St.George is the best first option among bridging lenders for a broker placing an owner-occupier buy-before-you-sell loan. Its Relocation Loan gives the client up to 12 months to sell, capitalises interest and supports assessment on end debt where applicable. That combination helps a client who can afford the remaining mortgage but needs relief from repayments during the sale.
A commercial borrower or developer needs a different shortlist. Property type, the sale or refinance exit and the cost of holding the loan decide which lender fits.
Top Bridging Loan Lenders for Brokers
1. St.George
St.George ranks first for residential clients who need interest capitalised while their home sells. Its broker policy explicitly supports end-debt servicing where applicable. A client with no end debt can repay the entire facility from sale proceeds.
The Relocation Loan is for owner-occupier purchases, including eligible land and building transactions. Its public product terms exclude investment purchases and family or company trusts. Budget for capitalised interest as well as the purchase costs when assessing equity.
2. Westpac
Westpac is another strong bank choice when monthly bridge repayments would strain the client’s cash flow. Its broker policy provides up to 12 months and end-debt servicing where applicable. Interest accumulates on the bridge, and a separate standard home loan holds any continuing debt.
Westpac supports new and existing customers on its bridging product page. Its next-home finance guide caps borrowing at 80% of combined property values, expressed as a loan-to-value ratio (LVR). Residential owner-occupier security and a credible home-sale exit underpin this choice.
3. Bank of Melbourne
Bank of Melbourne suits brokers placing an owner-occupier relocation within its panel. Its broker flyer confirms a 12-month interest-capitalised facility with servicing on the end debt where applicable.
The product supports both end-debt and no-end-debt moves. Its public terms exclude investment purchases and family or company trust borrowers. It ranks alongside the other group brands on structure, so the approved loan terms and the client’s existing banking relationship decide the placement.
4. ANZ
ANZ fits a residential client with enough income or savings to carry repayments during the overlap. Its bridging loan runs for up to 12 months and uses interest-only repayments. ANZ states that the borrower must afford repayments on both the ongoing loan and the bridging loan.
ANZ’s public borrowing limit is up to 80% of the new home’s assessed value. That is a different denominator from a combined-security peak-debt LVR. ANZ accredited brokers can place the loan, and a downsizer need not always retain ongoing debt. It ranks below the capitalising banks for a client whose main constraint is monthly cash flow.
5. Assetline Capital
Assetline Capital is the stronger specialist option when the sale needs more than a bank’s standard term. Its bridging finance extends to 24 months, with prepaid or capitalised interest and end-debt or no-end-debt options.
Assetline accepts residential and commercial security, with different leverage limits for each. Residential peak debt can reach 80% LVR at 12 months. Longer terms reduce the available LVR. The loan must exit through property sale and, where applicable, refinance of the retained property. Accredited brokers can submit applications.
6. Funding
Funding fits short-term residential and business transactions that need a property-backed exit outside a standard bank home loan. Its broker channel covers companies and trusts as well as individuals. Residential property, commercial property and vacant land can secure the loan.
Funding’s short-term property loan target market determination allows terms from one to 36 months with capitalised interest. Its broker page sets typical leverage at 70% or lower, depending on the property. The product guide deducts interest at settlement, so allow for the difference between the gross loan and usable funds. Sale or refinance must produce a credible repayment path. The longer maximum term gives more room, but also creates more interest exposure.
7. Bankwest
Bankwest suits a residential client with a short sale timetable who already banks there or will refinance there. Bridging finance uses the Simple Home Loan. Bankwest describes the bridging period as usually up to six months.
Bankwest’s loan checklist explains the capitalised-interest structure, including interest charged on earlier interest. Its Simple Bridging target market determination permits accredited brokers. A slower sale reduces its appeal against a 12-month facility. Any continuing mortgage must fit the approved Simple Home Loan structure.
8. Commonwealth Bank
Commonwealth Bank fits eligible residential borrowers who can make interest-only payments during the bridge. Its maximum term is 12 months. The standard variable home or investment loan is the underlying product.
CBA’s public eligibility includes existing customers with post-bridging debt and new customers retaining at least $250,000 of debt. Its guide allows some owner-occupiers to discuss a no-end-debt exception through a lender or broker. Treat this as an exception, not an automatic downsizer pathway. CBA bases the maximum loan on security, borrowing capacity and LVR.
Relocation and Bridging Loans at St.George and Westpac
A St.George relocation loan is a bridging loan under that brand’s product name. Westpac’s product is named Bridging Loan. Neither name creates a separate type of finance for moving expenses.
