Broker guide
Mortgage Aggregator Fees and Cost Examples 2026
Comparing the real annual cost of aggregator membership? Add mortgage aggregator fees, service charges, GST and exit terms to the headline split.
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Mortgage aggregator fees are either a fixed charge or a share of the upfront and trail commission paid on your loans. A proposal can mix the two, with monthly or per-settlement fees plus platform, compliance, onboarding and exit costs beside the headline split. A fixed fee costs more per loan in a quiet year, while a commission share costs more as your book grows.
In the fictional proposals below, a $1,200 monthly flat fee and a 12% commission share plus $3,000 of yearly fees cost the same at $95,000 of annual commission before GST. Below that point the share is cheaper. In the fictional established-book year, the flat fee costs $24,680 less.
Identify Every Charge
List every charge in a proposal on its own line before you compare totals. Aggregators quote monthly fees, settlement charges and commission shares on different bases, so a headline figure alone can’t show the annual cost. A low split can sit beside separate platform and compliance fees that change the total.
| Charge | How it’s usually quoted | What to record for each proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | A fixed amount each month, which a flat fee aggregator charges in place of a commission share | The amount, its GST basis and what it covers |
| Settlement charge | A fixed amount for each settled loan | The amount and which loans it applies to |
| Upfront commission share | The percentage the aggregator keeps of each upfront payment | The percentage, any tier thresholds and whether it applies before or after GST |
| Trail commission share | The percentage the aggregator keeps of ongoing trail | The percentage and whether it continues after you leave |
| Platform and customer relationship management (CRM) software | A monthly fee, sometimes charged per user | The number of users and whether it continues during leave |
| Compliance and policy support | A separate fee, or included in the monthly fee | What it covers, such as file reviews and audits |
| Industry membership and onboarding | An annual or one-off charge | The amount and whether any part is refundable |
| Optional services | Coaching, marketing or lead programs | Mark them optional and leave them out of the base comparison |
| Exit deductions | Notice-period fees, trail retention or clawback holdbacks | The amount and how long each runs |
Connective’s pricing page, with fees effective from 1 November 2023, shows both models side by side. Its Maximiser plan charges a flat monthly fee for each partner group of up to five brokers, who keep 100% of upfront and trail commission. Its Variable plan instead pays brokers 95% of trail and 80% to 95% of upfront commission, with the higher upfront shares in higher volume bands.
Connective’s two plans aren’t the whole cost. Both plans add a monthly broker fee for each loan writer. Brokers working under Connective’s credit licence also pay a monthly credit representative fee and a group professional indemnity insurance charge that rises with commission revenue.
Some costs sit outside the aggregator’s fee schedule. Ask who pays professional indemnity insurance and industry association membership, and add each cost to any proposal that leaves it with you.
If you work as a credit representative under the aggregator’s Australian credit licence, the licence holder pays ASIC’s industry funding levy and the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) levy. Ask whether the proposal passes any share of those credit licensee levies on to you. If it does, list that recovery as a mandatory charge.
A Low-Volume Year and an Established-Book Year
This fictional comparison covers a year starting 1 July 2026. Moneysmart explains that lenders pay brokers commission as a percentage of the loan, usually with an upfront and an ongoing payment. The rates below are assumptions, because each lender sets its own.
- Each settled loan averages $600,000.
- Upfront commission is 0.60% of the loan, or $3,600 for each settlement, before GST.
- Trail pays 0.15% a year on the average eligible trail balance, before GST.
- In the low-volume year, 12 settlements and a $10 million eligible trail balance earn $58,200 of commission.
- The established-book year earns $306,000 from 60 settlements plus trail on a book averaging $60 million.
The two proposals use the same settlements and trail balances in each year.
- Proposal A, a flat fee with 100% commission, costs $1,200 a month plus GST. The fee covers the platform, CRM and compliance support. The proposal has no tiers. Onboarding costs $1,500 plus GST, once.
- Proposal B, a commission share, keeps 12% of upfront and trail commission. Its tier cuts the upfront share to 8% on upfront commission above $200,000 in the year. It adds a $150 monthly platform fee and a $1,200 annual compliance fee, both plus GST.
