Otto Dargan is the CEO and Founder of Home Loan Experts. He began his career as a mortgage broker at just 18 years old and has since gained over two decades of experience in the industry. Along the way, he’s worked across every part of the business, from broking and finance to marketing, compliance and operations, before building a high-performing team around him.Today, he’s proud to lead one of Australia’s top specialist mortgage brokerages, known for solving complex loan scenarios that others turn away.
In March 2025, Otto returned to the CEO role, bringing fresh focus to the business. He now works closely with every part of the company to improve systems, lift service quality and make sure customers get the kind of help they need, especially when their situation is a little outside the box.
He’s completed more than 80 specialist courses, is qualified to sit on the board of an ASX-listed company, and stays sharp in a fast-changing industry. But ask Otto what really drives him, and he’ll tell you it’s helping others succeed.
Otto's Experience
Otto began his career in finance at Mortgage House in 2003 after leaving university. He started right away as a mortgage broker in one of the branches and found that he enjoyed working on the tougher loans that other brokers didn’t want to deal with.
After four years, he saw an opportunity to help clients more effectively by working in a more flexible environment with access to a wider range of lenders. In December 2006, he founded Dargan Financial. As the business grew and its online reach expanded, the company rebranded to Home Loan Experts in 2009.
Drawing on his own experience and years of client work, Otto developed a training program for brokers that focuses on real-world scenarios, lender policy knowledge and customer-first thinking. He’s a strong believer in continuous improvement, having completed a management course, studied public speaking and expanded his knowledge across multiple areas of finance.
Australia’s Brightest Broker 2011 & 2012
In 2011 and 2012, Otto won the Broker IQ competition run by St George Bank and The Adviser, (a mortgage industry publication).
The quiz is designed to test mortgage brokers on a range of topics including general finance, product and industry knowledge.
Over 1,000 of Australia’s best brokers entered the competition and were put through a series of difficult tests to find just six finalists.
In both 2011 and 2012, the final was hosted by Australian TV game show legend Larry Emdur at The Adviser’s Australian Broking Awards. In 2011, Otto not only came first in the quiz, he actually doubled the next closest contestant’s score! In 2012, he returned to defend his title and once again was named Australia’s Brightest Broker.
Steven Heavey, the General Manager of St George Intermediary Distribution, presented Otto with a cheque for $10,000 for winning the competition. Read more in The Adviser‘s report on the competition.
Thought Leadership And Media
Otto is a trusted voice in the mortgage and property industry. His commentary has featured in outlets such as 9News, The Australian Financial Review, Domain, and Smart Property Investment, where he shares insights on housing policy, interest rates and the realities of home ownership in Australia.
Adelaide Now
- Five things every borrower should consider before refinancing their home loan
- How borrowers are getting stung by the Netflix home loan test
Australian Broker Online
- Top broker predicts strong housing market this year
- Broker on broker: Otto Dargan
- What makes a broker great right now?
- Chinese buyers bought $2bn of residential sites
- Industry slams consumer groups’ risky lending accusations
- How will Hockey’s pension changes hit the mortgage industry?
- Home Loan Experts: Growing Beyond The Borders
- Are you ready to head offshore?
