Business and commercial lending
Business loans and commercial property finance in Melbourne
Commercial lending is a different job from a home loan. The deposits are bigger, the terms are shorter, and each lender has its own view on which industries it wants. We arrange commercial property loans, business loans, equipment finance and cashflow finance for owner-operators and small businesses, and we set the loan up properly from the start.
Why business lending trips people up
The bank that gave you a home loan may not be the bank for this
A home loan is assessed on your payslips. A business loan is assessed on the business: its financials, its industry, how long it has been trading, what the money is for and what security is behind it. The bank you already use is one lender with one appetite, and appetite changes. An industry one bank is avoiding this year is often one another bank is chasing.
Commercial property is its own category again. Lenders usually want a bigger deposit than for a home, often 20 to 35 percent depending on the property type, and the loan term is usually shorter. There are full doc loans assessed on your financials, lease doc loans assessed on the rent the property earns, and low doc options where the paperwork is thin.
Then there is the everyday money: an overdraft, a line of credit, invoice finance to cover slow-paying customers, or an unsecured business loan for stock or a fit-out. Each one suits a different problem. Picking the wrong product costs more than picking the wrong lender.
- Commercial property purchases and refinances, owner-occupied or leased out
- Business loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and equipment finance matched to what the money is actually for
- Lenders shortlisted by industry appetite, not just by rate
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Twenty years inside Australian banking, including senior roles at ANZ, before starting Exceed Finance. Plain answers, no pressure.
The numbers that matter
At a glance
General information only. Lender policies change and your full situation has to be assessed before any lender will confirm what they will do. Our service is free to you on residential home loans and everything is disclosed in writing.
Where we can usually help most
The business situations that come up again and again
Buying your own premises
A shop, warehouse, office or factory to run the business from. Owner-occupied commercial loans, sometimes with the business's own lease counted as income.
Buying a commercial investment
An income-producing property. Lease doc loans assess the deal on the rent the tenant pays, which helps when your own financials are complicated.
Equipment and vehicles
Trucks, machinery, fit-outs and work vehicles. Some lenders approve on an ABN and a clean credit file without full financials.
Cashflow and growth
Stock, a fit-out, a second location, or customers who pay slowly. Unsecured loans, overdrafts and invoice finance each suit a different version of this.
Where our clients are
Across Melbourne, and Australia-wide
We are based in Dandenong South and a lot of our clients are across Melbourne's south-east, but everything can be done by phone, video and secure upload, so we help clients anywhere in Australia.
Other ways we can help:
Simple from start to finish
How it works
Free chat
We work out your goals and what you can actually borrow.
We compare
We search 35+ lenders and shortlist the ones whose policy fits your situation.
We apply
We package and submit your application, and chase it for you.
Settlement
We see it through to approval, and stay in touch afterwards.
Common questions
Questions we get asked a lot
How much deposit do I need for a commercial property?
More than for a home. Most lenders want somewhere between 20 and 35 percent, depending on the property type and how easy it would be to resell. Standard offices, shops and warehouses sit at the lower end. Specialised properties like childcare centres, petrol stations or pubs sit at the higher end. Some lenders will accept equity in another property instead of cash.
What is a lease doc loan?
A commercial loan assessed on the rent the property earns rather than on your own income or the business's financials. The lender checks that the lease income covers the repayments with a margin. It suits investors buying a tenanted property, and it suits people whose tax returns do not show the full picture.
Can I get a business loan without financials?
Sometimes. Low doc commercial loans and some equipment finance products are assessed on an ABN, a clean credit history and bank statements or an accountant's letter. They usually cost more than a full doc loan and lend a smaller share of the value, so if you can produce financials it is worth doing.
How long does a commercial loan run for?
Usually shorter than a home loan. Fifteen to twenty-five years is common on commercial property, and some lenders offer longer for standard property types. Business and equipment loans are shorter again, often one to seven years. The term changes the repayment a lot, so it is one of the first things we look at.
Do you charge a fee for commercial lending?
It depends on the loan. Many commercial and business loans pay us the same way a home loan does, so there is no cost to you. On some smaller or more complex loans a fee applies. Either way we tell you in writing before you commit to anything, so there are no surprises.
I have been trading for less than two years. Can I still borrow?
Possibly. Some lenders want two full years of financials, others will look at a business with one year or a strong start and an owner with industry experience. Equipment finance is often the easiest place to start for a newer business. The right lender for a two-year-old business is not the right lender for a six-month-old one, which is why we check appetite first.
Do you charge for this?
Our service is free to you on residential home loans. Everything is disclosed in writing before you commit to anything, and as a licensed credit representative we operate under Best Interests Duty, which legally requires us to act in your interests rather than our own.
Will talking to you affect my credit score?
No. A conversation with us, and the work we do comparing lenders, involves no credit check. A credit enquiry only happens when an actual application is lodged with a lender, and we do not lodge anything until you have chosen to go ahead. The point of doing the work first is so that the application that does go in is the right one.
Tell us what the business needs and we will tell you who lends for it
A property, a vehicle, equipment or working capital. Give us the rough numbers and what the money is for, and we will come back with the lenders that fit and what they would want to see.