Something is shifting in the Australian broker market. More and more mortgage and finance brokers are looking beyond the banks — not just as a last resort, but as a first choice for certain deal types. Private and non-bank lenders are becoming a core part of the modern broker's toolkit, and for good reason.
If you are a broker who has not yet explored the private lending space, here is why your peers are making the switch — and why their clients are thanking them for it.
Speed That Closes Deals
The number one reason brokers turn to non-bank lenders is speed. Traditional bank approvals for business and commercial loans routinely take four to eight weeks, sometimes longer. During that time, deals collapse, clients lose confidence, and brokers lose sleep.
Non-bank lenders like Strive Financial operate on a completely different timeline. Applications can be reviewed and approved on the same day. Funds can be in the client's hands within 24 hours. For time-sensitive deals — auction settlements, property purchases with tight deadlines, or urgent cash flow needs — this speed is not a luxury. It is the difference between a deal that settles and one that falls over.
For brokers, speed also means efficiency. Less time chasing bank assessors, fewer follow-up calls, fewer anxious clients. You submit the deal, it gets assessed, and you have an answer — often before the end of the business day.
Better Commissions, Clearly Defined
Bank commission structures are complex, opaque, and constantly changing. Trail commissions get clawed back, tiered structures reward volume over quality, and brokers often feel like they are working for the bank rather than for themselves.
At Strive Financial, the commission model is straightforward: brokers set their own commission. There are no hidden tiers, no volume targets, and no clawback periods. You know exactly what you will earn on each deal before you submit it, and you receive payment promptly after settlement.
This transparency allows brokers to price their services fairly and predictably. It also means that smaller deals — which banks often make unprofitable through low commission rates — can be worthwhile when placed with a private lender.
Simpler Processes, Less Paperwork
Bank applications for business loans are notoriously document-heavy. Two years of financials, tax returns, business activity statements, personal asset and liability statements, business plans, cash flow projections — the list goes on. Gathering these documents takes time, creates friction with clients, and frequently leads to delays when the bank requests "just one more thing."
Private lenders take a fundamentally different approach. At Strive, lending decisions are based on the security property and the borrower's exit strategy. We do not require financials, tax returns, or credit checks. The documentation required from the broker is minimal: details of the security property, the loan amount, the purpose, and the proposed exit strategy.
For brokers, this means less time packaging deals and more time finding them. It also means you can serve clients who would struggle to provide the documentation banks demand — not because they are bad borrowers, but because their financial affairs are complex, recent, or unconventional.
Happier Clients, Stronger Relationships
At the end of the day, a broker's reputation depends on delivering outcomes. Clients remember the broker who got their deal done when no one else could. They refer friends and come back for future transactions.
When you can call a client and say "you are approved" within hours of submitting their application, you become more than a broker — you become a trusted adviser. The client does not care whether the funds came from a big four bank or a private lender. They care that the deal settled, their business kept moving, and the process was painless.
Non-bank lenders also tend to be more flexible on deal structure. Unusual security types, short-term requirements, complex entity structures — private lenders are accustomed to deals that do not fit neatly into a bank's credit policy. This flexibility allows brokers to say "yes" to more clients rather than turning them away.
The Strive Broker Model
At Strive Financial, we have built our broker program around two principles: simplicity and fairness. We offer two ways for brokers to work with us:
- Refer and earn. Simply introduce your client to Strive and we handle everything from there. You earn a referral commission with no ongoing management required. This is ideal for brokers who want to offer a private lending option without changing their workflow.
- Broker-managed. For brokers who want to manage the deal from start to finish, you can submit applications directly to our lending committee. You set your own commission, manage the client relationship, and we provide the funding. This model gives you full control and maximum earning potential.
Both models come with dedicated support. You will deal with real people who understand your deal and can give you a straight answer — not a call centre, not a chatbot, and not a generic email inbox.
Expanding Your Toolkit
Partnering with a non-bank lender does not mean abandoning the banks. It means having another option in your toolkit — one that excels in situations where banks fall short. Speed, simplicity, and flexibility are the hallmarks of private lending, and they complement the long-term, low-rate products that banks do well.
The brokers who thrive in today's market are the ones who can match the right lender to the right deal. Sometimes that is a bank. Sometimes it is a non-bank. The key is having both options available.
Ready to explore a faster, simpler way to fund your clients' deals? Learn more about the Strive broker program or get in touch to discuss how we can work together.