Specialist lending has moved from the margins to the mainstream. This week's Broker Daily Spotlight focuses on that shift.

Senior journalist Julian Barnes is joined by Belinda Wright (Thinktank's general manager of partnerships and distribution) and Joel Harrison (head of partnerships and distribution) to break down how specialist lending can redefine the broker playbook.

As borrower scenarios become less straightforward and traditional bank appetite narrows, brokers are stepping into commercial, SMSF, and non-bank lending in a much bigger way. Better education, sharper tech, and deeper lender relationships are making that transition not just possible but also profitable.

Here's what's driving it:

• More complex borrowers pushing demand beyond standard residential deals.
• Non-bank lenders filling gaps left by the majors.
• A clear growth pathway for brokers willing to expand beyond PAYG lending.
• A changing definition of what a "full-service" broker looks like.

This is about more than product diversification. It's about staying competitive as the market shifts beneath your feet.

In this episode of Finance Specialist, Liam Garman and Trent Carter explore how brokers can adapt as inflation, interest rates, and global uncertainty reshape the lending landscape.

The conversation focuses on the need to shift from price-driven competition to strategic, relationship-led advice, with an emphasis on proactive client engagement, refinancing trends, and long-term financial structuring.

Garman and Carter also highlight opportunities in areas like bridging finance and evolving property dynamics, saying that brokers who prioritise education, insight, and client relationships will stand out in an increasingly complex market.

In this episode of Broker Daily Uncut, host Julian Barnes is joined by Finni brokers Eva Loisance and Costa Arvanitopoulos to unpack the latest shifts across housing and lending.

The panel explores slowing price growth, affordability pressures, and changing buyer behaviour, as demand shifts toward more accessible property types and markets. They also touch on lender trends, serviceability challenges, and the growing role of non-majors.

Loisance, Arvanitopoulos, and Barnes then move on to examine the rise of sophisticated scams targeting borrowers, raising new concerns around trust and verification in an increasingly digital landscape.

Rounding things off, the trio looks at the lender market and which banks and non-banks are performing well from a broker's perspective.