Only 13% of brokers are commercially active, yet aggregators report 20%+ annual growth in commercial volumes. The pathway in — and the accreditation reality — from Deloitte's 2025 report.
Residential lending remains the core of most broker portfolios, but Deloitte identifies commercial and asset finance as the industry's clearest growth frontier — and one most brokers have not yet entered.
The current state
- 13% of surveyed brokers are commercially active, writing 25% or more of settlements as commercial loans in FY23/24
- Major aggregators report year-on-year growth in commercial volumes of 20% or more
- Aggregator commercial volumes sit at roughly 10% of residential settlements by loan value
- Businesses with under 20 employees make up 55% of commercial broking customers; sole traders 19%; medium and large businesses 26%
What commercial brokers write
Property finance dominates at 60% of commercial loans, followed by asset finance at 20%, unsecured finance and business lines of credit at 8% each, debtor finance at 3% and fleet finance at 1%. Commercial lending spans commercial mortgages (including SMSF lending), working capital and cash flow funding, and construction and development finance. Asset finance covers both consumer assets such as vehicles and boats, and business assets from trucks and heavy machinery to office fit-outs.
Why brokers move into it
Personal interest was the leading motivation at 59%, ahead of diversifying revenue (38%), larger loans (30%), a more efficient process (27%) and commercial market growth (24%). Higher fees ranked last at 8% — this is not a margin play, it is a client-need play.
The barrier is specialisation, not appetite
Most commercial brokers come from business banking, bringing an understanding of cash flows, tax implications and company structuring. Few residential brokers transition directly, and lenders often set their own accreditation bars — sometimes stricter than industry bodies, with CAFBA membership and demonstrated commercial experience required before accreditation. Technology is also less standardised than in residential broking, because commercial products and information requirements vary widely by lender.
"Residential mortgage clients may be small business owners with some form of commercial lending or asset finance need."
The realistic entry path
Deloitte describes consumer asset finance as the middle ground: residential brokers begin by arranging vehicle and equipment finance for existing mortgage clients, then move into smaller-scale commercial property lending where the process resembles a residential application. Aggregators support this through referral models, mentorship and shadowing programs, and specialist accreditation pathways.
For a broker with an established book, the sequence is straightforward: identify which existing clients are business owners, start with the adjacent product, and refer what sits beyond current accreditation. The diversification opportunity begins inside the book you already hold.
Source: Deloitte Access Economics, The Value of Mortgage and Finance Broking 2025, prepared for the MFAA (February 2025).