Brighten taps Heartland alum as demand for reverse mortgages grows
Publication Date: Monday, 16 February 2026
This article originally appeared in Australian Broker
Brighten is growing its senior-leadership team as demand for reverse mortgages gains traction.
The non-bank lender has appointed Sharon Yardley in the newly-created role of head of reverse mortgages, reporting directly to Brighten Chief Executive Officer Jason Azzopardi.
Yardley has been tasked with leading the development of Brighten’s reverse mortgage offering, as well as educational programs to help brokers navigate reverse mortgages.
“We are committed to ensuring our expansion into later-life lending is grounded in deep technical capability and customer protections,” Azzopardi said. “I am a huge believer in providing older customers the option to access equity in their home with simplicity.”
Reverse mortgages, a type of specialty lending, offers older (and often cash-strapped) homeowners the chance to borrow money against the equity of their homes. That equity is used as a security in the loan.
Once considered niche, reverse mortgages have become increasingly common since the Australian federal government’s version – also known as the Home Equity Access Scheme, or HEAS – underwent revisions in 2019, making them more widely available. Add to that Australia’s aging demographics, coupled with a cost of living crisis that is making it harder to make ends meet, and it’s not hard to see why the products are in demand.
In fact, Australia’s reverse mortgage market was estimated to be worth roughly $404 million in 2024, up from about $347 million the year before, according to research firm IBISWorld. That’s a growth rate equal to 16.6% for the year.
Heartland Bank Australia, one of the nation’s largest reverse mortgage providers, recorded an even bigger growth rate — up 18.5% in its reverse mortgage portfolio between June 2024 and June 2025.
“The industry is growing,” Medina Cicak, chief commercial officer at Heartland Bank Australia, told Australia Broker. “And there’s more customers coming to us because they’re understanding the benefits of a reverse mortgage, rather than feeling like they don’t understand how they fit into the scheme of things, or of their lives.”
At Brighten, Azzopardi said the firm has set its sights on being the largest provider of reverse mortgages in Australia’s loan markets. The CEO added that Yardley will “play a critical role” in developing Brighten’s reverse mortgage products “with care, transparency and strong governance.”
Brighten — an Australian-based firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, in addition to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Manila — offers a number of specialized products, such as full document verification, alternative document verification, expat and non-resident lending, loans for self-employed individuals, bridge loans and construction loans.
“I’m excited to join the team,” Yardley said. “As people live longer and face more complex choices in retirement, they need access to clear information, strong protections and helpful guidance. Brighten’s approach provides the right foundation to build its reverse‑mortgage offering with simple, tailored and easy to use lending solutions.”
Melbourne-based Yardley brings with her approximately 22 years of experience in Australia’s banking and finance sectors, including more than two decades at Heartland Bank, where she served as general manager of reverse mortgages, among other senior-level roles. She has also worked at La Trobe.