COLUMNS • MY BUSINESS
The sky is the limit Rising star Lauren Hunter has already achieved more than most in her short career as a mortgage adviser. BY MATTHEW MARTIN
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auren Hunter works for the Hamilton branch of Mike Pero Mortgages, where she has had to make more room for numerous
awards. In 2021 alone, these included the Financial Advice New Zealand Rising Star award, the Mike Pero Best Practice Award, and the New Zealand Mortgage Awards Young Gun of the Year. The year prior, she picked up the Mike Pero Mortgage and Insurance Rookie of the Year award. Judges at the Financial Advice NZ awards said the 28-year-old had a passion for people and for helping them achieve their goals. "In her brief tenure in the industry, her client-first approach and diligence have seen her reputation grow quickly." One referee believed she was a role model, describing her as “the benchmark for new advisers entering the industry". "We are truly excited to watch the development of this passionate lending adviser. The sky is the limit for this rising star."
What prompted you to get into the mortgage advice industry? I decided I wanted to pursue a career in finance when I was in year 12 or 13 at school. At that time, it was about making a decision about what to do when we left school. The problem-solving aspect, goal setting, and enjoyment of working with numbers is why I made this decision. From there, I enrolled to study a Bachelor of Business Development, majoring in finance, at Waikato University – and while studying I secured a part-time job as a bank teller, meeting a great bunch of people. My favourite paper at uni was a financial planning paper. This prompted me to start thinking about future roles which would 028
TMM 01 • 2022
