By Sam Panetta, BROKER COACH

When brokers talk niches, one phrase that comes up often is:

“Time poor professionals.”

Sounds solid, right?

But here’s the honest take — I reckon it’s too general.

And it’s not because brokers haven’t had success with time-poor professionals. 

Many have.

But if we’re serious about building leverage through intentional positioning, then we’ve got to be more dialled in.

So let’s break it down by the three core criteria I use when helping brokers define a strong niche — and why this one doesn’t quite stack up.

Criteria #1: Passion

The first question I always ask is:

Are you genuinely interested in these people and their problems?

If you don’t care deeply about the journey your clients are on — whether it’s buying their first home, investing, or upgrading — your energy will fade.

Passion fuels depth.

It helps you ask better questions, create better systems, and market more effectively.

Without it? You’re just running a playbook that’ll eventually burn you out.

Criteria #2: Competitive Edge

Next, ask yourself:
Do I have a real advantage here?

A proper niche gives you leverage — because you’re positioned to serve that client better than most brokers could.

• Maybe you’ve worked in their industry.
  
• Maybe you’ve already built a brand around them.
  
• Maybe you’ve written more deals for that client type than anyone else in your market.
  

Whatever it is — a niche shouldn’t just be available.
It should be a space where you’ve got a real shot at dominance.

Criteria #3: Marketability

Here’s the big one — and the bit that concerns me most with “time poor professionals.”

You’ve got to be able to market to your niche in the way they see themselves.
Not the way we label them internally.

And the truth is — no one really identifies as a “time-poor professional.” 🔥

Even if they are one.

So when we go to market, the message lands flat.

It doesn’t connect. It doesn’t click.

You end up spending money, time, and content trying to appeal to a group that doesn’t think of themselves as a group — and that’s a tough battle to win.

So What’s the Fix?

It’s not that time-poor professionals aren’t real.
It’s that we need to apply a micro-niche inside the macro.

Instead of saying:

“We help time-poor professionals.”

What if we leaned into:

• Time-poor professionals buying their first home
  
• Time-poor professionals scaling their investment portfolio
  
• Time-poor professionals in healthcare, tech, or education
  
• Time-poor professionals in Sydney’s Inner West or Melbourne’s East
  

You don’t even have to state it explicitly.
But when you lean hard into their situation, their goals, their language — the connection sharpens.

That’s when the message starts landing.
That’s when the lead quality goes up.
That’s when marketing starts feeling magnetic — not exhausting.

Final Word

Niches don’t need to be clever.
They need to be clear.

So if you’re sitting on “time poor professionals” as your niche — refine it.
Zoom in.
Add layers.
And build something that speaks directly to the client in a way they recognise themselves.That’s how you win.
That’s how you build leverage.
That’s how you stop being just another broker — and start being the broker of choice.

A mortgage broker coach will often point out that strong niches aren’t clever labels — they’re clear, client-focused positions that people actually identify with.