Walking into your own bank gets you one credit policy, one set of rates and one answer. A broker holds the same file against dozens of lenders and comes back with the two or three genuinely worth choosing between. That difference is worth real money over a thirty-year loan, and it is more pronounced now than it has been for years, with lenders pricing very differently for the same borrower.
Loanworx is a senior-led brokerage. Our team carries more than a century of combined experience across broking and banking, including people who spent years inside credit departments assessing these applications from the other side. We arrange lending across greater Melbourne, from coastal homes on the Mornington Peninsula and mudbrick houses in the north-east to house-and-land builds in the growth corridors and investment purchases in the established suburbs.
We are an independent finance broker built almost entirely on referrals from clients and their accountants and solicitors. That only works if the advice holds up, which is why we structure loans for how they will look in five years rather than how they read today.
Looking for a mortgage broker in Melbourne? Call 1300 562 696 or send an enquiry through and one of our brokers will call you back.
Three things separate a properly brokered loan from one arranged over a branch counter.
We hold accreditation across major banks, second-tier lenders and non-bank funders. The sharpest option for a given scenario is frequently an institution most borrowers would never think to approach, and the spread in borrowing capacity between lenders on identical income can run well into six figures.
Files are structured before lodgement by brokers who know each credit team’s preferences. Self-employed income, trust distributions, commission, a short time in a new role or an unusual property are all handled in the submission rather than left to be queried.
Melbourne is many markets. Mudbrick in Eltham, acreage in Yarrambat, an off-the-plan apartment at Martha Cove and a house-and-land package in Donnybrook are all assessed differently, and we know which lenders handle each one sensibly.
The city is not one lending market. What you are buying changes which lenders will participate and on what terms:
| Property type | Usual lender view | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Standard house on a suburban block | Straightforward, full panel available | Nothing unusual |
| Apartment below the minimum size | Reduced advance or outside policy | Deposit required |
| Alternative construction such as mudbrick | Accepted by some lenders only | Choice of lender |
| Acreage above a lender’s land limit | Assessed under tighter rules | Maximum loan-to-value ratio |
| House and land or off the plan | Funded in stages or at a later settlement | When the money is released |
This table is a general guide only. Policies differ by lender, by your circumstances and by the property, and they change over time, so treat it as a starting point rather than a quote.
Most borrowers compare two or three lenders and choose the least bad. That is not a comparison, it is a sample, and it usually excludes the lenders whose policies would suit the situation best.
We take your income, your deposit and the property, test them against the panel, and come back with the options that genuinely fit along with the reasoning behind each. Then we prepare the submission, manage the lender, coordinate your conveyancer and stay on it until the money moves. Find your suburb in the service areas below.
We test all four together rather than in sequence, so you are not approved on paper and then stopped by the property.
The criteria are broadly consistent across the market. How each lender weighs them is not, and that is where the differences appear.
Income and household expenses are measured against a rate around three per cent above the one you will actually pay, which is why a lender’s figure is lower than a simple calculation suggests.
Because each institution applies its own expense benchmarks and debt treatment, identical households are regularly quoted very different limits.
Your contribution against the property value sets the LVR, and the bands at 80 and 90 per cent drive both your rate and whether lenders mortgage insurance applies.
Equity in an existing property can serve the same purpose as cash, and often more efficiently.
Salaried income is straightforward. Self-employment, company profits, trust distributions, commission, overtime, casual shifts and rental income are all read differently across the panel.
The right lender for an unusual income structure can add substantial borrowing capacity without changing anything about your circumstances.
Because the property secures the loan, its type, size, location and condition all matter. Standard homes on standard blocks pass without comment. Small apartments, alternative construction, acreage above a lender’s land size threshold, off-the-plan purchases and homes in specific postcodes can attract reduced ratios or fall outside policy entirely. We check the property against lender rules before an application is lodged, not after a decline.
Home lending is the bulk of what we do, though it is far from all of it. These are the areas our brokers cover.
Schemes, grants and low-deposit paths for a first purchase.
Finance for your next move, with buying and selling coordinated.
