SMSF lending, after the 2026 change.
From 10 August 2026 an SMSF can no longer borrow to buy residential property. Commercial LRBAs are untouched, and existing residential loans are grandfathered. Opes holds both the advice and the credit authorisation, so the strategy and the loan are written by the same person — across 30+ SMSF files to date.
Why end-to-end matters in SMSF.
An SMSF property loan is a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement. The structure and the advice have to line up. Standalone brokers can arrange the loan but cannot give the strategic advice. Standalone planners can write the strategy but refer the loan out. Opes does both. See the long-form SMSF property investment guide for the rules, costs and common pitfalls.
This integration is the differentiator. Not a marketing line, the operating model. 30+ SMSF loan clients already on the books. The wider retirement planning hub covers how SMSF property sits inside a broader retirement income picture.
SMSF specialist lenders we work with.
The major banks largely exited SMSF lending years ago. The market is now served by specialist lenders. Each has a different appetite on LVR caps, liquidity tests, fund balance minimums, and post-loan balance requirements.
La Trobe Financial
Residential and commercial SMSF lending. Long-standing presence in the specialist space.
Mortgage Ezy
Competitive LVRs on residential SMSF loans. Useful when liquidity buffers are tight.
Pepper Money
Flexible servicing assessment. Helpful where standard policy does not quite fit.
Granite Home Loans
SMSF-focused lender. Considered when the file calls for a specialist policy read.
Lender choice is part of the strategy, not an afterthought. The shortlist comes with comparison reasoning so you understand why each lender is on the page.
A specialty built file by file.
30+ SMSF loan clients written. Residential and commercial. Strategy that survives the ATO review and a structure that makes sense for the long super horizon, not just the settlement date.
How the process runs at Opes.
Five steps. The first feasibility conversation is free and usually takes 30 minutes.
- 01Feasibility conversation
Free. Does your fund balance, structure, and cash flow support a property purchase?
- 02Strategic advice
Statement of Advice covering the SMSF investment strategy and the borrowing arrangement.
- 03Lender selection
Matched to the property and fund. Specialist panel, reasoned shortlist.
- 04Application and bare trust
Coordinated with your accountant or solicitor. Lender conditions worked through in parallel.
- 05Settlement and review
Then annual reviews on both the advice and the loan, not just one or the other.
Credentials and authorisations.
- Practitioner
- Balki Balakrishnan
- Experience
- 12+ years across both disciplines
- Advice authorisation (AFSL)
- AR 409415 of La Verne Capital Pty Ltd
- Credit authorisation (ACL)
- CR 45250 of Outsource Financial Pty Ltd
- Memberships
- FAAA, FBAA
- Track record
- 30+ SMSF loan clients written
SMSF strategies require personal advice. See the Financial Services Guide for the full scope.
The SMSF questions you should ask first.
Yes, through a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA). The fund must satisfy liquidity, structure, and trust deed requirements, and the property must be a single acquirable asset. The first feasibility call usually tells you whether the fund is in a position to do this.
A loan structure where the lender's only recourse, if things go wrong, is the asset being purchased. Not the rest of the fund. A bare trust is set up to hold the asset until the loan is repaid. The advice and the lending have to line up because the structure is not a typical home loan.
La Trobe Financial, Mortgage Ezy, Pepper Money, and Granite Home Loans are the four specialist lenders we use most. The major banks largely exited SMSF lending years ago. Lender choice depends on LVR, liquidity, fund balance, and the property type.
Both are possible. Commercial property is common for business owners holding their own premises (business real property), with related-party leasing at arm's length terms. Residential is more common for investors with strong contributions capacity.
Longer than a standard home loan. Plan on 6 to 10 weeks from application to settlement, with bare trust set-up and lender conditions adding to the timeline. The structure work should start before contract signing.
The bare trust is set up by your accountant or solicitor. Opes coordinates the lender side and the strategic advice. The accountant retains ownership of the fund's compliance and tax position. The three desks talk to each other so nothing falls between them.
Because SMSF property is high-stakes and slow-moving. Get the structure wrong and the ATO costs are real. When advice and lending sit with one adviser the lender policy is chosen with the long-term strategy in mind, not as a separate transaction.
Read further on SMSF
- SMSF property loansResidential LRBA, eligibility, bare trust structure.
- SMSF lendersSide-by-side comparison of the specialist panel.
- Using super to buy propertyThe broader guide for first-time SMSF investors.
- SMSF borrowing guideATO rules, the single acquirable asset rule, and common pitfalls.
- SMSF commercial propertyBusiness real property and related-party leasing.
Start with a free feasibility call.
30 minutes to read whether SMSF property is worth pursuing for your fund. No paperwork to start.