In June, the MFAA confirmed what every BDM in the country already suspected: brokers settled 81% of all new residential home loans in the March 2026 quarter — the highest share ever recorded, up from 55.3% just eight years ago. Australia now sits with the UK and the Netherlands as one of only three markets where brokers write more than 80% of home lending. It's a genuine industry achievement. It's also the end of the easy growth story.

Simple arithmetic: when your channel already originates four out of five loans, the next percentage point of market share is the hardest one you'll ever win. Residential broking isn't going backwards — but it is mature. The growth question for every broker in 2026 is no longer "how do I win more home loans?" It's "what else does my client base need that I'm currently referring away?"

The residential ceiling, in one chart

Broker share of new residential home loans

% of all new residential lending settled by brokers — March quarters

Broker share: 55.3% (2018), 74.1% (2024), 76.8% (2025), 81.0% (2026).

Behind the share number, volumes were enormous: leading aggregators settled $124.88 billion in new home loans in the March quarter alone — up $25.51 billion year-on-year and the biggest January-to-March result on record. The channel is winning. But a channel at 81% penetration grows with the market, not faster than it. Individual brokers who want to outgrow the market need a second engine.

The open field: commercial and asset finance

Now put the residential number next to the commercial one. Industry estimates put broker penetration of commercial lending at roughly 40–45% of deals. Within that, asset and equipment finance runs higher — one senior lender puts broker-originated A&E volume around 70% and trending up — but the blended commercial picture is a market where the broker channel has barely won half the ground it holds in residential. As one aggregator executive put it this year, there's no structural reason commercial share shouldn't eventually mirror residential. The gap between those two numbers is the single biggest growth opportunity in Australian broking.

Broker penetration by lending channel

Approx. % of deals originated through brokers, 2026

Residential 81%, asset & equipment ~70%, commercial lending broadly ~40–45%.

Brokers have noticed. The number of brokers writing commercial loans grew 24% in a single year — extraordinary movement in an industry three decades old. The diversification runs both ways: residential brokers are adding asset finance to deepen client relationships and smooth their income, while asset finance specialists are adding mortgages. Demand is helping too. It's being driven by income-generating assets — commercial vehicles are the standout in logistics, trades and services, with EV and hybrid fleet finance growing underneath.

"For the number of brokers writing commercial loans to grow by 24 per cent in a single year is extraordinary. Customers want more from their brokers, not just a home loan."Stephen Scahill, Group Executive Commercial Finance, LMG — National Finance Brokers Day 2026

The honest bit: diversification raises the bar

None of this means asset finance is free money. The industry's own commentary this year has been blunt: A&E finance requires a different level of credit understanding and commercial awareness, and the aggregators and lenders who support brokers with education, policy clarity and deal structuring are the ones keeping advice quality high as participation grows. A residential broker who tries to wing a chattel mortgage on a prime mover the way they'd place an owner-occupier refinance will learn expensive lessons — about asset ages, balloon structures, private sales, ABN and GST history, and lender niches that change monthly.

Which is the real decision point. The question isn't whether to diversify — the market has answered that. It's whether you build the capability alone, or plug into a network that already has the lender panel, the credit knowledge and the compliance framework in place.

Where Oxcel fits

This is exactly the gap Oxcel Broker Services was built for. We're a national asset and mortgage finance network operating under our own Australian Credit Licence (ACL 547719), and we support brokers at both ends of the journey — whether you're writing your first asset deal or scaling an established book. What you get behind you:

Both pathways run on the same engine: a panel of 170+ lenders and industry partners spanning consumer and commercial asset finance, unsecured lending, and residential and commercial mortgages — including funders you can't approach directly. Applications go through our digital platform with real-time status tracking, so you and your client always know where a deal sits. And because the panel covers both asset and mortgage lending, diversifying doesn't mean referring revenue to someone else's book — you keep the whole client.

Making the move: a realistic sequence

The bottom line

The 81% milestone tells you the broker model has won the argument with Australian borrowers. The 40–45% commercial number tells you where the argument hasn't been finished yet. Brokers who add asset finance capability in 2026 are positioning themselves in the fastest-growing corner of the channel — with SME demand, diversified income and client relationships that competitors can't peel away with a rate offer.

You can build that capability the slow way. Or you can plug into a network that's already built it.

Frequently asked questions

Why are brokers diversifying into asset finance in 2026?

Residential broking has hit a record 81% market share (MFAA/Cotality, March 2026 quarter), leaving limited headroom, while broker penetration of commercial lending sits around 40–45%. Asset finance offers new revenue, deeper client relationships and strong SME demand for vehicles, trucks and equipment.

Do I need commercial experience to start?

No — many brokers entering asset finance come from residential. It does demand different credit skills, which is why panel access, mentoring and compliance support from a network matter. That capability gap is exactly what Oxcel's model is built to close.

What are the two ways to join Oxcel?

Launch your own brand with Oxcel's licensing, compliance and panel behind you — or join the Oxcel asset finance team nationwide with mentoring and structured support. Both include access to 170+ lenders and industry partners.

Can I write mortgages and asset finance together?

Yes. The Oxcel panel spans consumer and commercial asset finance, unsecured lending, and residential and commercial mortgages — so you keep the whole client instead of referring revenue away.

Data referenced: MFAA Quarterly Market Share Report compiled by Cotality (March 2026 quarter); industry commentary and estimates reported by Mortgage Professional Australia, Australian Broker and Broker Daily (2026). Figures were current at publication and can change at any time.