Finance for the premises your business runs on.
Commercial property finance is lending secured against business premises: retail shops, offices, warehouses, industrial units, medical suites and hospitality venues. It comes in two broad forms. Owner-occupier loans fund a business that will itself occupy the property, and lenders usually view these more favourably because the repayment source is the business's own trading income. Investment property loans fund a landlord buying a property to lease to a tenant, where the rent becomes the primary repayment source. Terms, loan-to-value ratios and pricing differ between the two, and they differ again between lenders: a major bank may lend up to around 65 to 80 per cent of value on a longer term at a lower rate, while a specialist lender may accept a higher ratio or a shorter covenant at a higher rate. Because commercial lending sits outside the National Consumer Credit Protection regime, the consumer protections that apply to a home loan do not automatically apply here — which makes reading the offer, the personal guarantee and the break costs essential. Envision Finance is a comparison and referral service, not a lender. We gather your requirements, explain the differences between the structures on the table, and refer you to the lenders best suited to your property, your industry and your lease position.
When it makes sense
- Buying the premises your business already rents
- Refinancing an existing commercial mortgage onto better terms
- Purchasing a retail shop, café or clinic for your own operation
- Buying a warehouse or industrial unit to lease out
- Securing a second premises for expansion
- Unlocking equity in a paid-off property for working capital
- Purchasing a property with a tenant in place as an investment
Indicative terms
| Amount | $50,000 – $20,000,000+ (indicative) |
| Security | Mortgage over the commercial property (indicative) |
| LVR | Typically 60 – 80% of value (indicative) |
| Term | 1 – 10 years, sometimes longer (indicative) |
| Structure | Principal & interest or interest-only periods (indicative) |
| Rate | Usually higher than a residential home loan (indicative) |
| Guarantees | Personal or director guarantees are common (indicative) |
| Timeline | Two to eight weeks is typical (indicative) |
How it works
- Establish the purpose — We start with the basics: is this for your own business to occupy, or an investment with a tenant? Lenders price these differently, and the answer shapes which lenders are even worth approaching.
- Test your borrowing capacity — Most lenders assess the property's income and the business's cash flow separately, then take the lower outcome. We walk through what the bank will want to see — usually two years of financials, tax returns and the lease — before anything is submitted.
- Compare across the panel — We put your file to banks and specialist lenders whose appetite suits the property type, location and lease position, and present the indicative rates, fees, terms and personal guarantee requirements side by side.
- Valuation and conditions — The lender orders a commercial valuation, which drives the borrowing limit, and issues a formal credit approval with conditions. We help you track those conditions so the settlement date does not slip.
- Settlement — Your solicitor and the lender complete the documents and the funds settle. We stay in the loop until the money is drawn, and we are available again when you want to review the facility before it matures.