{"id":18676,"date":"2026-07-27T10:04:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T00:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brighten.com.au\/media-centre\/when-the-one-trick-broker-runs-out-of-road\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T10:05:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:05:49","slug":"when-the-one-trick-broker-runs-out-of-road","status":"publish","type":"media-centre","link":"https:\/\/brighten.com.au\/zh-hant\/media-centre\/when-the-one-trick-broker-runs-out-of-road\/","title":{"rendered":"When the one-trick broker runs out of road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Publication Date: Monday, 27 July 2026
This article originally appeared in AustralianBroker<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Market share for resi is at new highs \u2013 so why are the smartest brokers looking somewhere else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHEN A<\/strong> market hits a record high, the smartest players temper celebration with caution. They ask what they\u2019re missing. With mortgage brokers now writing 81% of all new home loans<\/u><\/a> in Australia, the wise understand that when the growth ceiling gets closer, you need to look sideways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clients are getting more complex. Their financial lives don\u2019t fit cleanly into a single payslip or a standard owner-occupier application. And the brokers who are pulling ahead aren\u2019t necessarily writing more loans. They are writing different ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diversification has become one of the more overworked words in Australian financial services, but the conversation happening among specialist lenders right now is more specific and practical than the usual exhortations to brokers to broaden out. It\u2019s about capability, risk discipline and the kind of deliberate positioning that separates a transactional operator from a trusted adviser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beyond the payslip<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The starting point is the borrower, and the borrower is changing. \u201cThe client profile is becoming more diverse, both financially and demographically,\u201d says Aaron Taylor, head of non-standard lending at Bluestone Home Loans. \u201cFor brokers, that means more opportunity to support a wider range of clients and build stronger, longer-term relationships. More borrowers have income that doesn\u2019t fit neatly into a payslip, and more expect solutions that reflect their real circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That shift has been building for years, but its implications for brokers are still working through the industry. A growing proportion of working Australians are self-employed, operating through trusts or company structures, have multiple income streams or operate somewhere between contractors and business owners.  
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According to the latest ABS Characteristics of Employment survey<\/u><\/a>, there were 1.1 million independent contractors in Australia as of August 2025, representing 7.6% of all employed people \u2013 an increase of 33,000 from August 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Separately, the latest ABS Labour Account Australia<\/u><\/a> recorded 978,000 multiple-job holders, representing a multiple-job-holding rate of 6.5%. The multiple-job-holding rate held between 5.0% and 6.0% for the 25 years to 2019 but has remained at record highs of between 6.4% and 6.7% since June 2022. This is a cohort whose blended or variable income streams often sit outside standard lending criteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Standard credit models were not built for such groups, which means brokers who rely solely on standard products are, by definition, turning some of those clients away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Meaker, head of sales and distribution at Brighten Home Loans, sees this as a structural opportunity rather than an edge-case problem. \u201cMany borrowers don\u2019t fit into a neat lending box, so we work closely with brokers to understand the full story behind each application,\u201d he says. Through scenario support, tailored credit assessment and adaptable documentation requirements, Brighten works to help brokers find solutions for clients who might otherwise be overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor echoes that framing. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a shift in mindset from leading brokers,\u201d he says. \u201cNon-bank solutions are increasingly part of the plan from the start, of the discussion with clients. Brokers who take that proactive approach tend to move faster and deliver a smoother experience for their clients.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The commercial gap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If alt doc and non-standard residential represent one growth frontier, commercial lending represents another \u2013 and a significantly underdeveloped one. Broker penetration in commercial sits well below residential, and the reasons are less structural than psychological.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCommercial broker penetration still lags residential largely because of perception rather than actual accessibility,\u201d says Meaker. \u201cMany brokers view commercial lending as more complex, time-intensive and outside their core skill set, particularly when it comes to structuring deals, interpreting financials or navigating different credit frameworks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor is more direct about what is holding brokers back. \u201cConfidence and complexity can be barriers for brokers wanting to diversify,\u201d he says. \u201cCommercial property deals can be more nuanced and, without the right support, can feel complex or challenging for brokers who haven\u2019t spent time in that space.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent\u202fremoval of negative gearing on established residential properties<\/u><\/a>\u202fand the restructuring of the capital gains tax discount also reduce residential investment\u2019s appeal for many buyers. Commercial property, by contrast, retains full negative gearing benefits \u2013 a structural advantage that could draw investors who are reassessing their portfolios in light of the new rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some non-banks see the gap beginning to close, partly because residential brokers already have the potential clients. Most established brokers are sitting on a book of business owners, investors and self-employed clients with commercial or business lending needs they are not being asked about. The conversations are already there. The product knowledge is the missing piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrokers who take a gradual approach \u2013 starting with simpler commercial scenarios and building from there \u2013 are realising that it\u2019s a natural extension of the relationships they already have,\u201d says Meaker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What goes wrong <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diversification done poorly can be damaging. Deals fall over. Compliance files come up short. Clients end up in products that don\u2019t suit their circumstances. Understanding how that happens is as useful as understanding how to avoid it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen diversification doesn\u2019t go to plan, it typically comes back to a gap between experience and preparation,\u201d says Meaker. \u201cThis might show up as a deal that falls over because it wasn\u2019t structured correctly upfront, a client being placed in a product that doesn\u2019t fully meet their needs or documentation that doesn\u2019t stand up to compliance requirements.