Every amount in the table is before GST unless the row says otherwise. The GST row adds 10% to each charge, including Proposal B’s retained share.
| Item | Low-volume year, Proposal A | Low-volume year, Proposal B | Established-book year, Proposal A | Established-book year, Proposal B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission received | $58,200 | $58,200 | $306,000 | $306,000 |
| Monthly or platform fees | $14,400 | $1,800 | $14,400 | $1,800 |
| Compliance fee | Included | $1,200 | Included | $1,200 |
| Upfront commission share | None | $5,184 (12% of $43,200) | None | $25,280 (12% of the first $200,000, then 8% of $16,000) |
| Trail commission share | None | $1,800 (12% of $15,000) | None | $10,800 (12% of $90,000) |
| Total cost before GST | $14,400 | $9,984 | $14,400 | $39,080 |
| Total cost including GST | $15,840 | $10,982.40 | $15,840 | $42,988 |
| Cost as a share of commission | 24.7% | 17.2% | 4.7% | 12.8% |
In the low-volume year, Proposal B costs $4,416 less before GST. In the established-book year, Proposal A costs $24,680 less. Proposal A’s fee stays fixed, while Proposal B’s charge grows with every settlement and every dollar of trail.
The two proposals cost the same when the year’s commission reaches $95,000 before GST. At that level, Proposal B’s 12% share is $11,400, and its $3,000 of fixed fees bring it to Proposal A’s $14,400. Twenty settlements plus $23,000 of trail, from about $15.3 million of eligible trail balance, reach that level.
Proposal A’s $1,500 onboarding charge moves the first-year break-even point to $107,500 of commission. The commission share costs less below that point and the flat fee costs less above it. Proposal B’s 8% tier starts above $200,000 of upfront commission, so it doesn’t apply at this level.
Compare Like for Like
Run one settlement and trail scenario through every fee model, with the same assumptions and the same GST basis. Aggregator commission models differ in what they charge for, so only a shared scenario shows which one costs less for your business.
Proposal C, a fictional hybrid, charges $250 for each settlement and keeps 5% of upfront and trail commission. It adds a $100 monthly platform fee, includes compliance support and has no tiers. All of its charges are plus GST.
The shared scenario is 30 settlements of $600,000 at 0.60% upfront, which earn $108,000. The $30 million average eligible trail balance at 0.15% earns $45,000, for $153,000 of commission before GST. Proposal B’s tier starts above $200,000 of upfront commission, so its 12% rate applies throughout.
| Item, before GST unless stated | Proposal A, flat fee | Proposal B, commission share | Proposal C, hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly or platform fees | $14,400 | $1,800 | $1,200 |
| Compliance fee | Included | $1,200 | Included |
| Settlement charges | None | None | $7,500 (30 at $250) |
| Commission share | None | $18,360 (12% of $153,000) | $7,650 (5% of $153,000) |
| Tier threshold | None | 8% on upfront commission above $200,000, not reached | None |
| Total cost before GST | $14,400 | $21,360 | $16,350 |
| Total cost including 10% GST | $15,840 | $23,496 | $17,985 |
| Cost as a share of commission | 9.4% | 14.0% | 10.7% |
| Commission you keep after fees, before GST | $138,600 | $131,640 | $136,650 |
At 30 settlements, Proposal A costs least and Proposal B costs $6,960 more before GST. Proposal C sits between them because its settlement charges grow with volume.
Use One GST Basis
Use the same GST basis for every proposal. If your business claims GST credits on its business costs, compare the totals before GST. If it doesn’t, compare the totals including GST, which add 10% to each charge.
Ask whether a commission share applies to commission before or after GST. A 12% share of a GST-inclusive payment takes more dollars than 12% of the same payment before GST.
Separate Mandatory From Optional Charges
Count only the charges you must pay in the base comparison. Compliance and policy support is mandatory whenever the proposal requires it, even when the aggregator bills it separately. Optional coaching or marketing stays out until you decide to buy it.
All three fictional proposals require 90 days’ notice to leave.
| Charge | Mandatory or optional | During leave or a paused practice | During the notice period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal A monthly fee, $1,200 plus GST | Mandatory | Continues | Continues |
| Proposal A coaching, $200 a month plus GST | Optional | Stops when cancelled | Stops when cancelled |
| Proposal B platform fee, $150 a month plus GST | Mandatory | Continues | Continues |
| Proposal B compliance fee, $1,200 a year plus GST | Mandatory | Already paid for the year | Not refunded |
| Proposal B commission share, 12% | Mandatory | Applies to trail still paid | Applies to all commission paid |
| Proposal C platform fee, $100 a month plus GST | Mandatory | Continues | Continues |
| Proposal C settlement charge, $250 plus GST | Mandatory | Stops when you settle no loans | Applies to loans that settle |
| Proposal C commission share, 5% | Mandatory | Applies to trail still paid | Applies to all commission paid |
| Proposal C coaching, $250 a month plus GST | Optional | Stops when cancelled | Stops when cancelled |
Take three months of leave with no settlements while the $30 million book keeps paying $11,250 of trail. Proposal A still charges $3,600 before GST. Proposal B charges $1,800, made up of $450 in platform fees and $1,350 of trail share, and Proposal C charges $862.50.