Lending structured around rental income and your wider tax position.
Money released in stages as your new home is built.
Borrowing inside a self-managed super fund to hold investment property.
A better rate, usable equity, consolidated debt or a new structure.
Going direct to one bank means one credit policy and one price list. Here is what a senior-led brokerage does differently.
We compare loans across a broad panel of banks, second-tier lenders and non-bank funders, so you see a genuine spread of options rather than one lender’s offering. The lender that suits you frequently is not the one you already bank with.
You deal with experienced brokers who shape the application before it is lodged, not a processing line. Variable income, self-employment, professional income, business structures and investment portfolios are familiar ground, and we know how to present each one accurately.
From the first conversation to settlement, you deal with us rather than a rotating call centre. We prepare the submission, liaise with the lender, coordinate with your conveyancer or solicitor, and keep you updated at each stage.
The relationship does not end when the loan funds. We review your position periodically and raise a refinance or restructure when it is warranted, which is the thinking behind our Zero Debt Club and our credit coaching accreditation.
Wherever you are buying across Melbourne or the Peninsula, tell us what you earn and what you are looking at, and we will come back with your borrowing capacity and the lenders best placed to fund it. Call us on 1300 562 696.
We arrange finance for borrowers right across greater Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Find your suburb below to see how we help buyers in your area.
The Peninsula’s main town, from village cottages to bayside family homes.
Premium coastal living on generous blocks, with price points to match.
Leafy bayside prestige, established homes and long-term family addresses.
The exclusive tip of the Peninsula, weekenders and prestige coastal houses.
Larger blocks and leafy streets at the gateway to the Peninsula.
Bayside estates, marina apartments and plenty of new construction.
Mudbrick, timber and architect-designed homes among the gum trees.
A small bushland pocket of large blocks and semi-rural quiet.
A family town on the green wedge fringe, with schools and a village centre.
Acreage, hobby farms and horse property within reach of the city.
An established northern hub with retail, transport and a growing estate belt.
Master-planned estates and young families in the outer north.
Farmland turned fast-growing estate suburb, almost entirely new build.
The northern frontier, where first-home builds are still going up.
A country township at the city’s edge, with farmland all around it.
Paddocks, hobby farms and genuine space in Melbourne’s far north.
New estates spreading across former farmland in the outer south-east.
A south-east centre mixing older homes with newer growth pockets.
A historic village, good schools and leafy streets in the south-east.
Estate streets below the highway, hills and lifestyle blocks above it.
A busy established suburb around Fountain Gate, with stock at every price.
A broker assesses your situation, compares loans across many lenders rather than one, recommends the options that fit, then prepares and lodges the application and manages it through to settlement. Because we hold accreditation with a wide panel, we can see where your income and property are read most favourably. We also handle the administration: chasing the valuation, responding to lender queries and coordinating with your conveyancer.
For most home loans, no. The lender pays us an upfront and trail commission after your loan settles, and that commission does not typically change the rate or fees you pay. Where a scenario is complex enough to warrant a fee for service, we disclose it in writing before any work begins, so there is never a surprise on the invoice.
We arrange finance across greater Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, including the northern and south-eastern growth corridors and the leafy north-east. Our service areas are listed further down this page. Loanworx also has brokers working with clients throughout Australia, so if your suburb is not listed, it is still worth getting in touch.
It depends on your income, living expenses, existing debts and deposit, all assessed at a buffer rate above the actual one. The important point is that lenders reach very different conclusions on identical information, and the gap between the most and least generous can be substantial. Rather than guessing, we run your figures across the panel and give you an accurate range before you start looking.
No. Most clients handle the entire process by phone, email and video, uploading documents through a secure link at whatever hour suits them. If you would prefer to sit down with your broker, that can be arranged. The outcome is the same either way, and the choice is entirely yours.
Yes, and it is a significant part of what we do. Self-employed income, company profits, trust distributions, contract work, commission and investment income are all treated differently from one lender to the next, with add-backs such as depreciation and additional superannuation recognised by some and ignored by others. Choosing the right lender for your income structure frequently makes more difference than anything else in the application.
