There are far more players in the Australian mortgage industry than ever before. Consumers no longer have to visit multiple banks and direct lenders personally, spending valuable time trying to sort through all the financial details and make a comparison on their own. Today, the mortgage is filled with competitive players that include non-bank lenders, mortgage managers and mortgage brokers, and most notably, online mortgage sites such as Mortgagemall.com.au that have brought unparalleled convenience and choice to the Australian mortgage consumer. In today's highly competitive environment, it's more important than ever for consumers to understand their options. The Internet has become an important tool in achieving that level of understanding, and in gathering and comparing relevant information from multiple providers.



With stable interest rates and affordability throughout the country, the mortgage market will continue to experience strong growth. In addition to a stable economy and job market, population growth, most notably in Queensland, will fuel the mortgage market as more Australians find themselves in a position to enter the housing market as first-time buyers.

According to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) (http://www.apra.gov.au), banks are starting to lose some of their market share to non-bank mortgage providers and brokers. The presence of non-bank lenders and Internet-based intermediaries is good news for the Australian consumer, for two reasons: more choice, and easier research. Besides independent online sites like Mortgage Mall, major mortgage brokers such as AFG (http://www.afgonline.com.au) and Aussie Home Loans (http://www.eaussie.com.au) dominate the mortgage broker field.

While online sites present the easiest starting point, Australian banks are refining their operations to become more accommodating to their customers. Banks like ANZ Bank (http://www.anz.com.au) and the Bank of Queensland (http://www.boq.com.au) have been expanding to add more branches; and banks throughout Australia have been refining their services to better accommodate their customers. A number of banks have introduced online services that make all sorts of actions and transactions more convenient for the end user.

Australian homebuyers currently have more opportunities than ever before to take advantage of recent trends. Whether this may mean being able to select a loan package with lower fees and charges or finding a more suitable mortgage product by using independent resources, the rate of home ownership is expected to rise in the next few years. This, when coupled with the fact that many of the processes are improving and becoming more consumer-friendly, means that now may be the right time to obtain a home loan.