“When it comes to sorting my mortgage, isn’t it easier just to go straight to my bank? Why would I bother with a mortgage adviser?”
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever wondered what it is exactly that a mortgage adviser has to offer, you’re not the first.
We’ll admit we’re a little biased – but if quality advice, greater choice, a more personalised level of support, and less stress throughout the process sounds like what you’re looking for, a mortgage adviser could be the way to go.
Here’s our take on the 17 reasons why Squirrel is the best place to go to get your mortgage sorted in Auckland.
1. Squirrel gives you access to more lending solutions than you’ll find anywhere else
At Squirrel, we’ve built relationships with more bank and non-bank lenders than any other advisory in New Zealand – so we’ve got a huge suite of home loan solutions to work with.
Our advisers also have exclusive access to Squirrel’s own lending solutions, funded through our term investment platform and designed specifically to fill the gaps left by more traditional options.
Squirrel lending solutions include options for first home buyers with as little as 5% deposit saved (Launchpad) and bridging loans.
All of that means more choice for our clients, and a better chance of getting you a “yes” on a mortgage solution that’s just right for you.
Nothing against the banks, of course, but they only have their own lending solutions to work with.
2. Our advisers get paid the same no matter which lender you end up with
We were the first mortgage advisory business in New Zealand to use this model, and it means there’s no financial incentive for our advisers to place you with one lender over another.
In other words, you’ve got peace of mind that we won’t try to push you into a solution that’s not quite the right fit, just to get the deal across the line.
3. We handle more than $2.2 billion in mortgages every year, so we know where and how to nab a good deal
Squirrel advisers coordinate over 3200 mortgages every year – or roughly 62 a week. That means we’re talking to lots of different lenders, all the time, and if there’s a deal to be had (or negotiated) we’ll know where to find it.
4. Our advisers have seen it all, and then some
Whether you’re looking at buying your first home, building, developing, downgrading, upsizing, renovating, investing, topping up, refinancing, refixing or pretty much anything else to do with mortgages – *phew* – we know the territory inside and out.
That means no matter where you’re at in your home buying journey, our advisers can provide you with in-depth insight and advice to get you through the process.
5. We speak your language
The world of homeownership is packed with all sorts of jargon, which can make it a scary place to dip your toes into.
We’re experts at breaking the tricky stuff down for you in plain English. Our advisers are on hand to de-mystify all that complex mortgage lingo for you and make the process a whole lot easier (and less confusing).
6. And we speak a whole bunch of other languages, too
We have advisers who are fluent in Afrikaans, Cantonese, Hindi and Mandarin – and English, too, of course.
7. We can offer insight into the (likely) future of interest rates and house prices, to help with your decision
Squirrel advisers are trained to give you a perspective on what’s going on out in the world of house prices and interest rates – as well as what might be coming next.
We haven’t got a crystal ball or anything, unfortunately, but we do live and breathe this stuff every day. That means we’ve got a good feel for what’s happening, including the potential risks and opportunities, and can offer up an informed point of view on what that could mean for your mortgage.
8. Our advisers can spot a lemon from a mile off
Here at Squirrel, our advisers eat property for breakfast. So, they know a thing or two about assessing the feasibility of a property and sorting the diamonds from the duds.
Our advisers can give you quality insights into a potential house purchase from our property valuation system to help you make better decisions.
We can also help you tee up and interpret everything from building inspections to registered valuations – and can help you work through Code of Compliance issues, too.
9. As far as we’re concerned, there’s no such thing as a silly question
If it’s your first time around the block, it’s only natural that you’ll have lots of questions about how the process works.
We’re more than happy to explain the nitty gritty of how to get your money out of KiwiSaver and managing progress payments on a construction loan, right through to stuff like making an offer and what to expect as part of your first auction.
We’ve also got a bunch of cool advice guides, talking through the basics of everything from buying your first home to Construction Lending and Property Investment, as well as tips for saving thousands on your mortgage. They’re a great place to start if you’re just setting out on your property journey.
10. We can save you the stress of finding a trusted lawyer, building inspector, accountant, property manager, builder, or financial adviser
Squirrel works with a bunch of high-quality partners across the property ecosystem, and we’re more than happy to put you in touch with them to help with the process of buying your new home.
11. Our advice will take your wider financial picture into account
When you come to us for mortgage advice, we don’t just look at your current property purchase in isolation.
We can also help you formulate a debt-reduction plan, provide budgeting advice and will keep your short- and long-term property goals in mind, to help you get to where you want to be.
12. And we’ll make sure your mortgage structure is best suited to those goals
Your Squirrel adviser can help you find the best way to structure your mortgage for your needs, including how long to fix for, splitting your loan, and whether putting part of it on a revolving credit or offset facility is a good idea.
13. Our service is pretty much always free (to you)
For the most part, the cost of our services will be fully covered by your lender.
There’s the very odd occasion when you might be charged – if the deal involves something really tricky or complex, for example – but those situations are few and far between.
If there are going to be any extra costs, we’ll let you know upfront, so you won’t be stung with any nasty surprises at the end of the process.
14. We’re humans, not corporate robots
At Squirrel, you’re more likely to find our advisers in shorts and a t-shirt than a suit. In other words, we’re approachable – and that can make it a whole lot easier to have those tough conversations about your finances with us than it might be with your bank.
We don’t just look at you as a bunch of numbers and tick-boxes, either. We’ll take the time to get to know you and your situation, so we can do our best to get you sorted with the mortgage solution that’s going to best suit your needs.
15. Our technology makes it super easy to get your mortgage sorted
We’ve spent years building our online technology to make the process as quick and painless as possible. You can submit and manage your mortgage application entirely online or over the phone – or you’re welcome to come and see us in our swanky Auckland offices if you’d like.
We’ve also invested in tech to help streamline the number-crunching magic our advisers do, so they can let you know which options are a go, or a no, even faster.
16. We’re completely independent
We’re one of few major mortgage brokers in New Zealand that’s truly independent and we’re extremely proud of that. We’re not owned by or connected to any real estate company – which is why we joke that we’re only recommended by 1 in 10 real estate agents
17. You can get in touch with us 24/7.
Squirrel's online platform makes it easy to start your application at any time of the day or night - and our advisers have also been known to take calls well after hours.
Should your Squirrel adviser be unavailable for any reason, we’ve got a dedicated support team who will pick your deal up, and make sure you’re getting the assistance you need.
Get in touch
Squirrel’s been at the mortgage game in Tāmaki Makaurau for over 15 years – and what our team of Auckland-based advisers don’t know about mortgages and the property market isn’t worth knowing.
We can’t promise to make your experience of getting a mortgage completely stress-free, but we can take a lot of the pain out of it for you.
If you’d like to chat with one of our friendly team, get in touch to book a call today.