Brokers call for speed, clarity, and pricing transparency in commercial mortgages

Commercial mortgage brokers are clear about what wins their business: competitive rates, fast decisions, and transparent processes. Broker Pulse: Commercial Lending is a monthly survey conducted by Agile Market Intelligence on mortgage brokers’ experiences with lending institutions. In this article, we present the common themes from open-text feedback collected over the past 12 months leading up to June 2025, citing verbatim comments from commercial brokers. 

Key stats you need to know

• Service and support concerns made up over a quarter (28%) of broker feedback, citing delays and manual workflows.

• 16% of comments were around pricing and fees often linked to competitiveness and transparency.
  
  
• Process and turnaround comments accounted for almost 1 in 3 (32%) of all commercial mortgage broker feedback.

Service and support defines loyalty

• Many brokers praised lenders for strong BDM engagement and helpful credit teams.
  
  
• Positive experiences were often tied to lenders who resolved issues quickly and maintained proactive communication.
  
  
• However, inconsistency across teams remains a pain point, particularly in post-submission updates.

Service quality remains the top driver of broker loyalty in commercial mortgages. Even where pricing is competitive, poor communication or lack of follow-up can erode trust quickly. Brokers valued personal interaction over generic system-generated updates, particularly the willingness to problem-solve in complex deals was a recurring differentiator.

Direct broker quotes:

• “Outstanding service from BDM backed up by an intuitive lending team and credit management team willing to assist.”
  
  
• “Great BDM and credit team! Pricing is not the cheapest but they make up for it by actually working with their brokers to make something a deal if it is falling outside of policy or appetite.”
  
  
• “Lack of ability to communicate directly with the credit and settlements teams is a problem, and is a consideration prior to submitting an application.”

"Strong relationships are built on responsiveness and consistency. In commercial mortgages, a single well-handled issue can cement loyalty, while one missed update can undo years of trust," said Michael Johnson, Director at Agile Market Intelligence.

Pricing and fees remain sensitive

• High fees and perceived uncompetitive rates were frequently raised as barriers to placing deals.
  
  
• Brokers called for greater transparency on how rates are set, especially for larger loan amounts.
  
  
• Calls for “market-matching” flexibility came up repeatedly.

In commercial mortgages, sharp pricing still cuts through. But without speed and certainty, it’s not enough to secure broker flows. Several comments linked pricing concerns to losing deals to faster-moving competitors. And pricing sensitivity is heightened in a competitive market where multiple lenders can service the same segment.

Direct broker quotes:

• “Increasing the documentation fee [...] is not a plus, especially in this climate and for individual borrowers. […] now they incorporate the total interest charges as well.”
  
  
• “Monthly fees, get rid of them!”

• “Quoted interest rates differ state to state, broker firm to broker firm, which takes away our own competitive advantage.”

"Sharp pricing can open the door, but without speed and certainty, it won’t keep it open. Brokers want competitive rates they can trust, not ones that change mid-negotiation," said Michael Johnson.

Process and turnaround speed are deal-breakers

• Delays in settlement and manual document handling featured prominently in negative feedback. Brokers flagged outdated systems as a major drag on efficiency.
  
  
• Faster approval processes directly influence repeat business, particularly in competitive, time-sensitive deals.
  
  
• Real-time application tracking was suggested as a priority improvement.

Speed is a commercial mortgage battleground. Brokers consistently reward lenders that can combine competitive offers with predictable, fast turnaround times. Many comments linked speed with client satisfaction and retention.

Direct broker quotes:

• “Procedures work, but the process is a bit old-school and clunky with some manual work-arounds required.”
  
  
• “ *** is the best so far, fast credit & easy settlement [and] a real desire to support brokers.”
  
  
• “Terrible response time on calls, emails and processing. If they do not change, they won't survive in the commercial broker space.”

"Speed is no longer just a competitive advantage, it’s the baseline. In a market where deals can be lost in hours, lenders need systems that move as fast as their brokers do," said Michael Johnson.

About the Broker Pulse: Commercial Lending

The Broker Pulse: Commercial Lending report is a community-driven benchmarking initiative capturing the experiences of commercial and asset finance brokers across Australia. The latest edition captures experiences for applications submitted throughout June 2025, with the survey conducted between 1st to 23rd July 2025. The report includes data across asset finance, business loans, and commercial mortgages, and is conducted by Agile Market Intelligence in partnership with the Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers Association (CAFBA).