“Franchising allows a business to grow in a way that everyone’s advancing in the same direction”

Ryan Gair, Rate Money

In Partnership with

Franchise model empowers brokers with tailored solutions

Rate Money offers brokers a distinct advantage with market-leading products for self-employed borrowers, a collaborative franchise model and a network that drives growth and new opportunities

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Ryan Gair

Rate Money

Jehan Abay

Rate Money Cremorne

Julie Lawrence

Rate Money Logan

Alistair MacIntosh

Rate Money Randwick

Industry experts

Founded in 2019 to fill a gap in the lending market, Rate Money has quickly carved out a space serving the underserved self-employed market, offering innovative solutions that bypass the hurdles of traditional banking. The mortgage manager is quietly transforming how brokers support self-employed clients through tailored lending products and a collaborative franchise model that empowers franchisees to navigate the complexities of these borrowers’ financial structures.

For brokers looking to redefine their career, the Rate Money franchise model presents a wealth of opportunities. With a proven business framework, strong market presence, excellent back-office support and comprehensive training programs, franchisees are equipped with everything needed to succeed. Rate Money’s commitment extends beyond just training – the company offers all-round support across sales, operations, marketing, compliance and ongoing development to ensure every franchisee thrives in a competitive landscape. With Rate Money’s rapid expansion, including a recent launch in Queensland, franchisees benefit from a network that drives growth, delivers innovative marketing solutions and fosters continuous learning and business success.

For decades, the lending market in Australia has catered predominantly to PAYG borrowers, leaving self-employed individuals – arguably the backbone of the nation’s economy – struggling to find financing options that suit their needs. “Small and medium businesses are the engine room of this country,” says Jehan Abay, branch principal at Rate Money Cremorne. “But nobody has really marketed properly to this segment of the market.” Rate Money fills this gap by understanding the unique financial landscapes of self-employed individuals, such as complex income structures and irregular earnings, and providing specialist knowledge to handle these situations.

Australian Broker recently met with chief executive Ryan Gair and a group of Rate Money franchisees at Cafe Sydney to discuss the benefits of working with the mortgage manager, including its focus on collaboration and growth, as well as the challenges and opportunities in both today’s market and over the longer term. With over $10 billion settled in loans and a growing network, the company is expanding in a market hungry for personalised, flexible solutions – and providing a solid foundation for franchisees to continue building their own businesses with confidence.

As an award-winning home loan provider specialising in self-employed lending, Rate Money has achieved remarkable success with a widespread presence spanning 40 franchises nationwide. Settling over $10 billion in settlements in just under six years, Rate Money stands out for its market-leading product innovations, particularly in eliminating clawbacks, application fees, valuation fees and risk fees for self-employed Alt doc customers. This bold move underscores Rate Money's unwavering commitment to addressing the unique needs of this often-overlooked demographic. Driven by a vision of continuous improvement, Rate Money remains dedicated to enhancing the customer experience by streamlining processes and delivering tailored solutions that cater to the specific requirements of self-employed individuals. Rate Money has earned a reputation as a trusted industry partner through its innovative approach and relentless dedication to customer satisfaction. As it continues to expand its reach and influence, Rate Money remains firmly committed to providing cutting-edge solutions that empower self-employed individuals on their financial journey. With a firm focus on innovation, Rate Money is poised to remain a leader in the financial services landscape for years to come.

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An accomplished mortgage industry leader with over 17 years of experience, Ryan Gair has been CEO at Rate Money for five years. He previously served as state sales manager at AFM and spent nine years at RAMS – six as a loan writer and three as the branch principal of a franchise, where he led one of the network’s top-performing branches, settling $1.8 billion in a three-year period.

Rate Money

Ryan Gair

Jehan Abay has over 20 years of experience in financial services, working with renowned brands such as American Express, HSBC, Allco Finance Group, Resi Mortgages and RAMS. He transitioned into broking in 2016, quickly becoming a leading loan writer at RAMS before owning his own brokerage firm. In 2022, he joined Rate Money as the branch principal in Cremorne. A resident of the Mosman region for 15 years, Abay is deeply involved in his local community. He brings valuable expertise from his investment banking days, particularly in securitisation and non-bank funding. He holds an MBA from Western Sydney University and a Diploma in Mortgage Finance and Mortgage Broking Management.

Rate Money Cremorne

Jehan Abay

With over 30 years in the finance industry, Julie Lawrence has dedicated her career to helping clients achieve their financial goals. As the owner of a Rate Money franchise, she’s leveraged her extensive expertise to provide tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of each client. Lawrence’s journey includes a successful 10-year tenure as the owner of a RAMS franchise, where she honed her skills in business management and client relations. She also worked for over 13 years at NAB in roles such as branch manager and mobile mortgage manager. Recognised with numerous awards for high performance and exceptional service, Lawrence prides herself on building lasting relationships with clients, always prioritising their needs. She is passionate about empowering individuals and businesses to navigate their financial journeys with confidence.

