Helen Avis has held the position of Director of Finance for Specialist Mortgage since 2003.
She is one of Australia’s leading Finance Brokers, having been recognised as National Broker of Year – Specialist Lending in the Australian Mortgage Awards 2023, the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia’s Residential Finance Broker National Winner and State Winner for 2022, in addition to numerous state and national awards.
Helen is responsible for managing her own client portfolio, in addition to supervising her mortgage broking and processing team and managing Specialist Mortgage’s international business operations.
Helen has successfully completed her Diploma of Financial Services (Finance/ Mortgage Broking Management) and is a member of the MFAA as well as being the Licence Holder under the ASIC Australian Credit Licence for Specialist Mortgage.
Helen holds formal accreditation with most of Australia’s leading lending institutions in addition to specialist lenders providing mortgage solutions for expatriates and non-residents.
Helen has extensive lending experience and has been involved in the Mortgage industry since 1989 when she became licenced under the UK FSA, as a Mortgage Broker and Financial Planner. Prior to this she was a Fund Manager for UK Equities for John Hancock International.
She successfully operated her own business working throughout Europe, advising clients on Finance and Mortgages, until 2002 when she was recruited to relocate to Singapore. Soon after, she decided to concentrate on the mortgage aspect of her profession and took up a position with Specialist Mortgage where she remains today.
Helen and her team absorb so much of the difficulty and tediousness of organizing a home loan, thanks to her meticulous nature and her prompt and effective communication.
We have now used Helen Avis twice in procuring suitable Home Loans for our two investment properties. Helen and the team at SMATS have a deep understanding of the nuances of being an Australian Expat and we have always had great advice, high value offers and top notch service from her and the team.
Helen was invaluable in enabling me to secure my first investment property from Dubai. She matched me with a lender that was suited and could accommodate my personal circumstances, guided me throughout the application process and proactively liaised with the lender to make the process as smooth as possible over the holiday period.
It’s a pleasure to work with Helen and John from SMATS. They are extremely efficient and helpful. I strongly recommend them.
Helen delivers. She is practical, responsive, efficient and caring.
Helen has helped us many times with our finance over the years. If something can’t be done, Helen will tell you straight – but she will always offer alternatives and solutions.
We trust her completely.
I have now gone through the arduous process of purchasing an Australian property four times. On the last three occasions, Helen Avis has been my first and most important point of contact in the process.
Thank you, Simon, Helen, and John, for supporting us on this investment and being an integral part in completing the purchase of our new home. We highly recommend and look forward to working with SMATS again.
Helen Avis did a really outstanding job pushing our formal approval through in 4 days. She was also very helpful in advising me of the risks around unconditional vs conditional exchange which was much appreciated.
Helen and her team were awesome, assisting with a new property purchase and re-finance of existing loans in record time, all with improved overall pricing. Very professional and highly recommended.
Thanks to Helen and Gino for helping us refinance our investment property and get a construction loan for our new build. We had no luck with our primary bank (despite their best efforts). Specialist Mortgage were able to work with us on different options, and manage my ever changing pay structure, to get us over the line.
If you are living in Singapore and want to buy a property in Australia then you’ll need a top notch mortgage broker. Helen and John at Specialist Mortgage did a fantastic job for me when they helped me secure a mortgage in Australia. The service, follow ups and general support were very good.
Thank you Helen for all the great work you do!
Even after the loan was approved, Helen worked with my conveyancer to ensure that final settlement was achieved without delay. I recommend Helen without hesitation and look forward to working with her again in the future. Thank you again for all your help!
Helen’s intimate knowledge of the market and pricing of various loans (investment, owner occupier, interest only etc) has made loan selection a breeze and enabled us to have confidence in our decision making.
Helen is completely client focused, she was able to take our exact requirements and circumstances into account when searching for and procuring a lender to suit us.
I would have long been deterred from property investment in Australia had it not been for the hard work and high standard of service Helen offers.
We required quite a complicated loan including land and a new build which was handled so smoothly that we then decided to go with Helen for our next purchase and the refinancing of an existing loan away from a bank I had been unhappy with for years.
Helen has helped us with multiple loans and refinancing and has made the process so simple and easy. With Helen’s advice we have always felt like we have been able to find the best product in the market for us.
Helen and John made buying our first property a dream, so seamless and professional. Will definitely be taking up their services again.
Great support from Helen and Gino throughout the process of buying my first home. I would be comfortable recommending them to anyone.
We have been using SMATS group for our mortgage needs since the early 2000s as both Australian residents and non-residents. Helen and her team are incredible. Effective, patient and leaders in industry trends. The mortgage deals they have achieved for us has saved us a significant amount of money.
We highly recommend them.
We have been using SMATS Group for our mortgage needs since the early 2000’s as both Australian residents and non-residents. Helen and her team are incredible. Effective, patient and leaders in industry trends. The mortgage deals they have achieved for us have saved us a significant amount of money. We highly recommend them.
Everyone I worked with on this purchase was fantastic. Helen helped me to find a mortgage when my existing bank said no.
We would definitely recommend the Specialist Mortgage team to anyone needing a mortgage broker who knows the ins and outs of borrowing.
A professional service from start to finish.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again for future loan needs and have already recommended them to friends and family.
The application process was straightforward, the guidance was clear, and the support never wavered. It was such a relief after so many false starts.
Thank you to the Specialist Mortgage team for arranging finance for my new Australian property. Not an easy task given my China working location and a tightening banking environment for foreign-based workers.
What we appreciated the most is the response time and continuous support throughout the process of pre-approval all the way up to settlement. They are great professionals that explain everything thoroughly. We really trust them to help build our portfolio. Highly recommended to anyone!
