Commercial Property Refinance & Equity Release
Refinance an expiring or capped commercial loan, release equity, or bring several facilities into one structure. Our Brisbane and Sydney commercial brokers take your property to bank and non-bank lenders and show you the costs before you switch.
74
commercial deals settled in FY26
40+
lenders on our panel
Commercial refinances from
$500,000
Recent refinance: a $3.5M loan with cash-out across two commercial properties in Moreton Bay, QLD. The properties’ total security value was $7.3M, and the loan was serviced on the leases with no traditional income verification. (Case published 10 May 2026.)
What we refinance
If you want to refinance commercial property, we work with the loan you already have, whether you lease the property to tenants or run your business from it. That includes a straight commercial loan refinance, a refinance with equity release, and a restructure of several facilities.
| Property | Borrower |
|---|---|
| Offices and professional suites | Individuals |
| Retail shops and showrooms | Companies |
| Warehouses, factories and industrial units (see also industrial & warehouse finance) | Trusts |
| Medical and healthcare premises | Groups with several entities and properties |
| Mixed-use and specialised property |
Refinancing something else?
- Home loan: home loan refinancing
- Equity in your home or a residential investment: residential equity release
- A loan held in your super fund: SMSF property loans
- Funding a build: commercial construction finance
When a commercial refinance makes sense
Most commercial refinances start with one of these:
- Your term is expiring or your bank review is due. An extension doesn’t have to be on the same terms, so compare it with the market. Check: expiry date, the new terms offered, any fees to extend. Example: $5.25M expiring-term refinance.
- Your bank has capped you. Servicing limits, policy changes or a lower valuation can stop the bank going further. Another lender may assess it differently. Example: $750K equity release through a lender tender.
- You need equity for a purchase, the business or a project. See releasing equity.
- Your pricing is no longer competitive. Worth testing, but only once the switch costs are known. See costs.
- You have too many facilities. Term loans, overdrafts, guarantees and ATO debt spread across lenders can be refinanced together. Example: multi-facility refinance for a builder.
- You’re restructuring ownership. Moving a property into a new company or trust can happen as part of the refinance. Example: $3.5M refinance with an ownership restructure.
- Your fixed rate is ending. A natural point to compare. Ask your lender for a payout figure, including any break cost, before you decide.
Releasing equity from commercial property
Equity is the property’s current value less what you owe. Usable equity is smaller. It depends on:
- the maximum loan-to-value ratio (LVR) the lender will accept for that property, on a fresh valuation;
- whether the rent or your business income can service the larger loan.
Illustrative example (not a client deal): a property valued at $2,000,000 with $800,000 owing. A lender capping that property at 65% LVR would lend up to $1,300,000. That leaves up to $500,000 to release, if servicing supports it.
Equity can be released as a higher loan limit, a separate loan split or a redraw facility.
What you use the money for matters.
- Funds used mainly for business or commercial investment purposes are generally outside the National Credit Code.
- If you borrow as an individual and use the funds mainly for personal purposes, the loan may become regulated consumer credit. That changes which lenders and rules apply.
- Tax treatment follows how the money is used, so speak with your accountant before you draw it.
Example: renegotiating an expiring $5.25M facility released $1.3M for the client’s other developments (LVR 55% → 70%). See recent refinances.
Thinking of using equity in the business? Read how to finance business growth using equity.
How lenders assess a commercial refinance
Each lender works through the same points. Appetite differs on each one.
- The property: type, location, condition and a current valuation by a valuer the lender accepts.
- Leases: who the tenants are, lease terms and expiry dates, whether leases are at arm’s length.
- LVR: the loan against the valuation. The maximum varies by lender and property type.
- Servicing: rental income against interest (interest cover), or your full business and personal financials.
- Conduct: repayment history on the current loan and your ATO position.
- Borrower and guarantors: the entity, its directors and any guarantees.
- Term and exit: how long the loan runs and how it will be repaid or refinanced.
