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Website · Updated October 2026 · Phil SkeneBorrowing calculator for a broker website: what it should actually do
Nearly every broker site has some way to work out borrowing power. Very few of them turn that moment into a conversation. Here is what separates a tool that hands over a number from one that brings you a client.
Where it sits
The question almost every visitor arrives with is how much can I borrow? If the answer is three clicks away, in the footer or behind a "Calculators" menu, a lot of people give up before they find it. They don't email you to say so. They quietly try the next broker.
Put the tool where the question is: at the top of the homepage, in the first screen people see, with a headline that answers the question in their own words. Think shop window, not storeroom.
Number first, or name first?
A tool that demands a name and phone number before showing anything feels like being asked for your number before you've said hello. Some people close the page; others type in a fake one.
A tool that shows the number and then simply stops has the opposite problem. Someone types in their income, deposit and debts, gets their answer, and you never learn they were there.
The approach that works is the free sample: give the number first, then offer something worth having in exchange for their details. A personalised game plan, a lender shortlist matched to their numbers, the steps that would lift their borrowing power. By the time they've worked through their finances, leaving a name is the natural next step, not a toll gate.
What it should capture
If someone gives you their details, you should already know who you're calling. A useful enquiry includes:
- Why they're here: buying, refinancing, unlocking equity or investing
- Household and employment type
- Income, partner income, bonus and rental income
- Deposit, or home value and existing loans if refinancing
- Card limits, personal and car loans, HECS and monthly spending
- Their borrowing range and repayments
- When they want to act, and the best time to call
Keep only income and deposit compulsory. Most people don't know every figure off the top of their head, and you'd rather they finish with a rough estimate than quit.
Why wording matters
Buying a home is about the biggest decision most people make, and many borrowing tools read like a tax form. A short, warm line at the moments people tend to bail ("rough numbers are perfectly fine", "a rough estimate is fine, or leave it blank") keeps them going. Plain English results do the same: explain the APRA buffer as a safety net, not jargon.
The test: would a nervous first home buyer at 9pm on a Tuesday feel looked after by this page, or processed by it?
The maths has to hold up
Brokers will check the number against their own serviceability tools, so the logic needs to be defensible: an assessment rate with the APRA buffer, income shaded by employment type, current tax brackets, and household living costs. Show every assumption on the results screen and mark the result as indicative only. Our guide to how borrowing power is calculated goes through each step.
A quick checklist
| Question | Basic calculator | Borrowing Profile Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Is it the first thing visitors see? | Usually not | Top of the homepage |
| Number before name? | Varies | Yes, then a reason to leave details |
| Handles refinancing and equity? | Rarely | Yes, with fixed-rate expiry flagged |
| Shows what would lift their number? | No | Yes |
| Sends you the full picture? | Name and email at best | Every figure, plus when to call |
| Your branding and wording? | Often the aggregator's | Yours, word for word |
Common questions
Where should a borrowing calculator go on a mortgage broker website?
At the top of the homepage, in the first screen visitors see, because how much can I borrow is the question most of them arrive with. Tools hidden in a menu or footer are often never found.
Should a broker's calculator ask for contact details before showing the result?
Generally no. Asking for a name first puts many people off or leads to fake details. Showing the number first and then offering a personalised plan in exchange for details tends to produce more genuine enquiries.
What information should a mortgage broker website calculator capture?
Purpose, household, employment, income, deposit or home value and loans, debts and spending, the borrowing range and repayments, when they want to act and the best time to call. Keep only income and deposit compulsory.
Put the question everyone asks at the top of your homepage.
Have a go as if you were a client. On your site it sits at the top of your homepage, in your colours, and sends you their whole picture.
More guides
Six practical moves that turn quiet website visits into conversations, starting with the homepage.
RefinancingFinding refinance clients: fixed-rate expiry, equity and rate reviewsHow to spot the borrowers who need you now, and what to ask on the first call.
ServiceabilityHow borrowing power is calculated in AustraliaThe APRA buffer, income shading, living costs and tax, with a worked example.