Home loans
Home loans in Brisbane, done properly.
A home loan is the biggest financial decision most people ever make, and the lender's job is to sell you theirs. Ours is to compare 35+ of them, negotiate the one that fits, and stay on it for the life of the loan.
Rated 5.0 from 261 Google reviews · Brisbane finance brokers
- One broker from first coffee to settlement and beyond, never a call centre
- 35+ lenders compared, not just the big four
- Ongoing repricing: we go back to your lender when the market moves, so you don't quietly drift onto a lazy rate
What a broker actually does for you.
Banks approve applications that fit their credit policy, and every lender's policy is different. The same income, deposit and property can be a decline at one lender and a sharp approval at another. We know those policies inside out, so your application goes to lenders picked for your situation, prepared the way their credit teams want to see it.
Before anything is submitted, we run our own checks and clear the issues a lender would query. That's why broker applications move faster: the surprises are dealt with before the bank sees them.
The process, from first chat to settlement.
It starts with a conversation about what you're trying to do: buy, upgrade, invest, or just find out where you stand. For plenty of clients that conversation happens a year or more before they buy, and that's fine; the earlier the plan, the more options it leaves you. From there the path is predictable, and we drive every step of it:
- First meeting: your situation, your goals and a plan, in our Fortitude Valley office, by video or by phone
- Lender shortlist: your income, deposit and property type matched against real credit policies, not a comparison-site table
- Pre-approval: typically a few days to two weeks depending on the lender, so your offers carry weight
- Contract signed: we run formal approval, usually one to three weeks, and keep the agent and your solicitor in the loop
- Settlement and beyond: we check the loan is set up properly, then reprice it with your lender every six months after
What a home loan costs to set up.
On a standard home loan the lender pays our commission on settlement and discloses it to you in full, so the comparison, the negotiation and the ongoing repricing are covered. We set the whole picture out, including the cases where a fee does apply, on our page about how mortgage brokers get paid.
The costs that do exist sit with the lender and the government, and we put them in front of you before you apply: application or settlement fees (many lenders charge none), valuation (often covered by the lender), government registration fees, and lenders mortgage insurance if you borrow more than 80% of the property's value. LMI is the big one, and it's avoidable in more ways than most people realise: a bigger deposit, a guarantor, the First Home Guarantee, or a professional waiver if your occupation qualifies.
How lenders actually assess you.
Every lender runs your application through the same broad machine: income, commitments, living expenses and deposit, stress-tested with repayments assessed about 3 percentage points above the actual rate under APRA's serviceability buffer. But the settings inside that machine differ enormously. One lender counts 80% of your bonus income, another counts none. One is comfortable with casual employment after a few months, another wants a year. One takes your most recent year of self-employed income, another averages two.
That spread is the broker's raw material. Your borrowing power isn't one number; it's a range across 35+ lenders, and the difference between the bottom and the top of that range is often six figures. We aim your application at the lender whose policy reads your situation most favourably.
A worked example: what a deposit really buys.
Take a $750,000 house (an example, not a quote). A 20% deposit is $150,000: you borrow $600,000 and avoid lenders mortgage insurance entirely. A 10% deposit is $75,000: you borrow $675,000 plus LMI, which on a loan that size typically runs to five figures; our LMI calculator gives the exact number for your scenario. A 5% deposit is $37,500, realistic without LMI only through the First Home Guarantee or a guarantor.
On top of the deposit come the costs people forget: transfer (stamp) duty, legal and conveyancing fees, building and pest inspections, and lender fees. The stamp duty calculator gives Queensland figures for your price and situation in seconds, and we build the full cash-to-complete picture with you before you make an offer.
Common mistakes we see Brisbane buyers make.
Most expensive home loan problems are avoidable, and almost all of them happen before the application:
- Applying with several lenders directly, scattering credit enquiries that drag the score down
- Taking the pre-approval from the first bank that says yes, then discovering the formal terms are worse
- Going unconditional on a contract before finance is properly approved
- Ignoring the structure: no offset, the wrong split, or a fixed rate that blocks plans you already have
- Setting and forgetting: staying on the same rate for years while the lender prices new customers sharper
Start with your own numbers.
Two minutes with the borrowing power estimator and the repayments calculator will frame the whole conversation: what a lender is likely to let you borrow, and what it costs per month at today's rates. Bring those numbers to a chat and we'll tell you which lenders see your situation most favourably.
