Martin Place mortgage broker
Martin Place mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Martin Place.
The place most of our city clients work rather than live, which means appointments outside office hours and a purchase somewhere else entirely. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Martin Place
What the Martin Place market actually looks like
History of Martin Place
Cut through from George Street to Pitt Street around the General Post Office in the 1890s, and extended eastward in stages until it reached Macquarie Street in the 1970s. It was closed to traffic and became a pedestrian plaza, and the Cenotaph has stood at the George Street end since 1927. The Metro station opened in 2024.
Martin Place property market
Barely a residential market at all. This is the financial centre, home to the Reserve Bank, the Australian Securities Exchange, the GPO and the head offices of several major banks. Apartments sit in the streets around it rather than on the plaza itself, in the towers along Castlereagh, Phillip and Bligh Streets and further towards Circular Quay and Hyde Park.
Martin Place property prices
Where housing does exist nearby it is apartments, and prices reflect the address rather than the floor area. What people who work here actually buy is usually somewhere else, from the harbourside precincts a few minutes away to the inner west, the north shore and the beaches. The commute shapes the search more than the price does.
Borrowing in Martin Place
Most conversations here start with income rather than property. Bonuses, share plans, commission and bank staff arrangements all get treated differently by different lenders, and that difference decides the number more than the rate ever will. Several professions can also have mortgage insurance waived, which is worth confirming before you set a deposit target.
Martin Place is one of the areas we cover across the Sydney CBD, and the one where most people work rather than live.
Bonus or share
income in the mix?
Lenders count these very differently. Getting it presented properly is usually what decides the number.
Your broker
Meet Ali Hasani
Ali Hasani is the founder of Buyvest. He has worked in home loans for more than ten years, a lot of it at Commonwealth Bank. We meet clients face to face, or by phone, Zoom and Teams, at night and on weekends as well as work hours. We take your loan to 35+ lenders, compare the numbers, and show you the options. Ali is an MFAA accredited broker with a Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management and a Post Graduate in Accounting.
Cannot get away
during work hours?
We run appointments by phone, Zoom or Teams, weekday evenings until nine and on weekends.
Client stories
How we helped
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
No insurance, no guarantor.
They came in expecting to ask their parents to guarantee the loan, because they had a ten per cent deposit and assumed that was the only route. We looked at what they did for a living and worked through which lenders treat that occupation differently. One of them waived the mortgage insurance entirely, so we wrote the loan without a guarantor. They bought with savings intact and nobody put a second property on the line.
Paying it out moved the tier.
A study debt was costing them more than the balance suggested, because it reduced the income counted as available and pushed them into a bracket where the lender would advance less. Clearing it took them over the line into a considerably better arrangement, and the saving across the life of the loan was far larger than the debt itself. Nobody had put those two numbers side by side for them before.
Their savings never moved.
They wanted an investment property and assumed a second deposit had to be saved first. We reviewed the loan on the place they already owned, moved it to sharper pricing and released equity in the same application. That equity covered the deposit and the costs on the purchase, so the savings account stayed where it was. Because structure affects tax, they worked that side through with their accountant.
These are past client stories, with details changed for privacy. Your own result depends on your situation and what the lender decides.
Free guides
What to know before you buy
Three free guides covering how a Martin Place purchase actually runs, from pre-approval to settlement.
Home loan pre-approval
What it covers, and how long it lasts.
Read the guide
Choosing a home loan
Fixed, variable, offset and redraw.
Read the guide
Settlement day
What has to be ready before then.
Read the guide
Read the free guides in the Loan Vault to know how the home buying process works in NSW.
What we do
Home loans for every Martin Place plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
Learn more
Investment property
Learn more
Refinancing
Learn more
Construction loans
Learn more
Bridging loans
Learn more
Guarantor loans
Learn more
No LMI and waived LMI
Learn more
Self employed home loans
Learn more
Not sure where to start? See what a mortgage broker actually does.
When did you last
check your rate?
We compare your current home loan against 35+ lenders. If a refinance saves you money we will show you the numbers, and if it does not we will tell you that too.
Your job matters
Home loans by profession
Some lenders drop lenders mortgage insurance for certain jobs, and a great many of those jobs are done in this part of the city. The lists and the limits differ from one lender to the next, so it is worth checking where yours sits.
Home loans for
Doctors
Learn more
Home loans for
Dentists
Learn more
Home loans for
Accountants
Learn more
Home loans for
Lawyers
Learn more
Not sure if your job is on a list? See No LMI and waived LMI home loans, or ask us and we will check every lender on our panel.
Plan ahead
Run the numbers
Free tools that show you where you stand right now.
How it works
Three steps to your loan
1
Financial health check
2
Get pre-approved
3
Settle, then stay in touch
Client reviews
5.0 ★★★★★ on Google
Reviews from clients across Sydney.