Australian Financial Review
- Commonwealth Bank cuts fixed-rate home loans
- Growing risks for buyers as banks tighten lending rules
- No breach for lenders as homeowners switch to interest-only
- QBE won’t offer LMI cover for borrowers from hard-hit sectors
- 6700 apartment projects across Australia blacklisted for loans by a major bank
- Tighter investor lending rules will speed up foreign investment in property
Bloomberg
Brisbane Times
- Banks cut fixed rates on home loans as they start wooing investors again
- Banks tighten credit for pandemic-hit workers, mortgage brokers say
- ‘Disappointing’: Financial counsellors slam ME Bank redraw policy change
Cairns Post
The Chronicle
Courier Mail
Daily Mail
Daily Telegraph
- Many cash-strapped Australians worry the value of their properties could significantly fall
- Aussies are wasting thousands of dollars on ridiculously high interest rates, experts warn
- Interest rates: Treasurer Josh Frydenberg pressures banks to pass on full rate cut
- Australians fall behind in understanding mortgage language
- Interest rates: How complacency can cost you $450 a month
- Rate hikes: Other banks to join Westpac’s home loan cash grab
- UBank reveals they are dropping variable rate loan deals
- Home loan customers slowing how quick they are paying down their mortgages
- Is your bank refusing do drop interest rates on your home loan? Here’s how you make it happen
- Home loans for over 65s fair call
- Older Australians left to pay off home loan debts past 100
- Commbank toughens up on home loan lending
- First-home buyers can now use superannuation to save for deposit
- First Home Buyers Scheme: How to sign up
Domain
- Alternative ways to invest in the property market
- Coronavirus prompts sudden lending changes for hopeful home loan borrowers
- New home loans: How to pay for a house-and-land package or off-the-plan apartment
- First home buyers consider credit cards to cover deposit shortfall
- Financing studio apartments
- Mixed use properties
Esperance Express
Financial Review
Gold Coast Bulletin
- Extra loan help for homebuyers as lenders create new chances
- Commbank toughens up on home loan lending
- Interest-only customers hit by higher repayment costs
Herald Sun
- The RBA has kept the cash rate on hold and these are the best mortgage deals available
- Westpac tightens home loan lending rules: What it means for customers
- Banks offer cashback offers of up to $4000 to customers refinancing their loans
- Home loan customers paying owner-occupier rates starting with a ‘5’ in front
- First-home buyers ready to break into the property market
- How to give yourself an instant home loan interest rate cut
- Mortgage customers getting stung with rates around 6 per cent
- ANZ changes rules to investment interest-only loans
- FIRST HOME-BUYERS FORCED INTO NO-DEPOSIT LOANS
- Royal Banking Commission findings: Mortgage brokers fuming
- Banking report fallout: Mark Bouris warns house prices will dive
- Mortgage customers will find it harder to refinance in 2019
- Home loan customers escape interest rate hikes
- Five things every borrower should consider before refinancing their home loan
- Our Gen: Hope for young Victorians in harsh housing market
- UBank reveals they are dropping variable rate loan deals
- Many home loan customers can snare cheap fixed rate deals
- No or low deposit home loans are available but there’s a catch
- Five ways to work out if your bank is ripping you off
- Five things your home loan lender won’t tell you as RBA rates on hold
- Home loan customers urged to review their interest rates despite cash rate staying on hold
- National Australia Bank drops home loan interest rates
- Westpac drops home loan rates for first-home buyers
- Home loan customers slowing how quick they are paying down their mortgages
- Lazy borrowers hit by exorbitant home loan interest rates
- Commonwealth Bank cracks down on mortgages and changes repayment rules
- The reason why you should be reassessing your home loan now
- 76-year-old gets 30-year home loan as lenders approve Australians into their 80s
- Banks withhold rate cuts to its customers as RBA meets to discuss further interest cut
- Commbank toughens up on home loan lending
- First-home buyers can now use superannuation to save for deposit
- Home loan customers should steer clear of fixing their interest rate
- Stressed home loan customers are struggling to meet their mortgage repayments
International Business Times
- Australian banks earn extra $1.4 billion by keeping half of RBA interest rate cut
- NAB lists postcodes facing high default risks – Sydney suburbs among the highest
Mercury
- ANZ changes rules to investment interest-only loans
- Australians who bought property in the 1990s did it as tough as though who purchase homes now
Macro Business
- Aussie banks tighten mortgage clamps
- Australia’s property market hit by ‘perfect storm’
- Mortgage standards panic seeps into MSM
- Aussie property’s next big risk: mortgage tightening
Mortgage + Finance Help
Mortgage Professional Australia
- NSW stamp duty shake-up to happen in 2023
- Home Loan Experts’ Otto Dargan expects a surge in property transactions
- Broker offers better ways to check borrowers’ living expenses
- Brokers argue remuneration structure is sound in wake of royal commission report
- BOQ raises rates on existing investor loans
- Death of low docs?
- Lending to Foreigners
- Guarantor Loans
- My Toughest Test
- Positive Credit Reporting
news.com.au
- Mortgage serviceability changes can lead to financial woes
- Bridging loans are expensive so is it OK to buy before you sell?
- Extra loan help for homebuyers as lenders create new chances
- Should customers have a home loan offset account?
