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The process

How a file
actually moves.

Seven stages, in the same order every time, from the first conversation to the years after settlement. Here's what happens at each one, what we need from you, and what you get.

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  1. 01The first conversationAbout 45 minutes
  2. 02Assessment and structure2–4 business days
  3. 03Recommendation and your decisionAt your pace
  4. 04The applicationLodged once complete
  5. 05ApprovalApproval in 3–15 days
  6. 06Loan documents and settlementSet by your contract
  7. 07After settlementReviewed annually

Timeframes are typical and depend on the type of finance, the lender and how quickly documents come together.

Stage 01 of 07

The first conversation

About 45 minutes

A proper conversation, by phone, video or in person by appointment, about what you earn, what you owe and what you're trying to do. Nothing is lodged, nothing is charged, and nothing touches your credit file.

What we do

  • Ask about your income, including anything that moves: bonuses, commission, overtime, rent
  • Go through what you owe and what it costs you each month
  • Understand the goal and the timeline, including any contract or settlement dates
  • Flag anything a lender is likely to focus on, early

What you do

  • Bring a rough picture; exact figures can come later
  • Mention anything unusual: a career change, a tax debt, a past credit issue
  • Ask whatever you want to ask

You come away withAn honest first read on what's realistic, including when the answer is “not yet”.

Stage 02 of 07

Assessment and structure

2–4 business days

We test your position against how different lenders actually assess it, then design the structure around it: who borrows, how the loan splits, fixed or variable, offset and redraw, and which property secures what.

What we do

  • Model your borrowing capacity under different lenders' rules and buffers
  • For commercial and development, test the income, the feasibility and the end value
  • For debt, lay every debt side by side with its rate and its total cost
  • Stress-test the structure against higher rates and changed circumstances

What you do

  • Send the documents we ask for, and only those
  • Answer follow-up questions as they come up

You come away withA clear view of what you can borrow, what it would cost, and a structure that holds up if things change.

Stage 03 of 07

Recommendation and your decision

At your pace

You get our recommendation and the reasoning behind it, not just a product name. If one option ranks above another, you'll hear why, with the costs over the full term rather than just the first repayment.

What we do

  • Explain the recommended structure, its costs and its trade-offs
  • Set out the alternatives, and why we didn't put them first
  • Give you our Credit Guide, which explains how we work with you

What you do

  • Ask questions until it all makes sense
  • Decide whether to go ahead. Nothing is lodged until you say yes

You come away withA decision you understand, made before anything touches your credit file.

Stage 04 of 07

The application

Lodged once complete

The application goes in complete, written the way an assessor reads one, with their likely questions already answered. Missing documents cause most delays, so everything is gathered first rather than discovered halfway through.

What we do

  • Assemble and check the full submission
  • Write the notes that explain your income, the structure and anything unusual
  • Lodge it with your consent. This is the first point a credit enquiry is made

What you do

  • Sign the application and privacy consents
  • Hold off on new credit applications and big financial changes while it is assessed

You come away withAn application assessed on its merits, not held up waiting on paperwork.

Stage 05 of 07

Approval

Approval in 3–15 days

Most approvals come in two steps. A conditional approval, or pre-approval, means the lender is prepared to lend subject to conditions. Formal approval follows once they're met, which usually includes a valuation of the property.

What we do

  • Track the application and answer the assessor's questions
  • Follow up the valuation and review it when it comes back
  • Work through any conditions, and the pricing where there is room
  • If the valuation comes in short, go through the options with you

What you do

  • Provide anything the lender asks for, promptly
  • Tell us about any change to your job, income or plans

You come away withFormal approval, with conditions you understand and no surprises at settlement.

Stage 06 of 07

Loan documents and settlement

Set by your contract

The lender issues the loan documents, you sign them, and settlement is booked. Your conveyancer or solicitor, the new lender and, for a refinance, your current lender all need to line up on the same day.

What we do

  • Check the loan documents match what was approved
  • Coordinate your conveyancer or solicitor and the lender to the settlement date
  • For a refinance, manage the discharge of the old loan
  • For development, set up the first drawdown against the quantity surveyor's sign-off

What you do

  • Read and sign the loan documents, getting legal advice where the lender requires it
  • Arrange building insurance if you're buying
  • Have your contribution ready for settlement

You come away withSettlement on time, with the funds where they need to be.

Stage 07 of 07

After settlement

Reviewed annually

Settlement isn't the end of the job. We check the loan is set up the way it was approved, then keep an eye on it as your situation and the market change.

What we do

  • Check the first repayment, offset and redraw are set up correctly
  • Review your rate and structure each year
  • Tell you when something better is available, or when it's time to restructure

What you do

  • Let us know when things change: income, family, plans, the next purchase

You come away withA loan that keeps suiting you, not just one that suited you on the day.

By service

Same stages,
different emphasis.

The order never changes. What takes the time does.

Residential lending
Pre-approval often comes before you've found a property, so you can bid or sign with confidence. The settlement date is set by the contract of sale.
Commercial finance
Leases, rent rolls and entity financials are assessed alongside the property, and the panel valuation carries more weight. Allow more time than for a home loan.
Development finance
Feasibility, the quantity surveyor's report, builder checks and the valuation all come before approval, and settlement is followed by staged drawdowns through the build. It's the longest process of the six.
Private lending
Assessment centres on the security and the exit, so it can move much faster when both are clear. The exit is agreed before any funds are drawn.
Business finance
Financials, trading history and the ATO position are reviewed first. Equipment finance is usually simpler to document than other business lending.
Debt advice and consolidation
The assessment stage becomes a full picture of everything you owe. If refinancing won't help, we say so at the recommendation stage and point you to the right help instead.

At every stage

Some things stay
the same throughout.

You'll know why

You get the reasoning, not just the recommendation. If we rank one lender above another, you'll hear the argument.

Nothing goes in blind

We don't submit anything until we know how that particular lender is going to read it.

It doesn't stop at settlement

What suits you now may not in three years. We keep checking, and we'll tell you when something better exists.

Common questions

Along the way.

See every question

It depends on the type of finance and how quickly the documents come together. Once a home loan application is complete, approval commonly takes days to a couple of weeks; commercial and development take longer because more has to be assessed. You'll get a realistic timeline at the first conversation.

No. A credit enquiry only appears when a formal application goes to a lender, and that doesn't happen until you've seen what we recommend and said yes to it.

No. It's conditional. Formal approval still depends on the property, the valuation and confirming what's in your application, so it's best to avoid new debts or job changes in the meantime.

Lenders generally lend against the lower of the purchase price and the valuation, so a short valuation means a bigger contribution, a different structure or a different lender. We work through which makes sense with you.

We find out why first. Sometimes it's a policy point another lender treats differently; sometimes it's something to fix before applying again. Several applications in quick succession show up on your credit file, so we don't scatter them.

No. You're not committed to anything by talking to us or by seeing our recommendation, and nothing is lodged until you say yes.

Next step

It starts with
a conversation.

Nothing gets lodged, nothing gets charged, and nothing touches your credit file.

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