by Ksenia Stepanova
New Zealand financial advisers are growing faster than their global counterparts but operate in a fundamentally different business model, according to new survey data from the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).
New Zealand country chair Travis Hamilton presented the data at the MDRT roadshows this week.
Kiwi MDRT members reported average growth of 17% over the past 12 months, outpacing the global average of 14% despite being younger and less experienced than the typical international member.
The average New Zealand member is 46 years old with 17 years of industry experience, compared to their global peers at 53 years old with 25 years in the field. But they're delivering stronger growth while working similar hours and managing similar-sized teams.
Different revenue streams, similar concerns
New Zealand members derive 70% of revenue from new business and only 30% from ongoing business. Globally, 71% of revenues are recurring and just 29% come from upfront or fee-based arrangements.
When asked about their biggest challenges over the next five years, scaling and growth topped the list globally, followed by integrating artificial intelligence into business functions and recruiting skilled workers.
Hamilton noted one encouraging finding: local competition ranked dead last among 23 potential challenges.
"I was quite happy to see that, because that’s all our peers. Members see other advisers as colleagues, and we’re all here to help each other grow and develop,” he said.
AI leads technology charge
For New Zealand advisers, AI use topped the list of most important technologies, followed by CRMs and virtual meetings.
This was slightly different to the global results, where CRMs were ranked as the technology with the most impact. AI came in second, with virtual meetings also taking third place.
This suggests Kiwi advisers are happier to experiment with AI, and are becoming early adopters of the most promising technologies.
Globally, scaling and growth challenges were the top concern, followed by integrating AI into business functions and recruiting skilled workers.
In line with scaling and growth as the top priority, the biggest investment by members globally was into staff and hiring.
This was followed by IT systems and software, and training and development came in third.
Globally, 46% of MDRT members are now outsourcing business functions, with New Zealand advisers most commonly outsourcing CRMs, marketing, and compliance services.
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