St.George, Westpac and Bank of Melbourne all publish a 12-month capitalising structure and broker policy that can assess servicing on end debt. Their owner-occupier products can support a move with no debt after sale. Voluntary repayments reduce interest, but the bridge has no redraw.
Brand pricing and approval remain separate. St.George and Bank of Melbourne both list a $600 establishment fee, an $8 monthly fee, $100 document processing and $350 discharge. Their advertised rates differ. A quoted rate based on LVR up to 70% is a pricing band, not proof that 70% is the maximum peak-debt limit.
Westpac’s own guide describes its 80% LVR condition. Use the relevant brand’s assessment of both securities and the interest allowance. Do not transfer an approval or a limit between brands. Westpac’s wider lending policy helps with the retained home loan after the bridge ends.
Commercial and Business Bridging Loans
Funding and Assetline Capital are practical commercial bridging finance lenders for a broker’s shortlist. Funding’s business lending includes companies and trusts. Assetline’s private lending and development channels cover business property transactions separately from its consumer bridging product. Its private capital can reach 75% LVR. Its residual-stock facility runs for up to 36 months, with the exit tied to selling completed stock.
A commercial mortgage bridging loan funds a business purpose against property. A warehouse or shop needs a commercial valuation that considers its use and marketability. Commercial leverage can be lower than residential leverage. For example, Assetline’s consumer bridging terms cap commercial security at 60% LVR.
A small or medium-sized enterprise might buy new premises before its old premises sell. A company bridging loan can also cover a short gap before an approved commercial refinance settles. For a corporate borrower, document which entity owns the security and which entity owes the debt.
Funding’s business product can finance property acquisitions and business opportunities. The exit can be a supported sale or refinance. Where a lender accepts business cash flow as the exit, the file needs a repayment forecast supported by trading evidence. Ordinary trading income is not a substitute for the refinance approval a particular offer requires.
Match the facility term to the event that repays it. A proposed refinance must satisfy the next lender’s requirements, including income evidence and property condition. Low doc commercial loans explain a different income-verification pathway for the longer-term facility.
Development Bridging Loans and Bridging to Flip Property
A development bridging loan can fund a site purchase before construction finance is ready, or hold completed stock until sales settle. Assetline’s development channel names site acquisition and residual stock among its uses. Funding also lists land banking and incomplete projects in its product guide.
The site-purchase exit needs more than an intention to build. The broker must show how the next facility will settle, including its equity requirement and any approval conditions. Read the construction finance guide for the later building stage.
For a bridging loan to flip property, the proposed works must fit the product. Assetline’s consumer bridging target market includes non-structural renovation before sale. A structural renovation or multi-unit development needs a lender that approves that project and controls the building funds.
Prepare the renovation budget and sale evidence before settlement. Add selling costs and the interest required for a delayed sale. If the sale runs beyond maturity, an extension needs approval and can add fees or a higher rate. A refinance also requires enough remaining equity to pay out the bridge.
Private Bridging Lenders and Non-Bank Options
Private bridging finance fits a deadline a bank cannot meet, a property outside bank policy or a refinance of an expiring short-term loan. Bank refusal does not establish that a private loan is affordable. The exit must still cover the payout, including interest and fees.
Funding’s published product guide permits first and second mortgages. A second mortgage leaves the existing first mortgage in place, subject to the relevant consents and terms. Calculate equity after both debts and all retained interest. The lender needs evidence of the sale or refinance that clears its mortgage.
Compare the full payout at the expected exit and a delayed exit. Private lending costs can include establishment, legal and valuation fees, with a minimum interest period or extension charge where the contract provides one. Funding’s guide lists establishment fees from 2.5%, subject to credit assessment and a $2,500 minimum. Quote-specific legal costs and valuation costs add to the bill.
Consumer credit keeps its legal protections when the lender is private. ASIC’s RG 209 responsible lending guidance requires reasonable inquiries, financial verification and a not-unsuitable assessment. A broker providing credit assistance makes the preliminary assessment. The lender makes the final assessment.
Before lodging consumer credit, search ASIC’s professional registers for the legal credit provider and its Australian credit licence (ACL). Match the entity and licence authority to the credit guide. Funding identifies Funding Pty Ltd, ACL 483665, for consumer lending. Assetline’s bridging documents identify AHC Finance Pty Limited, ACL 448165, as manager and AHC Finance Company Pty Limited as lender. Match that arrangement, including any applicable exemption, to the proposed contract.