Two lease-doc products show how much criteria can differ:
| Example product (lender-specific, checked 21 Oct 2026) | Max LVR | Interest cover | Term | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CommBank Lease Doc loan | Up to 65% | Minimum 1.5x | Up to 5 years or lease expiry, whichever is shorter | Up to $5M; borrower must be a standalone, non-trading company or trust; arm’s-length lease; business purposes only |
| La Trobe Financial Commercial Lease Doc | 75% to $3M; 70% to $25M; 65% to $50M | Rent at least 1.2x the interest charge | Up to 30 years | $100K–$50M; the full lease agreement is the main verification; non-bank lender |
These are each lender’s published criteria on 21 Oct 2026. They change, and approval depends on the full application. They’re examples of the spread across the market, not a recommendation or an offer.
If you’re with a bank that subscribes to the Banking Code of Practice and you’ve paid for a commercial property valuation, you can generally ask for a copy, except where enforcement proceedings have commenced. The bank may require written acknowledgement of reasonable limitations on its use.
Lease doc and low doc refinancing
A lease doc refinance is assessed mainly on the rent from your leases rather than on tax returns. It suits investors with tenanted property and solid leases. Expect:
- lower maximum LVRs than a full-doc loan at some lenders;
- shorter terms at banks;
- related-party leases, such as your own business as tenant, often don’t qualify. CommBank’s lease doc, for example, requires an arm’s-length lease.
Example: the Moreton Bay refinance above was assessed on valuations and existing leases.
Trading businesses without up-to-date financials may have low doc options.
Bank, non-bank or private lender
| Comparison | Bank | Non-bank | Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usually suits | Standard property, strong conduct, full financials | Lease-based servicing, flexible covenants, larger or development-upside sites | Short-term needs, time-critical deals, property banks won’t take |
| Trade-off | Sharpest pricing, strictest policy | More flexibility, usually higher pricing | Highest cost; plan the exit from day one |
| Our example | $5.25M loan, bank, 6.46% fixed for 2 years (case published Nov 2025) | $14.2M loan, non-bank, 65% LVR, no interest-cover covenant (case published Apr 2026) | See private debt |
Rates shown were current at the time of each deal and aren’t offers.
What it costs to switch, and when to start
Get these figures before you compare offers.
| Leaving your current lender | Setting up the new loan |
|---|---|
| Payout figure | Valuation fee |
| Discharge fee | Lender application or establishment fee (often a percentage of the loan) |
| Break costs on any fixed rate or rate hedge | Legal and settlement costs |
| Fees on any other facilities being closed | Broker fee, if any |
Duty:
- There’s no mortgage duty on a refinance in Queensland (abolished 2008) or NSW (abolished 2016).
- Transfer duty can apply if the refinance also moves a property into a new entity. Get legal and tax advice on any restructure.
Simple payback test: total switch cost ÷ yearly saving = years to break even. If that’s longer than you’ll keep the loan, or longer than the new fixed term, the switch may not pay.
Start early. Banks that subscribe to the Banking Code must give at least 3 months’ notice if they won’t extend a small business loan that isn’t in default and is not scheduled to be fully repaid by regular repayments at the end of the term. Many commercial borrowers fall outside that protection. The Code’s small business test requires turnover under $10M, fewer than 100 full-time equivalent staff and total debt under $5M across all lenders. Don’t wait for the bank’s letter. Start the review well before expiry so there is time for lender assessment, valuation and settlement.
Refinancing with companies, trusts and several properties
Larger refinances often involve several properties, entities and lenders at once. We coordinate the outgoing lenders, the incoming lender and your advisers so settlement happens together.
- Ownership changes: in the Moreton Bay refinance, one property moved into a new entity as part of the deal. The new lender accepted the change of ownership.
- Several lenders and future funding: on the $14.2M refinance below, we worked with the client’s multiple existing lenders and agreed provisions for a future second mortgage.
- Owner-occupied premises with business facilities: for a builder, we refinanced the term loan over its own premises at 70% LVR. We also set up a $100K bank guarantee secured on the same property and a $350K unsecured overdraft, and refinanced $80K of ATO debt into a structured unsecured facility. That’s four facilities in one structure. The term-loan amount isn’t published. (Case published 28 Mar 2026.) Read the case
Buying another property at the same time? See how we funded a refinance and warehouse purchase in industrial and warehouse property finance.
