Speed without shortcuts
Indicative terms in 4-24 hours. Formal credit submission in 2-3 days. Settlement 3-5 days for standard files. Same-team underwriting from scenario to settlement, what we indicate is what we formalise.
Private lenders · Australia
Private lenders for Australian property, written same-day.
Archer Wealth is a Sydney-headquartered private credit firm lending nationally, first and second mortgages, bridging, development and commercial. AFSL 548263. Broker-channel only.
Quick answer
Private lenders are non-bank credit providers who lend against property security when bank policy says no. In Australia, private lenders cover first mortgages, second mortgages, bridging loans, caveat loans, development finance, and commercial property loans. They underwrite to the deal and exit, not a serviceability calculator, and typically settle in 3-5 business days for standard residential files. Archer Wealth (AFSL 548263) is a wholesale-funded private lender operating nationally through accredited mortgage brokers.
What private lending is
Real underwriting, not a calculator.
Private lending fills the gap between bank policy and commercial reality. Banks underwrite to a fixed serviceability formula; private lenders underwrite to the deal, the security, the sponsor, the exit. Where the bank declines on a policy edge case, a private lender either funds the file properly or tells you fast why it can't.
Archer Wealth sits at the institutional end of the private lending market, wholesale-funded, AFSL-licensed, broker-originated, with a credit team that reviews every file rather than pricing-by-algorithm. The book is first-mortgage backed, conservatively LVR-capped, and voted by the credit committee.
For the plain-English category explainer, see the private lending guide. For how the channel compares to a bank, see private credit vs bank lending.
How it runs
How working with a private lender actually works.
01
Scenario in
Your broker submits the scenario: security, purpose, amount, exit. No application forms at this stage, just the shape of the deal.
02
Indicative terms
Credit reviews the scenario and returns indicative terms in 4-24 hours. Rate, LVR, tenor and conditions, stated up front.
03
Credit + valuation
Formal submission with supporting documents, an independent valuation on the security, and a credit committee vote. 2-3 days on standard files.
04
Settlement
Solicitors exchange and funds settle, typically 3-5 business days end to end for standard residential security. The exit is documented before the loan settles, not after.
How we differ
Three things that make a difference on every file.
Disciplined first-mortgage policy
Conservative LVR caps (75% metro houses, 65% apartments, 60% commercial), exit-first underwriting, documented sponsor and security. Every loan voted by the credit committee.
Broker-channel only
We work exclusively through accredited mortgage brokers. Borrowers reach us through their broker, never direct. Trail and upfront protected.
What private lenders fund
Six products, one credit desk.
First mortgage loans
The core product. Registered first mortgage over residential or commercial security, conservative LVR, priced from the sharpest end of the book.
Second mortgage loans
Registered second mortgage behind an existing bank first. Unlocks equity without disturbing the senior facility.
Bridging finance
Short-dated funding across a settlement gap, sized to a documented exit on the sale or refinance.
Caveat loans
Caveat-secured funding for genuinely urgent, short-dated files. Written selectively where a registered mortgage cannot be done in time.
Development finance
Site acquisition, residual stock and completion funding for experienced sponsors with a credible delivery and exit plan.
Commercial + business loans
Property-secured working capital, ATO arrears resolution and acquisition funding for trading businesses.
When private lending fits
The deals we actually settle.
Bridging-and-out
Asset under contract, settlement window tightening, bank can't unconditional in time. Bridging facility, exit on the sale settlement.
Bank-decline
Recently self-employed, unusual income mix, ATO arrears with payment plan. Bank policy says no; the file is fundable on commercial reality.
Complex security
Mixed-use, partially tenanted, multiple titles, specialist class. Structured against tenure and exit, not policy formula.
Settlement-rescue short-term
Stamp duty shortfall, 72-hour funding window, equity in an unencumbered second property. Property-secured, settled in days.
Private lenders by city
We write nationally. Every city, same credit desk.
Archer Wealth writes files across every Australian state and territory from Sydney head office. The credit lens is calibrated to the local market for each geography, the underwriting team and turnaround are the same on every file.
NSW
Private lenders Sydney
Archer Wealth is headquartered in Bondi Junction.
VIC
Private lenders Melbourne
We write the Melbourne book out of Sydney HQ, but with a credit lens calibrated to Victorian market behaviour.
QLD
Private lenders Brisbane
Queensland has been the fastest-moving private credit market in the country since 2022.
WA
Private lenders Perth
WA private credit is a smaller book than the eastern seaboard, but the deal quality is high when underwriting respects the local cycle.
SA
Private lenders Adelaide
South Australia's private credit market is smaller than the eastern seaboard but the underlying book quality is consistent.
QLD
Private lenders Gold Coast
The Gold Coast has been one of the most volatile residential markets in the country since 2020.
ACT
Private lenders Canberra
Canberra is a government-concentrated, high-income market with supply constraints and strong long-run demand.
Frequently asked
Private lenders, the questions that matter.
What is a private lender?
A private lender is a non-bank credit provider that funds property-secured loans from wholesale capital rather than retail deposits. In Australia, private lenders write first mortgages, second mortgages, bridging loans, caveat loans, development finance and commercial property loans, underwriting each file on its security, sponsor and exit rather than a centralised serviceability formula.
How do private lenders work?
The broker submits a scenario, the lender's credit team returns indicative terms (typically within 4-24 hours at Archer Wealth), a formal submission with an independent valuation follows, and the file settles once credit approves, typically 3-5 business days for standard residential security. The loan is sized to a documented exit, usually a sale, a refinance to a bank, or a business event.
Are private lenders regulated in Australia?
Yes. Australian private lenders operate under an Australian Financial Services Licence issued by ASIC, or an Australian Credit Licence for consumer credit. What they sit outside is APRA's prudential framework, which applies to deposit-taking banks. Archer Wealth lends under AFSL 548263. Loans are subject to credit assessment; property-secured lending carries the risk of loss of the security on default.
What is the difference between a private lender and a bank?
Banks underwrite to a fixed serviceability formula and centralised credit policy, which delivers cheap capital slowly and only to files that fit. Private lenders underwrite file by file on commercial merit, which delivers faster decisions and flexibility on non-standard files at a higher cost of capital. For long-term holds at low rates the bank is usually right; for time-critical or policy-edge files, a private lender often is.
What do private lenders charge?
Private lending prices above bank rates because wholesale capital costs more and underwriting is bespoke. Indicative Archer Wealth first mortgage rates start from 7.99% p.a. on prime residential and commercial security; second mortgages and short-dated bridging price above that, reflecting position and tenor. Specific pricing is provided per file and is subject to credit assessment.
How fast can a private lender settle?
At Archer Wealth: indicative terms in 4-24 hours, formal credit in 2-3 days, settlement typically 3-5 business days for standard files. Genuinely urgent files can move faster where the security, title and legals allow. Timing is confirmed on the scenario, never guaranteed.
Related
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