Changes come shortly after Sydney-based non-bank lender celebrates 20th birthday
Thinktank has announced a raft of policy changes across its residential and commercial ranges in response to greater demand for flexibility from brokers and their clients.
The Sydney-based non-bank lender has raised its standard residential loan limit to $5 million per security, increased commercial loan limits and reduced documentation requirements for self-employed borrowers. The policy changes took effect on 10 November 2026.
Standard residential loans of up to $5 million per security are now available at a 75% loan-to-value ratio (LVR) in metro and extended metro locations. The previous limit was $3.5 million at 65% LVR. Residential aggregate exposure limits have risen to $10 million across eligible securities.
The lender has also lifted its maximum LVR for eligible high-density and inner-city apartments to 80% for loans up to $2 million. It has removed its 10-storey restriction on off-the-plan properties and expanded eligibility to include larger landholdings and smaller residential properties.
Self-employed and commercial changes
Under revised full doc requirements, eligible self-employed borrowers with at least 24 months of Australian Business Number (ABN) history can provide one year of tax returns and an Australian Taxation Office notice of assessment, rather than two years. The change applies to both residential and commercial lending.
“One of the more meaningful changes is the ability to assess eligible self-employed borrowers using one year of financial information. We recognise that business income and financial circumstances can change considerably over time, and this provides a more practical assessment pathway for borrowers with an established trading history,” said Belinda Wright (pictured), general manager sales at Thinktank.
In commercial lending, the standard commercial loan limit has increased from $4 million to $5 million at 70% LVR under standard pricing. This covers eligible metro full doc, mid doc, lease doc and self-managed super fund (SMSF) transactions.
Specialised security lending now extends across full doc, mid doc, lease doc, quick doc and SMSF products, with the maximum loan raised to $3 million. Eligibility now covers locations with populations above 20,000, down from a previous minimum of 50,000. Self-storage facilities are accepted across all commercial documentation types at up to 75% LVR.
“These changes represent a substantial expansion of our lending capability across both residential and commercial property finance, providing brokers with more options to support clients whose borrowing requirements may not always align with traditional lending settings,” Wright said.
The changes come shortly after Thinktank’s 20th anniversary and $10 billion milestone. Co-founder and chief executive Jonathan Street has reflected on how two decades of specialist non-bank lending shaped the business. In MPA’s Brokers on Non-Banks 2026 survey, Thinktank ranked fourth overall and took bronze for credit policy.
“Having worked exclusively with brokers for 20 years, we place considerable value on the feedback and insights they share with us. These enhancements are another example of how that collaboration continues to shape our offering,” Wright said.
