With rising costs, tighter margins, and shifting lender appetite, helping client's future-proof their finances is more important than ever. For brokers, this means understanding not just what a client needs now, but where their business is heading and having the right lender access, insights, and tools to structure finance that grows with them.
So, what does it take to future-proof your client’s finances?
Start by understanding the business
Future-proofing begins with a detailed understanding of your client’s business, diving deep into their business plan and goals to identify what finance is needed to achieve those.
Australia’s top commercial brokers are already doing this. As Usman Naeem, Director of Calibre Finance & Advisory puts it: “Don't rush to solution mode. Spend time understanding the client's business model, strategy, pain points, and growth ambitions.”
This means asking your client: How will the business change as it expands? What short and long-term investments are on the horizon? What capital risks need to be mitigated? By analysing future funding needs now, brokers can structure finance solutions that evolve with the business.
Consider multiple different lenders
Banks have traditionally dominated the commercial real estate market, but regulatory changes are pushing them towards safer loans*.
That’s why non-banks and private lenders now account for more than half of new SME finance** - as they can offer flexible, tailored solutions that many businesses need but can’t get from traditional banks. Brokers with access to a wide range of private lenders, and have the skills to negotiate the best terms, are well placed to structure finance that supports long-term growth.
With access to 34 specialist commercial lenders, our members are delivering tailored solutions to fund commercial property deals and help their clients grow with confidence.
Stay in the know of industry trends
Staying across the trends and risks shaping their clients’ industries is what sets top commercial brokers apart, and we’re backing our members with expert guidance to help them lead the conversation. The most successful commercial brokers are those who can analyse, adapt and advise with confidence.
We’re investing in our commercial members with an award-winning learning and development program which is tailored to their level of experience. Through webinars, industry events and on-going guidance from our Commercial & Asset Finance team, we’re supporting brokers in becoming true strategic partners for their clients.
Leverage technology
Market knowledge is just the starting point, though. Brokers need real-time visibility of lender options, and smart workflows which enable them to work efficiently. From digital platforms that streamline loan processing to data-driven insights that forecast funding needs, there’s a range of powerful technology available to brokers which allows them to model long-term solutions, and act before problems arise.
With Financeable and CitoPlus in their toolkit, our commercial members are streamlining loan processing by automating the collection of client data and comparing lender’s rates and policy against their client’s needs.
Home of the top commercial brokers
Helping businesses secure the funding which doesn’t just meet today’s needs but evolves with their long-term goals is what sets the top commercial brokers apart, and these four components play a key role in that.
Our commercial members are leading the way and it’s why they are recognised as the industry’s top-performing brokers. In MPA’s Top Commercial Brokers and The Adviser’s Elite Broker Ranking list, we had more members featured than any other aggregator.
Interested to learn how we support Australia’s top-performing commercial brokers to grow their business with confidence?
Written by Brent Starrenburg, Head of Commercial & Asset Finance at Connective.
*CommercialReady. Private Credit Surge Signals Shift in Commercial Real Estate Finance (June 2025). https://www.commercialready.com.au/content-hub/article/private-credit-surge-signals-shift-in-commercial-real-estate-finance
**ScotPac. SME Growth Index report (April 2025). https://www.scotpac.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SMEGI-22nd-Edition-v2.pdf
