A mortgage broker virtual assistant who keeps every file moving
For brokers and brokerage principals who package loans at night: a mortgage broker virtual assistant, hired as a loan processor or client services officer, who works in your CRM and lender portals. You hire and pay them directly, and Tarino charges one fee per hire, with no monthly markup.
- Recruitment fee
- $5,000 once, excl. GST
- Monthly markup
- $0
- Shortlist
- 3–4 in about 2 weeks
- Replacement cover
- 6 months
Sound familiar?
- You're chasing payslips and keying fact finds at night instead of writing loans.
- Every file in assessment brings another round of lender emails, and you answer all of them.
- Your trail book needs annual reviews and rate checks, but nobody calls clients after settlement.
- You've paid an agency a margin every month on top of a processor's wage.
Roles we recruit for mortgage brokers
- Loan processorLoan processing outsourcing for Australian mortgage brokers: a Philippines-based loan processor who collects documents, packages applications and follows up lenders through to settlement, hired and paid directly by your brokerage.
- Client services officerAn offshore client services officer for Australian financial advice practices and mortgage brokerages: a Philippines-based hire who books reviews, chases paperwork and keeps providers and lenders moving, hired and paid directly by you.
Software we screen for
- ApplyOnline
- Mercury
- MyCRM
- Salestrekker
- BrokerEngine
- Infynity
- Microsoft 365
A growing loan book brings more documents, more follow-ups and more lender deadlines, and in most brokerages that work has no owner except the broker. So the broker writes loans by day and packages files at night. A dedicated support hire in the Philippines can own the repeatable file work while you keep the client relationship and the credit decisions. Start with the bottleneck: document collection, application preparation or post-lodgement follow-up.
Mortgage broker support, from pre-lodgement to settlement
A loan processor works the file in stages, inside your CRM and your submission checklist.
Pre-lodgement. Sending credit guides and privacy consents, requesting payslips, statements and ID, checking the fact find against the documents, ordering upfront valuations, requesting bank pricing and running serviceability calculators on the inputs you set.
Lodgement. Keying application data into Mercury, MyCRM, Salestrekker or Infynity, preparing compliance documents for e-signature, and packaging the file in ApplyOnline for your review and submission.
Post-lodgement and settlement. Answering lender requests, chasing outstanding conditions, tracking loan documents and settlement dates with solicitors and conveyancers, and keeping CRM status notes current so everyone can see where each file stands.
A client services officer picks up what comes after settlement: annual review bookings, rate-expiry reminders, discharge and variation paperwork, and routine client updates written in your tone.
What stays with your credit representatives
The advice and the accountability stay onshore. Needs analysis, credit assistance, lender selection, the best interests assessment and sign-off on every file remain with your broker. The support hire prepares and follows up. They don’t recommend products or tell a client which loan to take. Write those limits and the escalation points into the role brief. Many aggregators also set rules on offshore staff and system access, so check your aggregator’s policy before you start. Tarino doesn’t give credit, legal or compliance advice.
How we screen for broker roles
Every search starts with a pool of 1,000+ candidates, drawn from job advertising, direct headhunting and referrals through vetted local networks in the Philippines. About 400 pass CV screening, 200 the video screen and 100 the practical assessment. For a loan processor, that task could include checking a sample loan file against a document checklist and writing the client email that asks for what’s missing. Around 50 reach the structured interview and 20 the finalist review. You meet the best 3–4, usually within about 2 weeks, and you make the hire. The detail is on how our five screening stages work. More than 95% of Tarino placements are still in the role at 6 months.
Your CRM, your lender portals, your logins
Your hire works inside your systems with accounts you create. You decide what they can see, set permission levels in your CRM and portals, require multi-factor authentication and remove access the day they leave. Client files stay in your systems, not an agency’s. You remain responsible for client data under the Privacy Act, including the rules on sending personal information overseas. Our offshore staff security checklist covers access, MFA and offboarding.
What a support hire costs a brokerage
Managed offshore agencies charge every month you keep the person. As one published example, Staff Domain’s Scale pricing is A$1,099 per person per month, about A$13,188 a year, plus A$1,200 per hire (checked October 2026). For a brokerage running a processor and a client services officer, that is about A$26,376 a year in agency fees before either salary. With Tarino you pay one recruitment fee per hire and nothing monthly, and because you pay your hire directly, they keep their full salary. Put your own figures into the offshore staff cost calculator, and read how to hire Filipino staff from Australia for the hiring options.
A practical first step is one loan processor. Once the file work is under control, a client services officer can take over the post-settlement book and the reviews that keep your trail income healthy.
