2025 in Review: Melissa’s Highlights & AAA’s Momentum

This year was a year that moved more, and faster, than most - settings shifted, sentiment swung, and deadlines came fast. Through it all our team stayed steady, delivering the exceptional customer service that we’re known for and outcomes we’re proud of. Here’s a look at Melissa’s 2025 highlights and what the AAA team built together.

Awards & Industry Recognitions

This year brought recognition for both Melissa and the AAA team and while recognition is always exciting, we’re most proud that it reflects our steady standards, client-first advice, and relationships that make complex deals possible.

• Melissa - Women in Finance Awards (Nov): Commercial Broker of the Year (Winner) and Excellence Award (Highest Overall Points).

• Melissa - SFG National Conference & Awards (Nov): Leadership Award (Winner) and Mentor of the Year (Finalist).

• Team - Better Business Awards NSW (Apr): Finalist, Best Finance Brokerage (Office).

• Melissa - MFAA State Excellence Awards (Jun): Finalist, Commercial & Equipment Finance Broker.

  
  

And to close out the year, a hugely significant achievement: Melissa was appointed to the MFAA Board of Directors. This isn’t another line on a résumé, it’s a national governance role that recognises her clear advice, steady judgment, and the trust she’s earned across lenders, partners, and brokers. While the MFAA’s origins included two commercial brokers alongside several bankers (something we only learned recently!), Melissa’s appointment makes her the only commercial broker currently on the Board. She’s genuinely excited to bring a lived commercial and private-credit perspective to the table, listen and learn from experienced directors, and carry practical insights straight back to the team and our clients. We’re thrilled (and not at all surprised) by this milestone and grateful to everyone who supported her along the way.

Simply put, this shows what consistent work from a tight team can achieve. With Melissa’s dedicated and purposeful leadership, Dale and Monique not only stepped up but thrived, turning their hard work all year into real results.

P.O.W.E.R. Podcast: A Fascinating Range of Voices, Bigger Reach

The P.O.W.E.R. Podcast really took it up a notch in 2025, and we’re so proud of what we’ve put out there. We started filming, so you can now watch on YouTube as well as listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - we hope you’re a subscriber!

Guests spanned finance and far beyond. Zoë Robinson (NSW Advocate for Children and Young People) spoke to Melissa and our audience about what it’s like to be a young person in Australia today - housing, opportunity, and the systems shaping the next generation. Angela Priestley (journalist and co-founder, Women’s Agenda) explored how a gender lens reshapes media, leadership, and decision-making. Kirsten Steedman (social impact leader; Shelter NSW Board Director) unpacked housing affordability, breaking cycles of disadvantage, real pathways to ownership, community outcomes, and making impact measurable. It’s a reminder that housing isn’t just property; it’s people, place, and the future we’re building.

But don’t worry, we didn’t forget about our own people! We heard from Matt Wallace on commercial valuations (how they’re set and how to prepare), Blake Buchanan from Specialist Finance Group (SFG) on aggregation and advocacy (and why the right partner matters), plus conversations with Carly Chant on the modern, strategic CFO. Of course we had to chat with our very own Dale and Monique on their broker journeys and what real learning looks like on the job. We covered a lot of ground this year, and we’re genuinely grateful to every guest who gave up their time to share experience, ideas, and hard-won lessons. Thanks to each and every one of them for helping turn big topics into practical takeaways (with a few surprises and laughs along the way).

Team Milestones

Two proud moments that were years in the making: Dale Walsh attained broker accreditation, building on deep product knowledge in niche areas such as Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), and a measured, client-first style. 

He was closely followed by Monique Henderson, who just recently became a fully accredited broker after two years of hands-on learning and close mentoring with Melissa; she’s now leading client briefs end-to-end and continuing her tradition of providing high end customer service to all AAA clients. 

Accreditation isn’t a checkbox, it’s the result of sustained learning, file-by-file judgement, a huge time investment, and real mentorship. The payoff is more capability in the room and stronger service for our clients, and we’re so proud of Dale and Monique!

Conferences, Education, & Professional Development

Melissa was selected for the MFAA x RMIT Online MFPA pilot, positioned to become Australia’s first university-level credential for experienced brokers. The program dives into leadership, customer engagement, business management, and specialist electives like SMSF lending and financial analysis - exactly the kind of continuous learning we value and bring back into client work.

She also moderated the Broker Panel at the SFG Commercial Summit in May, a grounded look at the lending landscape and the growing role of brokers. And at the SFG National Conference in Sydney, a full day at the SCG’s Noble Room featured memorable keynotes from Glenn McGrath and Nedd Brockmann, plus practical sessions and lender conversations we’ve already turned into process improvements.

On the industry leadership front, Melissa was elected Deputy President of the MFAA National Mortgage Managers Forum for 2025, helping shape national conversations on education, advocacy, and broker tools that lift client outcomes.

Projects & Partnerships

Momentum continued on a number of significant briefs. The Black Rock Motor Resort at Lake Macquarie - featuring an FIA Grade 2 circuit, premium accommodation and facilities - moved forward as a destination asset with the potential to reshape a region. 

In Penrith’s East Side Quarter, we were there as the project marked major milestones: the Stage 4 (Perle) soil turning and the Stage 3 (Eden) topping out. It’s a privilege to support precinct-scale renewal with real community impact.

Market Themes & What We’ve Been Watching

From January onward, it became clear that 2025 would need flexible, client-focused solutions. As such, we saw ongoing growth in non-bank options, more digital-first processes, and rising interest in sustainable or “green” lending. Affordability dynamics and policy settings kept deposit expectations and LVRs in view, and more granular, data-driven products continued to emerge for specific borrower segments. 

Broker market share kept rising in 2025 with now close to four in five Australian home loans, or almost 80%, introduced by brokers, highlighting the value of real advice. In a year of shifting policy, pricing and products (and plenty of hype about AI), clients are looking to make real connections with real people who understand their goals, test the options, and build a structure that holds up over time. Tools can speed the admin, but they can’t replace judgement, context, or a broker who knows when to push, when to pause, and how to align the deal with the life you’re building.

Looking Ahead

We’re carrying the same philosophy forward in 2026, continuing the high standards, practical mentoring, and industry reputation that AAA has held for over 35 years, but adding fresh momentum. 

For us, this means rigorous credit thinking, strong communication, and structures that hold up through all the ebbs and flows, backed by ongoing investment in our people and relationships. We’ll continue sharing what we learn through the P.O.W.E.R. Podcast, and incorporate technology and innovation where it genuinely helps us deliver better outcomes for our clients. 

For our clients, it means clearer advice, tailored options, and lending setups that stay resilient as rates, policy, and markets shift. We'll provide the same steady approach and standards, so you can make decisions with confidence and focus on what matters next.

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this year - clients, lenders, partners, peers, and family. It’s been a year worth celebrating, and the work we’ve done together is what makes the next one exciting.

The AAA team is heading into 2026 focused on learning more, refining how we work, and delivering even greater impact.