Rate Money Logan

Julie Lawrence

Alistair MacIntosh joined Rate Money Randwick as branch principal in August 2023, seamlessly transitioning his team, referrers and clients from his previous RAMS franchise, where he worked for five years. Prior to this role, he held various positions at prominent financial services institutions, including ANZ Bank, Macquarie Bank and BOQ. With 30 years of experience working across small business, private, institutional and investment banking, MacIntosh specialises in solutions for the self-employed and has expertise in both simple and complex lending. His career is characterised by launching new businesses and strategies, which have honed his collaboration and engagement skills. MacIntosh understands that every client’s situation is unique and works closely with lenders to deliver tailored, outcome-based solutions.

Rate Money Randwick

Alistair MacIntosh

In Partnership with

Fighting for the customer

The customer owned a bank saw a huge boost after the Hayne Royal Commission. One year on and their market share is growing as customer continue to see their value.

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Industry experts

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Bank Australia

Fernando Lemos

Beyond Bank

Darren McLeod

Heritage Bank

Stewart Saunders

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

In Partnership with

Fighting for the customer

The customer owned a bank saw a huge boost after the Hayne Royal Commission. One year on and their market share is growing as customer continue to see their value.

Read on

Industry experts

Beyond Bank

Darren McLeod

Heritage Bank

Stewart Saunders

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

Bank Australia

Fernando Lemos

Helping brokers serve the self-employed market

Published 10 Mar 2025

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Australian Broker Talk

Resources

Sector Focus

Power Panel

Independent Feature

Executive Team Profile

Exclusive Leader Profile

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Business Focus

Big Deal

Premium Content

Technology

Reverse Mortgages

Investment Loans

Specialist Lending

SME

Commercial

Specialty

Best In Mortgage

News

RSS

Sitemap

About us

Conditions of Use

Terms & conditions

People

Firms

Advertising

Authors

E-newsletter

Australian Broker Talk

Events

White papers

Webinar

Australian Broker Talk

Resources

Sector Focus

Power Panel

Independent Feature

Executive Team Profile

Exclusive Leader Profile

Business Update

Business Focus

Big Deal

Premium Content

Technology

Reverse Mortgages

Investment Loans

Specialist Lending

SME

Commercial

Specialty

Best In Mortgage

News

RSS

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About us

Conditions of Use

Terms & conditions

People

Firms

Sandeep Singh

Rate Money Craigieburn

Sandeep Singh is an experienced mortgage professional and branch principal at Rate Money Craigieburn, leading a team dedicated to providing exceptional lending services to Australia’s self-employed. With over five years in the industry, including roles as franchise principal at RAMS and principal broker at Loan Waves, Singh has helped hundreds of clients achieve their financial goals. He holds a Diploma in Mortgage Brokering from AAMC Training Group and is passionate about delivering personalised solutions, fostering strong relationships and empowering both clients and teams to succeed.

Rate Money Craigieburn

Sandeep Singh

“We’ve gained significant traction … over the past five years, our franchisees, the broker market and our customers have done an exceptional job to grow the business,” says Gair. Rate Money’s franchise model offers numerous advantages for brokers, including access to a range of tailored, cost-effective products such as its exclusive Alt Doc options. These solutions come without application, valuation or risk fees, allowing brokers to secure lending for a wider client base and enhance their market leadership. For those already working with Rate Money, the benefits include fast, efficient approvals, award-winning service and deep expertise. Franchisees also enjoy the flexibility of being self-employed – a significant draw for many in the industry – and an average franchisee settles $7.4 million per month.

“We take the time to understand the customer’s financial structure – where they are now, where they need to be, and how to interpret all that information”

Jehan Abay, Rate Money Cremorne

“I reached out to franchisees I’d never spoken to before. They took my calls, answered my questions and helped me … This is a big point of difference”

Julie Lawrence, Rate Money Logan

The complexity of serving self-employed clients requires a deep understanding of their unique financial landscapes. Alistair MacIntosh, branch principal at Rate Money Randwick, explains: “No two situations are exactly the same, and businesses often require specialist knowledge to handle applications. This includes reviewing financial statements, understanding how companies interact with investment properties, and navigating different ownership structures.” The segment is often overlooked by traditional banks, partly because these borrowers frequently lack the documentation required by conventional lenders, making them a challenging demographic for brokers. While the self-employed sector has a reputation for being a niche market, it's also one that is growing quickly. “We take the time to understand the customer’s financial structure – where they are now, where they need to be, and how to interpret all that information. This can be challenging for the average mortgage broker who typically deals with mums and dads on PAYG incomes,” says Abay. Julie Lawrence, branch principal at Rate Money Logan, emphasises her personal and professional reasons for joining Rate Money. “My husband and I have both been self-employed for the last 20 years, so I understand the need for self-employed people to have solutions designed with their unique circumstances and situation in mind.”

