success. Thanks to Peter, Debbie, and the entire REFS Australia team, I’ve been given a solid foundation to launch my own mortgage broking business with confidence and clarity.
Working with REFS Australia and my mentor John Adams has been an invaluable part of my journey to becoming a proficient finance broker. From day one, John has gone above and beyond to support me not only through the technical aspects of the mentorship period, but also in building and growing our mortgage broking business. His deep industry knowledge, willingness to help with complex deals, and constant guidance have been instrumental in my development. Whether it was structuring tricky scenarios or navigating compliance requirements, John was always there to provide clarity and insight. I couldn’t recommend REFS Australia and John Adams more highly to anyone looking for a supportive and experienced mentor in the mortgage broking industry.
