About Leon Zhang

Q. What inspired you to become a Mortgage Broker?

A. After seven years working as a builder, I developed a genuine fascination with finance, economics, and investing. In my downtime, I’d be diving into videos on market trends and pouring over articles about investment strategies—always curious about how money moves and grows. It wasn’t until I started thinking about my future family that I realised I needed a career change. The long hours and physical demands of building didn’t align with the work–life balance I envisioned as a young dad. Mortgage broking offered the perfect blend: it allowed me to leverage my construction background while focusing on the financial side of homeownership. By helping people secure the right mortgage, I could stay connected to the world of property while creating more flexibility for my future family life.  

Q. What is the best part of being a Mortgage Broker?

A. Although my time as a Mortgage Broker is very limited, I am excited by the joy of helping families secure a mortgage on their first home and providing guidance on how to structure their finances in a way that allows them to live the life they wish to live. Being able to see how the right lending advice can set someone up for long-term success is incredibly rewarding, and I look forward to celebrating each client’s milestone,whether it’s their first mortgage approval, refinancing for a growing family, or planning for future investment.  

Q. What have you found to be the most challenging aspect?

A. As someone new to the industry, the learning curve around regulations, product nuances, and lender policies can be steep. Every day there’s something new to absorb—whether it’s a fine point in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act or a subtle change in a bank’s lending criteria. Establishing credibility without a long track record is also challenging  

Q. How would you sum up being a Mortgage Broker in three words?

A. Educational, Empowering, Responsibility 

Q. If you were Prime Minister for one day, what would you do?

A. Having spent years on construction sites, I know firsthand how tangled council regulations and lengthy consent processes drive up project timelines and costs—especially now with material prices already soaring. Builders often face duplicated checks, unclear fee structures, and outdated compliance steps that add little value to a build but significantly inflate budgets. In addition, limiting material production to companies holding BRANZ appraisals creates supply bottlenecks, as we saw when the GIB shortage during COVID forced many builds to stall or pay exorbitant prices for plaster board stock. That shortage occurred because GIB was the only available interior lining option, effectively giving one manufacturer a monopoly—even though some overseas alternatives were rated better than GIB. If I had one day in office, I’d tackle these issues head-on

Q. Complete this sentence: If I Wasn’t in Mortgage Broking, I would be

A. still working in the construction industry—probably running my own small building company or specialising in sustainable home renovations. I love the hands-on aspect of construction and the satisfaction of seeing a project come together from the ground up.