As one of Asia's financial hubs, Hong Kong has much to offer people in need of financial plans, but the business of mortgage brokering is relatively new to the territory. One reason for this might be that with so many banks in one place, so much readily available choice makes it easier for people to choose from different mortgage plans. According to Sharmaine Lau Yuen-yuen, chief economic analyst at mReferral, a Hong Kong-based company that has provided mortgage brokering services since 2000, mortgage brokers can help applicants navigate plans more easily. 'In America, 70 per cent of people who look for a mortgage go through a mortgage broker,' Ms Lau said. 'In Hong Kong, it's a new thing, with only about 30 per cent [using mortgage brokers]. But we refer customers to the bank every day and we might get a better deal because we act as business partners.'