How we screen for this role
- 01
Candidate pool
Applicants, headhunted candidates and referrals from vetted local networks build a pool of 1,000+ per role.
100%1,000+ people - 02
CV + quality screening
Experience, stability, written communication, responsiveness and attention to detail.
40%about 400 of 1,000 - 03
Video screening
Communication ability, professionalism and personality.
20%about 200 of 1,000 - 04
Practical assessment
Role-specific tasks test real capability and quality of work.
10%about 100 of 1,000 - 05
Structured interview
Judgement, ownership, communication, problem-solving and independent operation.
5%about 50 of 1,000 - 06
Finalist review
The strongest candidates are reviewed across every assessment stage.
2%about 20 of 1,000 Your shortlist
3–4 finalists with scorecards, practical-task results and independent reference checks, in about two weeks.
3–4people you meet
What a loan processor really costs, three ways.
Pick a role. We compare the full cost of the same role three ways: a local hire in Australia, an offshore hire through a managed agency, and an offshore hire made directly with Tarino.
Total cost over 2 years, excl. GST
$200,000 typical salary + 12% super
$38,400 salary + $27,576 agency fees
$38,400 salary + $5,000 one-time fee
$22,57634%
vs a local hire, you keep $180,600
Sources and method
Agency: Staff Domain's published rate, $1,099/month + $1,200 per hire, split across the month 3 and 4 invoices, checked October 2026. Salaries: Tarino’s typical offshore and Australian salary for each role, plus 12% super on the Australian figure. Excl. GST.
What mortgage brokers say about Tarino
“We engaged Tarino Recruitment to help fill two specialised offshore roles for our brokerage, and the experience has been outstanding. The team prescreens candidates exceptionally well and only presents strong, relevant options. They listen, adapt, and respond to feedback immediately. Great people and a great service.”
Nick Zervos Director, Primrose Capital
“Tarino was awesome to work with. Through Tarino I hired two offshore staff with skillsets that outperform even onshore staff. After bad experiences with the traditional agency model, I'll be using Tarino for all future offshore hires.”
Kado Huang Director, BrighterBrokers
“It was great to work with the Tarino team. They are extremely responsive, professional and knowledgeable about the industry. Highly recommend.”
Graison Burke Director, Loan Market Invictus
“Tarino have been phenomenal to deal with, especially the way they pre-screen the candidates and the ease of process in selecting the right person for the role. I would highly recommend their services.”
Luke Simic Director, Loan Market
“Great experience working with Tarino. The team was professional, responsive, and made the recruitment process smooth from start to finish. They took the time to understand our requirements and presented high-quality candidates that matched our needs. Their communication and attention to detail stood out throughout the process. Highly recommend Tarino to any business looking for reliable recruitment support.”
Nicholas Poljak Director, Primrose Capital
Mortgage brokers: common questions
Loan processor or client services officer: which do I need first?
Choose a loan processor if the bottleneck is document collection, application data entry and lender follow-up before settlement. Choose a client services officer if settled clients are going quiet, with annual reviews, rate-expiry reminders, discharges and variations left undone. Titles vary between brokerages, so we scope the actual tasks and experience in your brief before the search starts.
Who makes the lending recommendations?
Your broker does. Credit assistance, lender selection, the best interests assessment and final review stay with your credit representatives. The support hire prepares files and follows up within the authority you set. Write the escalation points and approval steps into the role brief before handing over files, and check your aggregator's policy on offshore staff.
Offshore staff for mortgage brokers: what does it cost?
There are two costs: your hire's salary, which you pay them directly, and Tarino's recruitment fee, paid once per hire. There are no monthly fees or markup. For comparison, Staff Domain publishes A$1,099 per person per month plus A$1,200 per hire (checked October 2026). Our pricing page and cost calculator set the two models side by side.
Will they work Australian business hours?
The Philippines is two hours behind AEST, and three behind states on daylight saving, so most hires can work your office hours. We build the schedule into the brief and confirm each finalist's availability before you interview. Agree start times for both halves of the year, because daylight saving changes the overlap.
How quickly can I meet candidates?
Your shortlist of 3–4 finalists usually arrives within about 2 weeks of the brief. They come from a pool of 1,000+ candidates for the role, and each has passed CV screening, a video screen, a practical assessment, a structured interview and a finalist review. You interview them yourself and choose who to hire.
Let’s find your next superstar.
Book a 30-minute call. No pitch, no pressure, just a straight conversation about your business and whether Tarino is the right fit.
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