Business

The finalists for the 2018 Australian Mortgage Awards have been announced today. The awards – supported by event partner Westpac for the tenth consecutive year – defines excellence in the mortgage and finance industry, recognising the achievements of outstanding brokers, brokerages and industry leaders across a range of categories.

Four business and commercial lenders tell Australian Broker about the unique solutions they have pioneered in the market. Meeting the market’s demands, Equity One provides interest-only loans for commercial borrowers, with payment terms of one to two years and the ability to pay back early without penalty. “The real hero of our loans is the fact they provide a solution for commercial borrowers who aren’t being accommodated right now, without them being locked in,” says Equity One managing director Dean Koutsoumidis.

Bringing together industry leaders to celebrate excellence in the mortgage and finance industry, the Equity-One Team look forward to attending the Gala dinner on Friday 19th of October at The Star in Sydney to present “Broker of the Year – Productivity” from a group of deserving Nominees.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is tightening up its scrutiny of interest only mortgages by carrying out enhanced screening of applicants.This recent move by the CBA is one of many adjustments to bank lending policy in recent years. Whilst a significant driver of these changes is due to APRA requirements, there has also been a Public Relations factor.

Two leading economists have claimed that APRA’s lending curbs are here to stay and have flagged a strong possibility that more macro-prudential measures will be introduced this year.

This is an interesting article in relation to the ever-evolving P2P (Peer To Peer) lending models which are slowly growing around the globe. Initially, new technology which automates and systemises lending, and in particular connects investors and borrower through such technology, may seem impressive. After all, who doesn’t like a new blue-sky technology story? The basics of sound lending, and investment for that matter, however, always come back into the fore. Regulation of both the investment and borrowing sides of these models must be as rigorous as those applied to “traditional/non-fintech start up” participants. There may be more articles like this in the near future.

Dean Koutsoumidis, managing director of non-bank lender Equity-One, tackles the changes and challenges affecting commercial lending, and explains why brokers shouldn’t be afraid of having frank discussions with lenders.

In an era where digital channels and fintech are shaping the future of financial services, one non-bank lender is keeping things traditional by focusing on simple products and quality service.

When it comes to commercial lending, brokers need to look beyond the rate. Short-term lender Equity-One works with brokers to provide solutions-based offerings to their small business customers

Remarkably low inflation figures recently released paint an interesting picture. Property prices have not abated in a material way, credit through the banks is increasingly challenging to acquire, and Chinese buyers are finding it tougher to move their funds offshore.

Policy makers sure have their work cut out for them in this environment. Liquidity is the saviour here, for both buyers and lenders. Whilst official cash rates have dropped, non-bank pricing for funds has slowly edged upwards due to the demand, yet still is a viable option for many.