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such failures are not deliberate. They stem from insufficient familiarity with the nuances of a new segment or product combined with moving too fast. \u201cIn most cases, it\u2019s not a failure of intent \u2013 it\u2019s a lack of familiarity with the nuances of a new segment or product,\u201d says Meaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor reframes the question slightly. \u201cWhat often gets mistaken for \u2018diversification risk\u2019 is really just a lack of early alignment,\u201d he says. \u201cStepping into something new without a sounding board can let uncertainty creep in.\u201d Brokers who bring their scenarios to their BDM early can workshop structure, create clarity upfront and move forward with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDiversifying can be a powerful growth lever for brokers,\u201d Taylor adds. \u201cWith the right support around them, stepping into new areas becomes simpler, more confident and far more scalable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thinking in segments, not just products <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the more interesting threads in both conversations is the argument for segment-led diversification rather than product-led diversification. The typical industry conversation focuses on adding commercial or alt doc to a broker\u2019s suite. The alternative is to pick a borrower type and go deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s absolutely a strong case for diversifying client segments, and in many ways, it can be more impactful than product-led diversification,\u201d says Meaker. A broker who focuses on self-employed clients, for example, may work closely with accountants, develop fluency in interpreting non-standard income and build a referral network that generates its own momentum. The product knowledge follows from the segment, rather than the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBrokers who take a gradual approach [to commercial lending] \u2013 starting with simpler … scenarios and building from there \u2013 are realising that it\u2019s a natural extension of the relationships they already have\u201d – Chris Meaker, Brighten Home Loans<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Taylor agrees. \u201cBrokers who focus on a clear segment often build deeper expertise and stronger referral networks,\u201d he says. \u201cIn practice, it\u2019s about understanding the common challenges within that segment, aligning with lenders who can support those needs and creating a consistent, confident experience. Over time, that positioning becomes a real driver of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The practical implication is that diversification doesn\u2019t require a broker to become a generalist across every product category. It can mean becoming a genuine specialist for a particular kind of borrower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The referral question <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expanding the scope of what a broker does inevitably raises the question of where that scope ends. Clients with complex financial lives often need more than a lending solution. They might need tax advice, financial planning and legal input. Brokers who are deepening client relationships will eventually hit that boundary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrokers play a central role, but they don\u2019t need to do everything,\u201d says Taylor. \u201cThe best outcomes can be the result of a trusted hub of strong referral relationships with accountants, financial advisers and specialists. Knowing when to bring others in is a strength, not a limitation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meaker makes the same point from a different angle. \u201cAs brokers take on a more central role in a client\u2019s financial life, it\u2019s important they think of themselves as the hub of a broader professional network, rather than a substitute for other specialist,\u201d he says. The value lies in understanding the client\u2019s overall position and recognising when specialist input is required. \u201cKnowing when to refer is just as important as knowing how to structure a loan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building incrementally<\/strong> 
The picture that emerges from both lenders is consistent. Diversification is not a switch to flip. It is a capability to build, deal by deal, segment by segment, with lender support filling the gaps while broker confidence accumulates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrokers who succeed tend to start small, lean on lender support and gradually build confidence through experience,\u201d says Meaker. \u201cPutting the right processes and checks in place early is also critical, particularly from a compliance perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Taylor, the common thread across all of it comes back to one thing \u2013 partnering with capable lenders. \u201cBrokers don\u2019t need to have every answer,\u201d he says, \u201cbut they do need the right support around them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Market share for resi is at new highs \u2013 so why are the smartest brokers looking somewhere else? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5640,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18676","media-centre","type-media-centre","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-centre-zh-hant"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhen the one-trick broker runs out of road | Brighten<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brighten.com.au\/zh-hant\/media-centre\/when-the-one-trick-broker-runs-out-of-road\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_TW\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When the one-trick broker runs out of road | Brighten\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Market share for resi is 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