How we run your refinance
1. Review your current loan.
Facility terms, expiry, payout figure, leases and what you want the refinance to do.
2. Test the scenario.
We take it to lenders whose appetite fits before anything is lodged.
3. Valuation.
Ordered through the chosen lender, or updated if needed.
4. Compare terms.
Where it helps, we run a tender across several lenders.
5. Approval and documents.
You see the final terms and costs before you sign.
6. Settlement.
We coordinate the payout with your outgoing lender or lenders.
Each broker works with two analysts.
Recent commercial refinances
$750K equity release via lender tender
(QLD, case published 21 Jul 2026).
The client had a tenanted commercial investment, and their bank was at its servicing limit. We updated the valuation and ran a tender across several lenders. The result was a higher LVR (70%), better pricing and more equity than the bank offered, plus a redraw. $750K = loan size; the amount released isn’t published. Read the case
$5.25M expiring-term refinance
(QLD, case published 2 Nov 2025).
A long-term client’s commercial investment facility was expiring. We renegotiated terms that released $1.3M for other developments in the group and moved the LVR from 55% to 70%. The lender was a bank, at 6.46% fixed for 2 years. $5.25M = loan amount; $1.3M = equity released. Read the case
$14.2M refinance and equity release
(QLD, case published 1 Apr 2026).
The client owned two commercial properties in a Transit-Oriented Development area and needed capital for planning and project works. The refinance was with a non-bank lender at 65% LVR, with no interest-cover covenant and future second-mortgage provisions. $14.2M = loan amount. Read the case
Rates and terms were current at the time of each deal and aren’t offers. See more of our experience
Commercial refinance in Brisbane and Sydney
Brisbane: our team at Level 7, 270 Adelaide Street handles commercial refinances across Queensland, including the Moreton Bay deal above.
Sydney: our office at Level 3, 56 Pitt Street serves commercial owners across Sydney and NSW.
We also work Australia-wide.
Documents to have ready
- Loan statements for your current facilities (around 12 months)
- Your facility letter, showing the expiry and any covenants
- Leases and a tenancy schedule
- Rates and outgoings
- ATO income tax and GST account statements
- Company or trust documents
- Recent financials, if the loan won’t be assessed on leases alone
Your broker will confirm the exact list for your lender. Send what you have to enquiries@thebrokerage.au.
Commercial refinance FAQs
Yes, but get a payout figure first. Discharge fees apply, and fixed rates or rate hedges can carry a break cost if repaid early.
It’s a rule of thumb, not a lender rule. One lender’s commercial refinance product (Granite, checked 21 Oct 2026) only accepts refinances where your current rate is no more than 2% above the new rate. What matters is the payback test above.
It depends on the lender and how much of the income is affected. Lease doc loans generally need an active tenant (CommBank’s lease doc requires one, checked 21 Oct 2026), so a vacant property is usually assessed on other income.
Yes. The completed property is assessed for an investment or owner-occupied loan, and that assessment should be planned before the construction facility expires. See commercial construction finance.
Yes, under separate super rules. See SMSF property loans.
Usually not, if the loan is mainly for business or commercial investment purposes, or the borrower is a company. Loans to individuals mainly for personal purposes can be regulated.
Talk to our commercial team
Commercial refinances from $500,000.
In your enquiry, please include:
- property location and type
- owner-occupied or tenanted
- current lender and expiry date
- loan balance and estimated value
- how much equity you want to release and why
- borrower (individual, company or trust)
- your timing
What happens next: a commercial broker reviews your enquiry and contacts you. We confirm your current loan, leases and goals, then test your scenario with suitable lenders before any application. You see the options and costs before deciding.
Call 0451 973 662 · Email enquiries@thebrokerage.au
Related: Industrial & warehouse property finance · SMSF property loans · Commercial construction finance · Private debt · Business finance · Commercial finance
General information only, not credit or tax advice. Lender criteria quoted were checked on 21 Oct 2026 and may change. Past results don’t guarantee future outcomes. The Brokerage Commercial Pty Ltd (ABN 29 605 379 780) is credit representative 487465 of BLSSA Pty Ltd (ACN 117 651 760), Australian Credit Licence 391237.