★★★★★
"Cannot recommend Ali highly enough. He made a complicated and daunting process incredibly easy, and continually went above and beyond. Would absolutely recommend him to everyone."
★★★★★
"Ali is super knowledgeable, reasonable and personable! He will be realistic with what is possible but always find you the best deal whilst making you feel looked after."
★★★★★
"Ali was very professional and was able to help with our complicated loans to refinance. He kept us up to date throughout the process and made sure my wife and I understood everything before signing and that we had no issues after settlement."
FAQ
Martin Place questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker if I work at Martin Place?
Because your income is probably more complicated than a salary, and lenders treat complicated income very differently from one another. We compare 35+ lenders at no cost to you, prepare the application so the income is presented properly, and manage it through to settlement outside your working hours. Brokers also work under a legal obligation called the Best Interests Duty.
How is bonus income treated?
It depends heavily on the lender. Some will count a portion of a bonus where there is a consistent history behind it, some average it across two years, and some will not count it at all. The differences are large enough to change what you can borrow substantially. Two years of payment summaries and a letter from your employer usually give you the best chance of it being recognised.
What about share plans and equity as part of my package?
Vested shares, rights and similar arrangements are treated more cautiously than cash salary, and lenders vary considerably in whether they count them and at what discount. Where a large part of your package sits in that form, the choice of lender matters more than the rate. It is worth working out which lenders recognise your particular arrangement before an application goes anywhere.
I am paid partly on commission. Does that count?
Usually yes, with a history behind it. Most lenders want to see it over a period rather than a single strong year, and they may average it or apply a discount. If your commission varies a lot year to year, the lender that averages over a longer period will generally produce a better outcome than one taking the most recent figure alone.
Do bank staff get different treatment?
Working for a lender does not automatically change how another lender assesses you, though your own employer may offer staff arrangements worth comparing against the open market. It is worth doing that comparison rather than assuming the staff rate wins, because a sharper rate elsewhere can outweigh a discount, particularly once features like offset are taken into account.
Which professions can avoid mortgage insurance?
A number of occupations qualify for a waiver with selected lenders, and the lists commonly include medical, legal, accounting and finance roles. Which lenders offer it, which occupations they include and how much they will advance all differ and change over time. Given how many people working in this precinct are on one list or another, it is worth having checked rather than assumed.
What is lenders mortgage insurance anyway?
A one off premium charged when you borrow more than eighty per cent of what a property is worth, and it protects the lender rather than you. It can usually be added to the loan instead of paid separately. Besides a professional waiver, a twenty per cent deposit removes it, as can a family guarantee or the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme if you are eligible.
How much deposit do I actually need?
Twenty per cent avoids mortgage insurance, and plenty of buyers proceed with less and pay it instead. Where a professional waiver applies you may need considerably less without paying anything. If you already own, equity generally does the job of cash. The useful order is establishing what you can borrow first, then working back to the deposit rather than the other way round.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme?
It depends on where you are buying rather than where you work. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme lets an eligible first home buyer purchase with a 5% deposit and pay no lenders mortgage insurance, with Housing Australia guaranteeing the gap to 20%. There is a property price cap, so it works in some parts of Sydney and not others. We can tell you where it fits your search.
How does a guarantor loan work?
A family member offers part of the equity in their property as extra security behind your loan. They make none of your repayments and no money changes hands. Most are limited guarantees covering a defined portion rather than their whole home. Worth knowing is that a professional waiver sometimes removes the need for one entirely, so it is worth checking that first.
How long does pre-approval last?
Usually around ninety days, renewable with updated payslips and statements. It tells you what a lender will consider based on your position so you can look with a real figure. It is not approval on a particular property. Each formal application also leaves a record on your credit file, so it is better to prepare one properly than lodge several speculatively.
What reduces my borrowing capacity?
Credit card limits regardless of the balance, existing loan repayments, ongoing commitments and dependants. Study and personal debts count too. Lenders also test whether you could repay at a rate well above the one you will pay. Reducing or closing facilities you no longer use often makes more difference than the rate you eventually get.
Does a study debt matter?
It does, because the compulsory repayment reduces the income a lender counts as available, and that can be enough to move you into a bracket where less is advanced. Whether clearing it makes sense depends on the balance against what it unlocks. It is worth putting the two numbers side by side rather than assuming either way.
What is an offset account?
An everyday account linked to your loan, where the balance is deducted before interest is calculated. Money sitting there reduces the interest you pay while remaining fully accessible. It suits people who hold a working balance, and it suits anyone paid partly in irregular lump sums. Loans with an offset can carry a slightly higher rate or annual fee, so it depends on the balance you keep.
Offset or redraw?