Peak Debt, Term and Interest Compared Across Lenders
The table compares the ranked lenders’ published structures. LVR limits apply to the stated security or facility, so percentages with different valuation bases are not interchangeable.
| Lender | Peak Debt or LVR Basis | Established Home Term | New-Build Treatment | Interest | Fees and End Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St.George | Security and equity assessment; advertised pricing band up to 70% LVR | Up to 12 months | Eligible land/build move within the approved 12-month facility | Capitalised | Listed fees above; standard end loan or no end debt |
| Westpac | Up to 80% of combined property values | Up to 12 months | Eligible land/build move; 12-month product term | Capitalised | Bridge and selected end-loan charges; end debt assessed where applicable |
| Bank of Melbourne | Security and equity assessment; advertised pricing band up to 70% LVR | Up to 12 months | Eligible land/build move; 12-month product term | Capitalised | Listed fees above; standard end loan or no end debt |
| ANZ | Up to 80% of the new home’s assessed value | Up to 12 months | Construction needs its own approved structure | Interest-only payments | Product fees; capacity to repay bridge and ongoing loan |
| Assetline Capital | Residential up to 80% at 12 months; commercial up to 60% | Up to 24 months | Development has a separate assessment | Prepaid or capitalised | Setup and third-party costs; sale/refinance exit |
| Funding | Typically up to 70%, depending on security | Up to 36 months under short-term property product | Building finance separately assessed | Interest deducted at settlement; TMD also permits capitalisation | Establishment and transaction costs; supported repayment exit |
| Bankwest | Approved security and equity assessment | Usually up to six months | Construction needs its own approved structure | Capitalised structure available | Simple Home Loan terms; existing loan or refinance to Bankwest |
| Commonwealth Bank | Assessed security, capacity and LVR | Up to 12 months | Construction needs its own approved structure | Interest-only payments | Standard variable product terms; retained debt eligibility applies |
Assetline’s longer term changes the leverage available. At 24 months, its residential maximum is 65% with capitalised interest or 70% with prepaid interest. At 18 months, both structures have a 75% maximum.
For a long sale, start with the maximum term and repayment burden. A lower rate cannot rescue a facility that matures before the property sells. A signed unconditional sale contract makes timing clearer, so compare the total cost over that shorter period, including minimum charges.
In a hypothetical file, a client expects to sell in four months but the sale takes nine. A six-month bridge reaches maturity before the exit. A 12-month bridge has room for the delay, although capitalised interest increases the payout. Use the peak-debt and end-debt explanation to calculate that exposure.
Bridging Loan Broker Access, Commission and Clawbacks
The ranked lenders have broker distribution pathways. Assetline and Funding also publish direct channels, so neither is a broker-only lender. A bank page with an appointment button does not establish that its bridging product is direct-only.
NAB’s home loan terms contain a bridging facility with a maximum 12-month term. Its consumer explainer describes general market features rather than a complete broker bridging policy. Keep the proposed NAB structure tied to a written credit decision.
Macquarie’s Fully Drawn Advance target market determination includes a bridging option generally up to one year and permits accredited broker distribution. That is a separate facility from its ordinary residential broker home loan guidelines. Identify the actual product before treating a search for a Macquarie bridging loan as a standard home-loan placement.
Commission depends on the lender and your aggregator agreement. Separate payment on the short-lived bridging balance from payment on retained end debt. For each lender, identify the eligible balance for upfront and trail, and whether either component is excluded. Do not calculate commission on peak debt simply because that figure appears in the credit approval.
Funding’s published product guide specifies 1% lender-paid commission including GST, paid at settlement with no clawbacks. Its broker page also advertises 1% and zero clawbacks. This is a named lender’s published arrangement, not a bank-market benchmark or a promise of ongoing trail.
For St.George, Westpac, Bank of Melbourne, ANZ, Assetline, Bankwest and CBA, bridging and end-loan pay depend on the lender schedule and the broker’s aggregator agreement. Keep the eligible balance and any trail entitlement in the placement record. No single commission figure applies across these lenders.
Repayment from a sale can trigger a clawback if the commission-bearing loan ends within its clawback period. Partial repayment treatment also depends on the schedule. Read the commission clawback guide before forecasting the net income from a short bridge.
Structure the bridging and end loans around the approved credit purpose. Record which balance remains after sale, how the proceeds must be applied and which payment rules attach to each account. Recommend the lender that fits the client’s exit and repayments, then calculate the commission under that structure.
