As certified wealth advisors, mortgage specialists at OCBC will be able to provide affluent clients with advisory services that go beyond home loans. The move touches on a broader industry narrative about the need to develop and nurture talent.

Singapore’s Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) has launched an upskilling programme to transform mortgage specialists into certified wealth advisors.

After an intensive four-month programme, mortgage specialists will take on an expanded role in advising home loans customers on a full spectrum of investment and insurance products, the firm said in a statement. This move aligns with OCBC’s focus on wealth management.

In the banking sector, mortgage specialists are limited to offering home loans while only certified financial advisors are authorised to provide wealth advisory services, including investment and insurance solutions. Empowering individuals with both capabilities enables service delivery, removes hand-offs and deepens customer relationships, the bank continued. Based on OCBC’s statistics, home loan customers have twice as many products with the bank compared with those without a home loan, and 1.6 times higher assets under management.

The initiative also serves as a talent retention strategy, helping mortgage specialists grow their skillsets and stay engaged with the bank. The transition from a mortgage-only role to full-spectrum wealth advisory is a logical next step for them. As it is, they are well placed to support affluent customers because they can use their expertise in property – a key component of wealth portfolios. In addition, they are often the first touchpoint that customers have with OCBC, with one in four new-to-bank customers starting with a home loan.

Talent management and development remains an important strategy area for private banks and wealth managers, among other types of financial institution. For example, as reported in late August, OCBC said it had become the first bank to partner with International Coaching Federation Singapore to deepen coaching capabilities among its staff. OCBC intends to train 100 senior leaders to attain the International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach (ICF-ACC) accreditation by the end of 2027. 

There are three components to the programme as unveiled this week:

Classroom training
Adapted from OCBC’s relationship manager curriculum, the training blends technical and soft skills through classroom teaching, case studies and role play. Mortgage specialists gain exposure to the full spectrum of wealth products, portfolio construction and fraud detection.

Industry certification
Participants will attain the Capital Markets and Financial Advisory Services (CMFAS) certifications administered by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore. These certifications – also required of relationship managers – validate their advisory capabilities across portfolio management, asset allocation, client engagement, and compliance.

On-the-job coaching
Mortgage specialists receive support from product experts in investments, bancassurance, and FX. During initial client meetings, they are accompanied by supervisors who provide real-time coaching on advisory conversations and engagement strategies.

“Homeownership is a major life milestone, and the financing process can be complex. As such, mortgage specialists play a key advisory role, often operating at the intersection of home financing and financial planning,” Sunny Quek (pictured), head of global consumer financial services OCBC, said. “This initiative not only expands their areas of expertise but also strengthens the OCBC Premier Banking proposition. By equipping mortgage specialists so that they can support customers holistically, from home financing to long-term wealth planning, we can deepen relationships and reinforce our position in wealth management.”

Singapore-listed OCBC is parent of Bank of Singapore, the private bank.