Offset money stays in your own account and never becomes part of the loan. Redraw money has already gone into the loan as extra repayments and comes back out under rules the lender can change. Offset gives you cleaner control, which matters if your income arrives unevenly. Redraw generally sits on simpler loans at a lower rate.
Where is the best place to park a bonus?
An offset account is the usual answer, because the money reduces your interest immediately while staying available if you need it. Paying it directly onto the loan reduces the balance but the funds are then only accessible through redraw, on the lender terms. Which suits depends on whether you may want the money back, and it is worth deciding before the bonus lands rather than after.
Fixed or variable?
Fixing sets your repayment for an agreed period, which some people prefer when income is variable and outgoings need to be predictable. You forgo the benefit if rates fall. Variable moves with the market and normally keeps an offset and unlimited extra repayments. Fixed loans commonly cap extra repayments, which matters if you intend to put bonuses against the loan.
Can I split the loan?
Yes, and most lenders allow it without extra cost. A split divides the borrowing into portions carrying different rates or terms, so you might fix one part for certainty and leave another variable with an offset attached. For someone paid partly in lump sums that combination is genuinely useful. Lenders rarely raise it, so it is worth asking about.
Interest only or principal and interest?
Principal and interest reduces the balance and costs less across the loan. Interest only keeps the repayment lower for a period without touching what you owe, so the debt is unchanged when the period ends and the repayment steps up. It is used far more on investment lending than on a home, where the tax side belongs with your accountant.
Can I make extra repayments?
On a variable loan, usually without limit, and it compounds because every extra dollar reduces the interest charged from that day. Fixed loans normally cap what you can pay ahead each year, with a fee once you exceed it. If you plan to put bonuses against the loan, check that cap before fixing rather than discovering it afterwards.
When is refinancing worth looking at?
Whenever a couple of years have gone by without comparing, because lenders reserve their sharper pricing for new customers and the gap widens quietly. It is also worth a look when a fixed term ends, when your loan has come down under eighty per cent of the value, or when your income arrangements have changed enough that a different lender would read them better.
What does refinancing cost?
Generally a few hundred dollars to around a thousand. Your current lender charges a discharge fee, there are government fees to move the mortgage, and the incoming lender may charge settlement or valuation fees, though many waive them. Break costs on a fixed rate get checked before anything else so the comparison is honest.
Does my loan term reset when I refinance?
It does unless you ask otherwise, because refinances default to a fresh thirty year term. That makes the repayment look smaller while quietly adding years of interest and handing back the progress you have made. Ask for the remaining term instead. No lender raises this for you, so it needs requesting every time you move.
Can I buy my next home before selling this one?
Yes. Bridging finance funds the new purchase while the current property is on the market, and the sale clears it at settlement. Or, where the equity and your income allow, you release equity from the existing property to fund the purchase and sell afterwards without a deadline pressing on the price you accept.
Should I keep my current place and rent it out?
Worth pricing against selling rather than deciding on instinct. The questions are whether your income supports both loans once part of the rent counts, and whether equity can be released without a sale. Keeping a former home also changes its tax treatment, so that conversation belongs with your accountant before anything is settled.
Can equity fund an investment purchase?
Yes, and for people on a strong city income it is often the quicker route than saving again. Equity drawn from a property you already own covers the deposit and the purchase costs, leaving your savings where they are. You finish with two loans, each secured by its own property. Keeping them apart rather than bundled protects your options later, and your accountant should look at the structure first.
How much of the rent will a lender count?
A portion rather than all of it. Expected rent is discounted for vacancy, management and running costs, with the amount varying between lenders, and the loan is assessed at a rate above the one you actually pay. That is why a rental appraisal and the figure a lender works from are two different numbers.
I work here but I am buying elsewhere. Is that a problem?
Not at all, and it is what most of our city clients are doing. Where you work has no bearing on where we can help you buy. What does matter is the property itself, and that varies by area and by building. Tell us where you are looking and we will check what the lenders on our panel will do with it.
Do we have to meet in person?
No, and for people working in the city that is usually the point. Everything runs by phone, Zoom or Teams, with documents shared and signed electronically, so nothing has to happen during your working day. If you would rather meet face to face we come to you, including evenings and weekends.
Should I use my bank or a mortgage broker?
A bank offers its own loans under its own rules, including how it treats bonuses, share plans and commission. If theirs is the strict version you get a smaller number, and nobody there has to mention that another lender reads the same income differently. We compare 35+ lenders first, at $0 cost to you.
Your Martin Place mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Martin Place sits at the centre of the city, with the harbour precincts a short walk north and the rest of the centre around it. Sydney surrounds it, Circular Quay is north and Barangaroo north west on the waterfront, with Haymarket and Chinatown to the south. Across the bridge sit Kirribilli, Milsons Point, McMahons Point and North Sydney, with Balmain west up the harbour Newtown south west and Neutral Bay across the water. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.