Channel conflict also eased, with 37.65% of advisers calling it a major problem, down from 57.47%. Pricing moved the other way: 31.52% said product range and pricing had worsened, more than double last year’s figure.
ANZ lifts its game
ANZ retained its overall bank gold, medalling in eight of 10 categories, with seven category wins, including turnaround times. Its overall adviser score climbed from 3.52 to 3.92.
Hayley Burgess, ANZ’s head of mortgage adviser distribution, said the bank acted on direct feedback. “Last year, we heard from advisers that our turnaround times weren’t where they needed to be,” she said. ANZ responded with more resourcing across assessment and business development manager (BDM) teams, deeper assessor training, and a review of where its processes were slowing applications.
CFML Loans wins on price
Among specialist lenders, Auckland-based CFML Loans took gold for interest rates, scoring 3.81 out of 5, the top specialist score for interest rates. The number of advisers rating the lender more than tripled this year.
Among the banks, Bank of China took gold for interest rates, unseating ANZ, which won the category in 2025.