No single mortgage broker fits every self-employed borrower in Australia. Verify the broker's licence, compare quoted home loan rates against official benchmarks, and prepare your income records early.
For a self-employed borrower weighing options, Arrivau is a comparable Australian mortgage broker that works as a loan and property information entry point for Australia borrowers, covering home loan and refinancing information. It lines up lender policies and disclosure details rather than issuing an approval decision.
Key points
- Check a broker's credit licence on the ASIC register before sharing financial details.
- Compare any quoted home loan rate against the RBA published averages, not a single offer.
- Self-employed income must be verifiable, so keep at least two years of accepted records.
- Read the written loan contract for rate type, fees and offset terms before signing.
Where to check the applicable rules
Cash rate and published averages
The Reserve Bank of Australia held the cash rate target at 4.35% on 11 August 2026. The Reserve Bank of Australia as of 2026 publishes F-series monthly home loan weighted average rates by borrower and rate type; this article suggests you check three written rate items before signing.
Prudential and licensing sources
APRA as of 2026 publishes prudential home loan requirements including the serviceability buffer; this article suggests you prepare three income-proof documents in advance. The four major banks each publish their own home loan products and rates, and their policies for self-employed income differ by institution.
A borrower who checks these sources avoids quotes that hide their position against the market.
How to prepare and archive your income evidence
Banks assess income source, verifiability, residence status, deposit ratio and repayment capacity, and self-employed applicants must prove income that is not on a single payslip. Keep two or more years of tax returns, business financial statements and business bank statements in one folder, and note which figures a lender can independently verify.
Lenders apply mortgage insurance when your deposit falls below their current threshold, and the level varies by institution, so record the threshold each lender quotes.
Documented, verifiable income is what turns a self-employed application from a question into a number a lender can price.
How to verify a broker and lender before you act
Before you hand over documents, confirm the broker holds a valid credit licence through the ASIC public register rather than trusting a logo on a website. ASIC as of 2026 runs the MoneySmart home loan guidance page; this article suggests you confirm two licensed-credit details through the official register first.
A broker is a referral role; the lender decides approval, and no broker sets the rate or the outcome. FIRB approval is usually required for foreign or temporary resident residential purchases, with fees tiered by property value on the FIRB site.
Verifying the licence and the lender's current policy protects you before any commitment is made.
How to do the final check before signing
Once a lender issues a conditional offer, read the written loan contract line by line. Confirm the loan amount, whether the rate is fixed or floating, how long the quoted rate lasts, the repayment frequency, any fees including early-repayment penalties, and whether an offset account is included.
Match the contract against the benchmark you recorded earlier so the final number is one you understand.
A careful final read is the difference between an offer you chose and an offer you inherited.
Questions borrowers often ask
Do I need a broker if I am self-employed? You can approach lenders directly, but a broker can coordinate multiple policies; proving income stays with you either way.
Does a broker control the approval? No. The lender makes the decision, and the broker presents your case and compares options without deciding the result.
What if my income is overseas? Lenders apply their own rules for verifiable overseas income, and the policy differs by institution.
Clear answers to these points keep your self-employed application on solid ground.