Secured business loans, applied for online

What makes a business loan “secured”?

A secured business loan is backed by property. The lender registers an interest over a house, unit, warehouse, shop or office, and in return can offer a larger amount, a longer or more flexible term, and more room for businesses whose credit history isn’t perfect.

This page is the new home of the secured business loans page that used to sit on this domain. If you followed an old link, you’re in the right place.

There are three common structures:

• First mortgage. The property is unencumbered, or the new loan pays out the existing mortgage. The business lender sits first in line.
• Second mortgage. Your existing home loan stays where it is, and the business loan sits behind it. Useful when your current mortgage has features you want to keep.
• Caveat loan. A caveat is lodged on the property’s title to protect the lender’s interest. Caveat loans are usually short term and are often used to bridge a gap.

All three are for business purposes only. The property can be residential or commercial.

Can you really apply for a secured loan online?

Yes, and most of it feels the same as any other online application. The differences are two extra pieces of work that happen behind the scenes:

1. Valuation. The lender needs an independent view of what the property is worth. A valuer is arranged for you; for some properties a desktop valuation is enough, while others need an inspection.
2. Legal documents and registration. The mortgage or caveat has to be documented and registered. Across Australia, property dealings are increasingly lodged electronically through national e-conveyancing arrangements overseen by the registrars’ council (ARNECC), so the paperwork rarely involves you carrying envelopes around.

Everything at your end — the enquiry, sharing statements, identity verification, reading and signing documents — can be done from a phone or laptop. Some signing steps for property security may still involve a witness or a solicitor, and your specialist will tell you upfront if that applies so there are no surprises.

How much can be borrowed, and what decides it?

Property-secured business loans range from $20,000 to $5,000,000. The main drivers are:

Factor	What it means for you
Property value	Set by the valuation, not by online estimates
Existing mortgage	Reduces the equity available for a second mortgage or caveat
Loan-to-value ratio (LVR)	How much of the property’s value is borrowed in total
Purpose and exit	What the money is for and how it will be repaid or refinanced
Business position	Trading history, bank statements and any ATO arrangements

Because the property carries much of the risk, secured lenders can often look past things that would stop an unsecured application, such as a past default or an ATO debt that’s being dealt with. That’s considered case by case, never automatically.

If you’d like to talk through equity and purpose with a real person, you can start your enquiry online. It won’t touch your credit file.

How fast can a secured business loan come together?

Speed depends on the property, the valuation and how quickly documents come back signed. For straightforward cases:

• $20k to $250k secured against property can be possible to fund the same day.
• Up to $5m can be possible within 24 to 48 hours.

Those are possibilities, not promises, and they always follow approval. The fastest files share a few traits: a clear purpose, an obvious way out of the loan, responsive borrowers and documents signed promptly. Our page on what fast online approval really means goes into more detail.

What do people use secured business loans for?

Common business purposes include:

• buying stock, equipment or vehicles in bulk;
• clearing or restructuring an ATO debt — see business loans to clear ATO debt;
• paying out several expensive short-term loans with one facility — see refinancing business loans online;
• funding a fit-out, expansion or second location;
• bridging a gap while waiting on a property sale or a large receivable;
• buying into or buying out a business.

Illustrative example: equity that was sitting idle

Illustrative only. A joinery business owner has paid down most of his home loan over fifteen years. He’s won a large commercial contract that needs materials and two extra workers before the first progress payment arrives. His business account is healthy, but not deep enough to carry the job.

He enquires online one evening. The next day his specialist discusses a second mortgage behind his existing home loan, explains the valuation step, and lists the documents needed. Statements are shared by secure link, his identity is verified online, and the loan documents are signed electronically, with a witnessed step arranged locally. He never visits a bank.

Secured or unsecured — which should you choose?

	Secured	Unsecured
Amounts	$20k – $5m	Typically $5k – $500k
Security	Property	None over property
Credit flexibility	Wider	Narrower
Extra steps	Valuation, registration	Usually none
Typical term	Short to long	Usually shorter

If you’re unsure, start with the outcome you need and let the specialist compare both. You can also read about unsecured business loans online.

See what your property could do for the business

If you’ve got equity and a clear business purpose, the next step is a quick, honest conversation. Your enquiry takes about a minute, carries no credit check, and goes to one team that works on your situation — it isn’t fired off to a long list of lenders.

Please be as accurate as you can about the property, the existing mortgage and what the money is for. Precise answers let your specialist size things properly from the start. Begin your secured loan enquiry online.