Annual Review Calls as a Lead Engine

Key takeaways

• Your back book is a lead source you have already paid to acquire.
• A review call defends trail against a competitor's refinance approach.
• Fixed-rate expiry dates are the single highest-value trigger to diarise.
• Referrals ask better after a review than after a settlement.

Why is the annual review the cheapest lead you have?

Because acquisition is already sunk. You paid to find this client once - through a lead, an advertisement, a referral relationship or your own time - and that cost does not repeat. The marginal cost of a review call is fifteen minutes.

Compare that against a purchased enquiry where you pay again for a stranger who has never heard of you, then compete on speed to make contact. The existing client answers the phone because your name is in it.

It also runs in both directions: the call that finds your client a better structure is the same call that stops them answering a refinance advertisement six weeks later.

What do you actually check on the call?

Run the same checklist every time so the call has a purpose beyond "how are things".

Most calls produce no transaction, and that is fine. The value is in the small share that do, plus the trail that does not walk out the door.

How do you run it at scale?

Diarise on the loan, not on the client. Settlement date plus twelve months creates an even spread through the year; fixed expiry minus three months creates a second, higher-value trigger.

• Batch the calls - a fixed block each week beats an intention to get to them.
• Delegate the scheduling, not the conversation. The call itself is the product.
• Send something first - a short note saying what you will cover raises answer rates and makes the call feel expected.
• Log the outcome, including "nothing needed" - that is the record that proves the review happened.

Ask for a referral at the end of a review rather than at settlement. At settlement the client is relieved and busy; at review they have had a year of the loan working and a fresh reminder that you are still paying attention.

Frequently asked questions

How often should a broker contact past clients?

At least annually as a structured review, with additional contact triggered by events - fixed rate expiry, interest-only expiry, or a significant rate move. More frequent generic contact adds little; event-triggered contact adds a lot.

Does an annual review count as personal credit advice?

If you make a recommendation about the client's specific loan, you are providing credit assistance and your usual obligations apply, including best interests duty and appropriate documentation. Treat a review call with the same file discipline as a new application.

How does a review call protect trail commission?

Trail stops when the loan is refinanced away. A client who has just spoken to you about their rate is far less likely to respond to a competitor's approach, and if repricing is warranted you can arrange it with the existing lender without losing the loan.

What if the review shows the client should refinance away from a lender paying me trail?

Then that is the recommendation. Best interests duty is not suspended because the better option costs you trail, and a client who discovers you withheld it will cost you far more than one loan.

Related reading

• Database Reactivation: Mining Your Own Back Book
• Refinancing Your Home Loan: The Complete 2026 Process
• Email Nurture for a 9-Month Buying Cycle

Sources

• Best interests duty for mortgage brokers (RG 273) — ASIC
• Moneysmart - reviewing your home loan — ASIC