Why LINK Advance.
Know what the banks want.
Credit policies, assessment buffers and the way applications are read, matched to your situation before anything is submitted.
One broker, the whole way.
The person who meets you is the person who settles your loan and reprices it every six months after. Two more brokers and two loan processors sit behind them, so nothing stalls the week someone is out.
Cost front of mind.
Rate matters, but so do offsets, fees and structure. We compare the whole loan, not the headline number.
We don't let your rate drift.
After settlement we review your loan against the market every six months and go back to your lender when it has moved. The rate you signed does not quietly become an average one.
Your broker, not a call centre.
Hugh, Callum and Jacob write every loan themselves: the person who meets you is the person who structures the deal, drives the approval and reprices your rate every six months after settlement. That's why 262 Google reviews name them personally.
Meet the team →What people buying a home say about it.
Reviews from clients who came to us to buy, unedited and all on Google.
The BEST experience with LINK Advance! I came to Jacob at LINK with a fairly stressful property purchase, and from the very beginning his prompt, professional approach put me completely at ease. He was able to secure me a great loan outcome, and his communication throughout the entire process was clear, proactive, and exceptional. Thank you, thank you! I've bought and sold three properties and worked with multiple brokers over the years, and LINK Advance is easily the best. I highly recommend Jacob and the entire team!
Callum was fantastic to work with throughout our home purchase journey. Very responsive, passionate about what he does, and constantly following up with updates so we always knew where things were at. Definitely recommend Callum and the team to anyone looking for a reliable mortgage broker.
Hugh and the team have been fantastic to deal with! Open and consistent communication, and helped answer the many questions we had! The process from start to finish was easy, and the team made it smooth and as stress free as home loans can possibly be. Would absolutely recommend!
261 Google reviews at 5.0. Read them in full, filtered by what people came in for.
Frequently asked questions.
Do brokers get better rates than the banks offer directly?
Often, yes. Lenders offer brokers discretionary pricing to win business, and because we compare 35+ of them, the lender knows your application walks if the rate isn't sharp. We also reprice existing loans, going back to your lender when the market moves.
How much deposit do I need for a home loan?
Most lenders want 20% to avoid lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), but you can buy with 10% or even 5%: paying LMI, using a guarantor, or through the federal First Home Guarantee if you're eligible. Our LMI calculator shows what the trade-off costs.
How long does home loan approval take?
Pre-approval typically takes a few days to two weeks depending on the lender; formal approval after you've signed a contract usually runs one to three weeks. Lender turnaround times vary a lot. Part of our job is knowing who's fast right now.
Fixed or variable?
It depends on what you need certainty on. Fixed gives you repayment certainty but less flexibility (limited extra repayments, no offset with most lenders, break costs). Variable moves with the market but keeps offsets and unlimited extra repayments. Many clients split the loan and take both.
Can I get a home loan if I'm self-employed?
Yes, and it's a broker specialty. Most lenders want two years of ABN income, some will lend on one, and low-doc options exist where the financials are still catching up to the business. The lender matters far more here than for salaried applicants, because policies on self-employed income differ wildly. We match the lender to how your business actually pays you.
What is the 3% serviceability buffer?
Australian lenders must assess whether you could still afford the repayments if rates rose about 3 percentage points above the rate you're actually offered. It's an APRA requirement, and it's the main reason your borrowing power is lower than the raw repayment maths suggests. Some lenders apply a reduced buffer to like-for-like refinances; policies vary, and we know which is which.
Should I get pre-approval before making an offer?
In almost every case, yes. Pre-approval tells you your real budget, makes your offer credible to agents, and surfaces problems while there's still time to fix them. It typically lasts around three months and can be refreshed. At auction you're bidding unconditionally, so there pre-approval isn't just useful, it's essential.
What documents do I need to apply?
Identification, payslips or business financials, bank statements showing your deposit and spending, and details of any debts. We give you a short checklist upfront, sanity-check everything before a lender sees it, and chase whatever's missing so the application goes in complete. Incomplete files are the single biggest cause of slow approvals.
Your broker for life.
One broker, 35+ lenders, in competition for your loan.
Most home loan broking is paid by the lender, not you. Tell us what you're planning and a broker will call to map your options. No obligation.
Call us
07 2101 4374Find us
Level 1, 57 Berwick Street, Fortitude Valley 4006
5.0 · based on 261 Google reviews