How to become an SMSF Super Star

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THE WORLD OF SMSFs is changing. Australia’s 1.2 million SMSF members1 represent an expanding, underserved segment of the market. As the pool of assets continues to grow, the SMSF market is maturing away from short-term speculation and increasingly skewing towards a younger cohort of property investors looking for flexible loan solutions. While the SMSF landscape has traditionally been dominated by older Australians, there’s been a recent shift towards younger investors, with those aged 35 to 44 accounting for 37% of new SMSF entrants in the June 2025 quarter.1 Brighten is targeting this upcoming generation of investors with its new range of residential and commercial SMSF loans.

Brighten is an Australian owned, based and regulated non-bank lender with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Manila. Brighten is a full-service non-bank lender, responsible for the origination, underwriting, servicing and funding of its mortgage portfolio. It has well-established warehouse-funding arrangements with multiple top-tier banks, three public RMBS programmes and multiple wholesale credit funds to provide further funding diversification. Brighten offers a range of competitive full-doc, alt-doc, expat, non-resident, bridging, construction, SMSF and commercial products to borrowers.

Chris Meaker, Brighten

The Brighten Super Star® loans feature competitive full-doc and alt-doc options with LVRs up to 80%, loan sizes up to $3 million and loan terms up to 30 years, with up to five years interest only. The Brighten Super Star® range gives brokers more ways to diversify their client bases and deliver tailored solutions to the $1 trillion SMSF market – $161.9 billion of which was invested in residential and non-residential property in Australia and overseas in the June 2025 quarter, an increase of $3.7 billion, or 2.3%, on March 2024 and a year-on-year increase of $7.7 billion, or 5.0%.2 Brighten head of sales and distribution Chris Meaker says Brighten’s new products reflect the changing nature of the SMSF market. “We’ve developed our new Brighten Super Star® range to provide flexible SMSF lending solutions for customers and brokers, with seamless online applications and approval processes via NextGen’s ApplyOnline®,” Meaker says.

“We’ve developed our new Brighten Super Star range to provide flexible SMSF lending solutions for customers and brokers, with seamless online applications and approval processes via NextGen’s ApplyOnline ”

“SMSF lending can involve a lot of red tape. So we’ve made it easy by removing barriers for brokers and borrowers, with no minimum asset test, no liquidity requirements, and individual trustees accepted”

Published 17 Nov 2025

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Brighten’s head of commercial lending Ben Mckell says the leading non-bank lender works closely with brokers to streamline the SMSF lending process and reduce the bureaucratic hurdles for property investors. “SMSF lending can involve a lot of red tape,” he says. “So we’ve made the process as easy as possible by removing the barriers for brokers and borrowers. “Whether it’s LRBAs or trusts, the sole purpose test or arm’s length rules, compliance is key when it comes to SMSF lending. So it pays to get your documentation lined up early as possible to smooth the way.” Brighten Super Star® loans provide brokers with different ways to structure loans for borrowers’ varying needs:

Seamless online applications, document upload and approval processes via ApplyOnline® No minimum asset test or liquidity requirements Backed by competitive rates

Mckell says the non-bank lender prides itself on being easy to deal with. “SMSF investors are increasingly growing their interest in commercial property, as they seek stability and yield as part of their SMSF investment mix. With our market-leading SLAs, minimal documentation requirements and simple servicing calculator, we’ve made it super easy to service your SMSF clients. “Unlike some competitors, we accept individual as well as corporate trustees, with no minimum asset test or liquidity requirements.” Brighten Super Star® loans are designed to help brokers better support their SMSF clients and grow their businesses, with fully assessed pre-approvals from an onshore credit team in Sydney delivering fast turnaround times, enabled by cutting-edge technology.

Breaking down barriers

Ben Mckell, Brighten

One-stop shop

Meaker says the Brighten Super Star® range means the non-bank lender now offers a full complement of loans. “Since launching in 2017, we’ve been continuously building our residential and commercial suite of products,” he says. “We now offer 15 different types of loan, with our diverse product range meaning we’re becoming a genuine one-stop shop for all brokers’ residential and commercial needs.” Brighten has recently increased loan sizes by up to $15 million to service the growing demand from high-income earners and property investors.

Brighten is also scaling up its SMSF service capabilities by adding specialists to its dedicated team of state-based BDMs, all of whom will be fully skilled up to help brokers diversify into the SMSF market.

Find out more

Brokers new to SMSF lending can face a steep learning curve when it comes to the rules and regulations, which are more complex than your standard residential or commercial loans:

SMSFs need to invest in real estate through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA), which can only be used for a single acquirable property asset The LRBA needs to be held in a bare or holding trust and the loan cannot be used to improve, renovate or maintain the property Members need to be aware of the sole purpose test, where the property needs to be purchased for the purpose of generating retirement benefits and cannot be lived in or rented by a fund member or related party And then there are the ATO’s arm’s length rules around commercial leasing arrangements that apply to SMSF properties

Flexible fund structures – individual or corporate Flexible lending – purchase or refinance; no loan-tier caps; alt-doc options for self-employed, full-doc with one-year financials for residential, two years for commercial; cat 1 and 2 properties accepted; up to six SMSF members Flexible investment strategies for residential and commercial – specialised securities accepted, such as boarding houses, childcare centres and rooming houses, and no annual reviews required for commercial

BRIGHTEN SUPER STAR® (SMSF loans)

$3m

MAX LOAN SIZE

LVR

<80%

MAX SMSF SIZE

6 members

MAX LOAN TERM

30 years

INTEREST ONLY

5 years

SMSFs in Australia with

653,062

AUSTRALIAN SMSF MARKET JUNE 2025

1,203,127

members2

$1.05 trn

37%

of new SMSF entrants aged 35-44 in the June 2025 quarter1

With commercial lending through brokers doubling since 2020, lenders are racing to provide the digital origination tools brokers need to capture growth opportunities

As the $1 trillion self-managed superannuation fund market matures, Brighten’s new commercial and residential range offers brokers more ways to diversify their client bases and deliver flexible, tailored loan solutions

total estimated assets of SMSFs in Australia2

1 HFB, The SMSF sector surges past $1 trillion – and younger Australians are leading the charge, 14 Sep 2025 2 Australian Taxation Office, SMSF quarterly statistical report June 2025 3 Australian Taxation Office, SMSF quarterly statistical report June 2025 4 HFB, The SMSF sector surges past $1 trillion – and younger Australians are leading the charge, 14 Sep 2025

From left: Chris Meaker, Ben Mckell