Top 6 Christchurch mortgage brokers

Not all mortgage brokers are created equal.

Sure, any broker can file your mortgage application. But with so many offering similar services (often at no cost), how do you know which one is right for you?

Here at Opes Partners we’re always crossing paths with mortgage brokers. Some provide outstanding service … and some don’t.

So, here is our honest review of the top 6 mortgage brokers in Christchurch – in no particular order.

#1 – Opes Mortgages

First up is Opes Mortgages. Yes, that’s us. And I know it seems a bit biased to put us as at the top of the list, but hear us out.

People often come to us after they’ve already tried other mortgage brokers. They say things like, “I wish I had known about Opes Mortgages sooner.”

So, instead of burying ourselves further down the list, we want to make sure you know we are one of your options.

What makes us different? We specialise in working with property investors. And we really specialise in New Build investment properties.

So, if you’re not a property investor, you might like to check out some of the other mortgage advisers on this list.

One other point of difference is that property investors can get lots of services in one place. We have financial advisers, property accountants, property managers, mortgage advisers and insurance advisers.

So if you want a one-stop shop, Opes may be the right fit for you.

If you’d prefer to use another company, here are our other recommendations.

#2 – Tony Mounce Mortgages

Tony Mounce Mortgages is the largest brokerage in Canterbury.

It was founded and is still led by Tony Mounce. He is a mortgage legend, and we refer to him as “the bank whisperer”.

Tony worked for BNZ for so long he often knows lending policy better than some of the bank’s own staff. He uses that understanding to get mortgages approved; he also fights on behalf of his clients to get the right result.

If you work with Tony you’ll see he is fast, efficient and friendly. If you want money to buy a house and want it done, Tony is a good fit.

But, Tony is also busy; a lot of people want to work with him. This means he’s not the sort of broker who will sit down with you over lunch to explain the basics of how a mortgage works. If that’s the sort of hands-on advice you are looking for, then it may pay to work with a member of his team. Otherwise, you can use another broker on this list.

#3 – NZ Mortgages

Nathan is NZ Mortgages’ managing director and head of lending.

He’s had a long-standing career in mortgages and is on most lists of top mortgage brokers.

He’s won many awards, including the NZ Adviser – Top Adviser award in 2019 till 2024.

In 2017, Nathan set up his own Loan Market franchise – Loan Market Paramount. Paramount won Loan Market’s Top Brokerage award in 2022 and Nathan was named the No.1 Mortgage Adviser in Australasia for Loan Market.

Nathan re-branded his company in 2023. Loan Market Paramount is now called NZ Mortgages, and they’ve hit the ground running. In the first year, Nathan and his company won the Excellence Award at the NZ Mortgage Awards.

The team works with first-home buyers and investors. They also help Kiwis refinance their mortgages and can organise business or development loans.

More from Opes Partners:

• Top 10 mortgage brokers in New Zealand (Article)
• What exactly does a mortgage broker do? and what are the benefits of using one? (Article)
• Don't forget to tell your mortgage broker these 8 things (Article)

#4 – The Mortgage Girls

The Mortgage Girls was started 10 years ago by Elyce Peters and her business partner, Holly Sullivan.

Now, the team has grown to 10 women. They mostly work from home and are based around the country.

Contrary to what the name suggests, The Mortgage Girls work with men and women. The “girls” part refers to the two founders.

At the 2024 New Zealand mortgage awards, The Mortgage Girls won:

• Best customer service of an individual office and
• Brokerage of the year with 6+ staff

Before starting her own business, Elyce had been in the industry for a long time. She’s known Andrew Nicol, of Opes Partners, for many years, back when it was just him on his own.

Elyce has 4 kids under 7 at home. She wanted this business to enable her to work away from an office, with a healthy work/life balance ... and she wanted to provide that to other women too.

The Mortgage Girls’ team receives glowing reviews on Google; 4.8 stars on average.

One client says: “Elyce’s work ethic is second to none. She worked tirelessly to sort the best lending we could get. Communication was always fast and direct, answering all manner of questions we had along the way. I would highly recommend using The Mortgage Girls to anyone wanting an effortless service.”

Elyce says they work with an vast array of clients from first-home buyers to multi-million dollar developers. They’ve got clients around the world … even an international rugby player.

#5 – NZ Home Loans

NZ Home Loans are one of the largest brokers on this list, with over 70 franchises across the country. 

That scale means their processes are well sorted, and they have a reputable brand. NZHL is unique in that its primary focus is to help Kiwis pay off their mortgages faster.

Here at Opes we work with Emm McCartney a lot. She’s the director at NZ Home Loans (NZHL) Canterbury Metro. 

Emm started the business with her husband, Terry, in 2011. And she’s moved up the ranks and was NZHL’s No.1 business owner in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.

She gets positive reviews from her clients, who say she “goes the extra mile”.

You do need to know that NZ Home Loans are wholly-owned by Kiwi Group Capital Limited, who also own Kiwibank. That means there are only so many lenders NZHL brokers work with.

If you want a broker who will play hardball to get the interest rate down, or a property investor who wants to split bank ... NZ Home Loans may not be the right fit.

But if you want a mortgage broker to help you pay down your debt (rather than take out more) these are the guys for you.

#6 – Vega

Brenda Murney is an experienced mortgage adviser with Vega Mortgages.

She has extensive knowledge in the industry. As well as working as a mortgage broker for over 12 years, she previously spent 10 years at BNZ.

In terms of mortgage volumes written, Brenda says she’s probably sitting around third in Christchurch. She is known in New Zealand as a top mortgage adviser and has been on the NZ Top Advisers’ list for many years.

She says she’s often talking to the banks. Sometimes this includes suggesting policy changes and getting asked for feedback.

This is why Brenda can sometimes get a ‘yes’ from banks when others get a ‘no’.

While based in Christchurch she also works with people throughout the country. She’s also an investor herself, owning several properties.

Right now Brenda is one of our recommended brokers, although she’s worked with Opes’ managing director Andrew Nicol twice. The first was at BNZ, and then at Tony Mounce Mortgages, when they were starting their careers.

Which mortgage broker should I choose? 

The best way to find a mortgage broker is to ring them up and have a chat.

Sure, recommendations are a great way to start, but you might like to interview a few too before you make up your mind on who you want to go with.

There are very few “no-brainers” in buying property … but for us, using a mortgage broker is one of them for most people.

Not only is your lending more likely to be approved; the service is often offered at no cost. That’s because they get paid a commission from the bank when they get you the loan.

A broker will do the donkey work of pushing your mortgage application through, which means you’ve got more free time to do other things.