Quick answer
Secured business loans up to $5,000,000 are typically first mortgages over substantial commercial property, development sites or completed stock, often across several titles. They fund major refinances, acquisitions and development milestones. Lenders assess the combined security and a well-documented exit; no valuation is needed before approval, and interest can be prepaid or added to the loan.
Key points
- Our maximum loan size is $5,000,000
- Usually first mortgages, frequently across several properties
- Used for major refinances, acquisitions and development milestones
- Exit evidence and settlement planning are critical
- Allow a few business days for multi-party settlements
Top-end secured lending
At the upper end of our range, secured business loans are used for transactions that shape a company’s future: refinancing an entire property portfolio, buying a significant business or building, carrying a development through a critical milestone, or settling with a lender that has run out of patience. The amounts are large, but the logic is the same as for a much smaller loan: strong security, a clear purpose and a believable exit.
Typical scenarios
- Portfolio refinance. Consolidating several facilities into one lender when a bank exits.
- Development milestones. Holding a site through approvals, or bridging between land and construction finance. See property development.
- Strategic acquisitions. Buying a competitor, a supplier or a key property.
- Completed stock. Repaying construction finance across a large number of unsold units.
- Distressed situations. Repaying a lender before receivers are appointed, or refinancing out of a default.
How large loans are secured
At this size, the lender almost always wants first-ranking security, often across more than one property. Each property is assessed on its own merits, and the combined LVR determines the overall amount. Commercial, industrial, residential, development land and completed stock can all form part of the security pool.
| Element | What the lender considers |
|---|---|
| Combined LVR | Total debt against total value |
| Concentration | Whether value is spread across several properties or concentrated in one |
| Liquidity | How quickly each property could be sold if needed |
| Title complexity | Leases, easements, strata schemes and existing interests |
| Exit | Evidence, timing and backup options |
Exit planning for large loans
The exit for a $5m loan rarely depends on a single event. Strong proposals often combine a primary exit, such as a refinance to a bank, with a secondary one, such as the sale of a specific property. Lenders take comfort from a plan that still works if one part runs late. Our guide to exit strategies lenders accept explains how to present both.
Discuss a large secured loan with a specialist before you commit to a timetable.
Settlement at scale
A large secured loan may involve several outgoing lenders, multiple property owners, guarantors needing independent legal advice and, for purchases, vendors and their solicitors. Electronic settlement coordinates the money and the registrations, but each party must be ready on the day. Expect settlement within days of signed documents rather than hours, and keep a shared checklist of who needs to do what.
Interest and cost
Interest can be prepaid or added to the loan, which is common for development and acquisition deals where income is not yet flowing. Because the dollar amounts are large, every element of cost deserves attention: establishment fees, legal costs, the treatment of interest and early repayment terms. Use the bridging cost estimator to compare offers on the same basis.
An illustrative large loan
Illustrative only. A developer holds an approved mixed-use site and a completed townhouse project with several unsold dwellings. The construction lender on the townhouses wants repayment, and the developer needs funds to hold the new site until construction finance is approved. A single first mortgage facility across the townhouses and the site repays the construction lender and funds the holding costs. As townhouses sell, release amounts reduce the loan, and when construction finance for the new site is approved, it repays the balance.
Due diligence for both sides
- confirm the tax treatment of any transaction, including GST and duty
- review leases, strata arrangements and planning approvals on each property
- check the requirements and timing of any refinancing lender
- make sure all property owners and guarantors understand the arrangement
- agree a communication plan if the exit timing shifts
Need less?
See $2 million loans or the full range of loan types.
Working with your advisers
At this level, your accountant, solicitor and, for development deals, project manager should be involved early. The accountant can confirm tax treatment and model the cost against the outcome. The solicitor reviews the loan documents, security arrangements and any guarantees. Bringing them in on day one avoids the most common cause of delay in large deals: issues raised for the first time after documents have been issued.
A note on concentration risk
When most of the security value sits in one property, the lender’s comfort depends heavily on that asset. Spreading security across several properties, or reducing the amount, can lift the overall assessment. The LVR calculator can model an extra property quickly.
Large deals, handled with care
A loan at the top of our range deserves an experienced, careful approach. Tell us the properties, the existing debts, the purpose and both your primary and backup exits, and a specialist will tell you whether the deal works and how to settle it smoothly. There is no credit check at enquiry stage, your information stays with one team, and complete details from the start make the whole process faster. Begin a large loan enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest loan available?
Up to $5,000,000 per deal, secured by residential or commercial property. The amount for your deal depends on combined equity, property types and the exit.
Can several properties secure one $5m loan?
Yes. Large loans are often secured across several titles, with the combined LVR and the quality of each property both considered.
How long does a $5m secured loan take?
Larger deals usually settle within days rather than hours once documents are signed, because there are more titles, parties and payouts to coordinate.
What if I need more than $5m?
Tell us the full picture. A specialist can discuss how the need might be met, for example by reducing the amount through a staged sale or combining with other funding.
Prefer to start now? Enquire here
About 60 seconds. No credit check when you first enquire, and a secured lending specialist calls you back.