Impeccable service end to end. As a working expat living abroad in a time zone that makes it difficult to deal with in Australia, I found the team to be extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and helpful. They managed the process from initial enquiry right through to settlement to the highest quality.
As a working expat living abroad and in a time zone that makes it difficult to deal with Australia, I found the team to be extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and helpful.
Working with Specialist Mortgage has been nothing short of a pleasure. They went above and beyond what was expected of a mortgage broker.
The help that we received from Specialist Mortgage services was superb. Their guidance and support was spot on through the entire process. I have no hesitation in recommending them very highly.
Don’t waste your time and look no further than Specialist Mortgage! They made the impossible possible for me as an Aussie expat trying to secure a mortgage back home.
Specialist Mortgage provided continual professional care and attention as we worked through some of the challenges faced when remotely purchasing and financing property investments in Australia.
Highly recommend Specialist Mortgage and their hard working team. They were very professional and supportive, and persevered to prepare preapprovals and finalise finance over what was a very long and complex (French renumeration structure) and ultimately successful house search.
If you are an Australian and need a mortgage broker – someone who knows how to navigate this tricky area, then Specialist Mortgage will take wonderful care of you. They helped me purchase an investment property while abroad, and their level of service and attention to details were second to none.
Carolyn & Michelle assisted us with a rather complicated mortgage and refinance application, while we were living abroad. We felt fully supported throughout the process, saving us a lot of stress. We strongly recommend them!
A sincere thank you to the Specialist Mortgage team for your dedication, professionalism, and getting me across the line. I honestly thought I’d have to sell my Sydney property before I found you.
During the Covid-19 pandemic our purchase and settlement process was handled remotely via phone and emails, Helen and Fanny were very responsive to our questions, the process and acquisition of all the paperwork was very clear.
The Specialist Mortgage team provided continual professional care and attention as we worked through some of the challenges faced when remotely purchasing and financing property investments in Australia.
We recently used Specialist Mortgage again to obtain home loan finance and received the same high level of fast, efficient and reliable service as previously experienced. Great service and great communicators. Highly recommended for finance services.
Thank you for the outstanding job you did in refinancing our home loans. Your team truly understood our home loan requirements and provided us with specialist advice that not only met our current needs but also allowed us to plan for future growth.
We’ll definitely be using Specialist Mortgage again in the future and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for expert advice and a smooth property investment journey.
In the end, I went with a non-bank lender Specialist Mortgage recommended—and it’s been a great experience so far.
We appreciate your hard work and complex understanding of our situation. We will definitely recommend you to our friends and family.
Excellent service from start to finish. The team was attentive, communicative and always helpful with my queries. Highly recommended.
Fantastic support throughout the purchasing process.
EXCEPTIONAL customer service from Specialist Mortgage.
My housing loan process in Australia was so smooth.
Over the past 10 years, Specialist Mortgage has supported me in securing finance for several of my property investments. They’ve made the process seamless, even while I was living overseas in Dubai and London.
As an Australian citizen, Australian Non Tax Resident and UAE resident, finding a home loan can be challenging and a daunting task. On two separate occasions we have used the Specialist Mortgage team to secure a loan and have found them to be extremely professional, responsive, knowledgeable and have a true partnership approach.
Thank you for all the behind the scenes work you did to get us where we are today. It was a long process, but we got there in the end.
EXCEPTIONAL customer service from the Specialist Mortgage team. My housing loan process in Australia was so smooth.
We’ve been using Specialist Mortgage for mortgage approvals and renewals for the past 2.5 years and they have dealt with my endless questions very quickly, professionally and tirelessly which is super impressive.
My experience with Specialist Mortgage was fantastic, they are extremely knowledgeable.
They pointed out important factors in my settlement which lead me to saving a lot of money.
I highly recommend Specialist Mortgage and I will be using their services again.
As an Aussie expat living in London, I struggled with six other brokers before finding Specialist Mortgage. They were the only ones who got it done.
We used Specialist Mortgage for several investment house loans as expats. They were easy to work with, responded promptly and made it a stress-free process.
From the first Zoom call with Grace Neo, I knew I was in expert hands. Grace, Michelle, and Katherine were fast, diligent, and always clear. A truly professional team.
We decided to return to Australia from Dubai and needed sound tax and financial advice. We approached the Specialist Mortgage team and they came up with realistic solutions to purchase a property back in Australia. It did not take long to get loan approval and we were able to buy in a subdivision.
Specialist Mortgage/SMATS was recommended to us by other expats and we are very glad we took the advice. Highly recommend to all.
Impeccable service end to end. The team managed the process from initial enquiry right through to settlement to the highest quality.
We recently purchased our first investment property with the help of Specialist Mortgage, and the experience was fantastic.
Your expertise and dedication have made a significant difference, and we are incredibly grateful for your support throughout the refinancing process. Thank you once again for your exceptional service. A very happy customer!
I used the Specialist Mortgage broking team to secure lending in Australia at a time when Australian banks were imposing tight controls on expat lending.
The team were impressively responsive and helpful throughout the whole process and able to secure me a great outcome. I would highly recommend using their services.
I would highly recommend this service to any expats thinking of returning. My advice would be to start the process as early as possible.
I couldn’t be happier with the advice provided or the outcome achieved. Very good working with foreign clients, brilliant communication throughout. Highly recommend.
I was extremely pleased with the outcome and look forward to continuing the relationship with Specialist Mortgage.
My experience with the Specialist Mortgage team was fantastic; they are extremely knowledgeable. The Specialist Mortgage team pointed out important factors in my settlement, which led me to save a lot of money.
I highly recommend Specialist Mortgage, and I will be using their services again.
Great customer service and always available to clarify and respond.
Thank you to the SMATS team for arranging finance for my new Australian property. Not an easy task given my China working location and a tightening banking environment for foreign based workers.
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