Check Future Costs
Effective cost is a proposal’s total charges as a share of the commission you receive. It changes when your settlements fall, when your book grows and when you leave. Recalculate it for the year you expect as well as the year you’re in.
| Scenario, before GST | Proposal A, flat fee | Proposal B, commission share | Proposal C, hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 settlements, $30 million trail balance, $153,000 commission | $14,400 (9.4%) | $21,360 (14.0%) | $16,350 (10.7%) |
| 12 settlements, $30 million trail balance, $88,200 commission | $14,400 (16.3%) | $13,584 (15.4%) | $8,610 (9.8%) |
| 60 settlements, $60 million trail balance, $306,000 commission | $14,400 (4.7%) | $39,080 (12.8%) | $31,500 (10.3%) |
Proposal B’s tier applies only in the 60-settlement row, where upfront commission reaches $216,000. Every proposal’s GST-inclusive cost is 10% higher than the figure shown.
Fewer Annual Settlements
When settlements fall from 30 to 12 on the same trail book, Proposal A still costs $14,400. Its effective cost rises from 9.4% to 16.3% because commission drops to $88,200. Proposal C becomes the cheapest, since its settlement charges fall with volume.
Parental leave or a paused practice has the same effect on a fixed fee. Check the proposal’s leave terms before you rely on the cost from a full year.
Business Growth
At 60 settlements and a $60 million trail book, Proposal A costs 4.7% of commission. Proposal B’s tier cuts its upfront rate to 8% above $200,000, yet it still costs $24,680 more than Proposal A. Growth favours a fixed fee unless a commission share tiers down far enough to close that gap.
Contract Termination
Exit terms can cost more than a year of fees. Lenders can reclaim upfront commission when a loan is repaid or refinanced early, so ask how the aggregator recovers each broker clawback after you leave. Check too whether your trail commission follows you, because trail terms can outlast every other charge.
| Exit item | Proposal A | Proposal B | Proposal C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed fees during 90 days’ notice, before GST | $3,600 | $450 | $300 |
| Trail after you leave | Paid to you once the lenders approve the move | Aggregator keeps 12% of trail on loans written under its agreement | Paid to you once the lenders approve the move |
| Clawback holdback | None | None | $5,000 of commission held for 12 months |
Proposal B’s 12% share and Proposal C’s 5% share also apply to all commission paid during the notice period. Proposal C adds $250 plus GST for each loan that settles in that time.
On a $60 million book, Proposal B’s continuing trail share is $10,800 a year before GST. If the balance holds, that totals $54,000 over five years after you leave. The guide to switching mortgage aggregators covers moving a trail book.
Request a Written Quotation
Ask every aggregator to quote on the same written basis, so each proposal fits the same worksheet. Request these items in writing.
- Every payment basis, including the monthly fee, settlement charge, upfront share and trail share, each with its GST basis.
- Each tier threshold, what counts toward it and when it resets.
- Platform, CRM, compliance, onboarding and levy-recovery charges, each marked mandatory or optional.
- Which charges continue during leave, a paused practice and the notice period.
- Your review rights, including the notice they give before a fee change and whether you can leave without exit costs when fees rise.
- Every exit deduction, including notice-period fees, trail retention after you leave, clawback holdbacks and any charge to transfer your client records.
Then set each total against the support you need to prepare and defend lending recommendations. The best interests duty requires you to act in each client’s best interests, so your file needs to show why the loan suits them. ASIC’s Regulatory Guide 273 sets out what ASIC looks for when it assesses compliance.
A proposal that includes file reviews and policy support can cost more and still replace work you’d otherwise pay for. If you research lender policy with Bulma, each answer quotes the lender’s policy wording, which you can keep in your file notes. The mortgage aggregator comparison weighs service quality and fit alongside these normalised costs.
Choose the proposal with the lowest mandatory cost at the volume you expect next year. Then check that it still holds at your quietest likely year and on the day you leave.