- Stressed home loan customers are struggling to meet their mortgage repayments
- Home loan customers urged to review mortgages over offers of rock-bottom interest rate deals
- The five key ways to work out if you are the perfect home loan customer
- Home loan customers do not know what interest rate they pay
- Same-day home loans on their way
- Home loan customers miss out on savings as the big banks play scrooge
- First-home buyers are making a comeback with a helping hand
- Reserve Bank keeps low interest rate on hold, homeowners warned against being ripped off
- Banks use interest rates as high as nine per cent to determine home loan serviceability
- Banks continue their crackdown on investor home loans
- Borrowers are confused on what is a good interest rate
- Borrowers with small deposits for a home are getting stung
The News Daily
news.china.com.au
News Mail
- Banking report fallout: Mark Bouris warns house prices will dive
- Borrowers to get hit with interest rate shock
NineMSN Money
NT News
- Mortgage customers will find it harder to refinance in 2019
- Stressed home loan customers are struggling to meet their mortgage repayments
pc.gov.au
perthnow.com.au
Smart Property Investment
South Burnett Times
Sunshine Coast Daily
Sydney Morning Herald
- ‘No frills’ home loans new bank battleground
- ‘Aussie’ John Symond backs super-for-housing scheme
- Banks dial back COVID-19 caution as economy improves
- ‘Disappointing’: Financial counsellors slam ME Bank redraw policy change
- Avoid using Afterpay if you want a home loan, mortgage brokers warn
- Sydney and Melbourne house prices will soon be growing at double-digit rates
- Highly geared borrowers tipped to face extra scrutiny
- Are you exercising your way out of a home loan?
- Leave nothing but huge amounts of money. Expect only grandchildren
- Tighter rules on home loans could cool housing market
- One in three don’t understand their interest-only loans, says UBS
- Banks cut fixed rates on home loans as they start wooing investors again
- Fixed mortgage rates slashed as banks bet on RBA cut
- ‘Restricted postcodes’: NAB names suburbs where credit risk getting worse
- Lenders ‘conservative’ with low-deposit loans
- Interest rate gap between investors and owner-occupiers to widen
- Mortgage belt loosens, but not for first-home buyers (newspaper)
- Banks more cautious on high-risk home loans
- Banks restrict loans in risky mining towns
- ANZ warns of super real estate risks
- Macquarie joins clampdown on property investors
SydneyNepal
Talking Lifestyle Radio
The Adviser
- A ‘sigh of relief’ for borrowers as RBA holds
- RBA hikes cash rate yet again
- Major brokerage appoints new CEO
- Brokerage invites PC and regulators to broker training
- Mortgage Broker Efficiency
- Prize-winning broker lands marketing grant
- Smart Business
- The Word
- Top Sydney firm continues expanding
- Western Sydney broker crowned Australia’s best
The Advertiser
The Australian
- Critical Mass For Brokers (Newspaper print)
The Courier Mail
- What banking customers must do now the Royal Commission is over
- Interest-only customers hit by higher repayment costs
- Banks continue their crackdown on investor home loans
The Daily Telegraph
- One in five home loan customers won’t be able to meet their repayments if interest rates rise
- Stressed home loan customers are struggling to meet their mortgage repayments
- What should you do with the interest rate drop?
- Foreign incomes do not count for temporary residents buying property in Australia
- Banks use interest rates as high as nine per cent to determine home loan serviceability
The Edge Markets
The Finance Professional
Townsville Bulletin
Warwick Daily News
Your Investment Property Magazine
Your Mortgage Magazine
- Borrowers turn to fixed rates to dodge impacts of further rate rises
- Major banks tweak lending rules for home buyers
- What Australians can do with the rate cut
- Rate cuts still coming for home loan customers
- Discounts For Professionals
The Weekly Times
- First Home Loan Deposit Scheme on track to begin on January 1
- Mortgage deals with $2000 cashback leave customers worse off
The Successful Adviser
Gladstone Observer
He also writes a blog and a monthly column for Smart Property Investor Magazine.
Testimonials for Otto
If they had ten stars, I would tick them all! The service, follow up, expertise, professionalism, is beyond anything I have ever experienced in my entire 35 year plus working life!
To Binay and Otto, I cannot express how grateful my husband and I are from the tremendous service we received from you both as representatives of the Home Loans group. Believe me when I say these guys really are the experts in Home Loans.
Perhaps there are many who know about home loans but it’s not what you may or may not know, but it’s the way you are treated in a service industry. These people have great patience, deep knowledge of their business and will explain everything in detail.
Thank you so very much a ten out of ten experience. Give them a call, they really are the best in their field!
Helen
VIC
Otto and Rojina have been meticulous in providing advice and following through on their commitments throughout our dealings with Home Loan Experts. There have been regular updates provided to us, at times on a daily basis.
We have been impressed their willingness to offer divergent approaches and alternative strategies. All in all an exceptional service, which we have greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Michael A
NSW