“Rate Money is a solutions-based vendor. We’re here to find solutions. If we can’t immediately find one that suits a client’s needs, we have the toolkit to explore other avenues”

Alistair MacIntosh, Rate Money Randwick

Founded with a clear vision of supporting self-employed professionals, Rate Money has developed a suite of specialised products designed to address the unique needs of business owners. “We built Rate Money around the self-employed sector,” Gair explains. “This is one of the key reasons for us setting up Rate Money … we found that when it came to alt-doc, certain lenders would do certain things, but another lender wouldn’t. It was all very confusing on who would actually write the alt-doc loan, and then who had a risk fee, who didn’t have a risk fee and whose risk fee was the highest at that month, and who had a special.”

Tailored products that deliver

By eliminating these complexities, Rate Money has created a transparent model. “We were the first in the market to do this, so now when a customer walks into a Rate Money branch, they know two things: firstly, that they’re going to find a suite of products that actually suit their needs, and secondly, that the product won’t come with any exorbitant fees. It’s about building engagement with people who truly understand and meet their financial needs.” This customer-centric approach has yielded impressive results. To date, Rate Money has written $10 billion in loans for over 15,000 self-employed customers, with consistent year-on-year growth of 30%. MacIntosh highlights the practical benefits of the products offered by Rate Money: “We have our own niche products, specialist products, squarely aimed at the self-employed space. A lot of my clients are self-employed – the vast majority of them are – and it’s great to be part of a business that is really focused on helping self-employed clients, whether that be on a full-doc or a low-doc basis.” Having access to such products and supporting technology helps Rate Money franchisees stay ahead of the game as they cater to an ever-growing variety of customers. “These tools and processes are really valuable for supporting growth and are some of the benefits of being part of the Rate Money franchise,” says MacIntosh. It also makes it easy to provide good service. “In my experience, if you look after your clients and provide them with the best customer service, then they’ll probably send you two or more customers,” says Rate Money Craigieburn branch principal Sandeep Singh. “At the end of the day, if you understand their needs and work on meeting those needs, then you develop trust, which gives them more time to focus on their own business.”

The lending market is challenging, with high interest rates, digital competition and shifting consumer preferences. However, Rate Money provides brokers with the resources and support needed to thrive. “We’ve had high interest rates, we’ve had increases in inflation and cost of living, and we’ve also got a shortage in housing supply in Sydney,” says Abay. “I think the three of those factors have just made the broking industry a lot more challenging.” Singh adds that the Victoria market has underperformed as of late. “The Victorian market is pretty slow at the moment, and there are so many houses, and pretty much you will

Navigating challenges in the lending market

“The head office staff are really approachable. Any time I’ve had an issue, big or small, I didn’t hesitate to contact them … they really helped me grow in the first five to six months”

Sandeep Singh, Rate Money Craigieburn

[only see first-time buyers] buying property. You don’t see any investors,” he says. Of the buyers that are out there, a large proportion are not locals. “It’s a great opportunity for interstate first home buyers; they are moving to buy a property which is probably $50,000 less or $100,000 less than in their own states,” says Singh.' Digital platforms have further complicated the situation. “Brokers are facing tough competition from digital platforms,” says Lawrence. “More people are turning to online applications, looking just for a low rate. I think [with] higher interest rates, stricter lending rules, it may be harder for brokers to secure loans for their clients.” MacIntosh identifies another challenge: the increasing reliance of banks on proprietary channels, often at the expense of brokers. “Speaking about the broker industry as a whole, one of the emerging challenges that we’re seeing is the conflict between banks’ proprietary channels,” he says. “Yet consumers are overwhelmingly voting with their feet. Despite over 70% choosing to use a broker … we’re seeing some participants in the industry move away or challenge the broker industry.”

MacIntosh provides additional insight into these challenges: “We’re seeing the most competition from the smaller banks and the non-banks that are supporting broker channels and making it easier for brokers to choose their product through competitive pricing, better service, great products and features.” But Rate Money provides the leadership needed to meet these challenges. “Ultimately, Rate Money is a solutions-based vendor. We’re here to find solutions. If we can’t immediately find one that suits a client’s needs, we have the toolkit to explore other avenues,” says McIntosh. One example of how Rate Money goes further for self-employed borrowers is its white label products, which put an extra arrow in the quiver for brokers partnering with Rate Money.

“We’re having to be a lot more creative,” says Abay. “Because we’ve got access to our own white label products, as well as the banks’, we’re able to give customers a little bit more … Rate Money’s directors continue to work with our white label partners and funders, pushing them to improve the product offerings ... this means we have self-employed products that I’d say are on par, or better, than bank standards.”

Unlike traditional broker networks, Rate Money fosters collaboration among franchisees, creating a culture of shared growth. “Franchising allows a business to grow in a way that everyone’s advancing in the same direction,” says Gair. Franchisees benefit from support not only from head office but also from each other, creating a network that enhances their success. For franchisees, this collaborative spirit has been a game changer. “The head office staff are really approachable,” says Singh, a recent addition to the network. “Any time I’ve had an issue, big or small, I didn’t hesitate to contact them … they really helped me grow in the first five to six months – it was a really good start.” Abay agrees on the ease of accessibility to in-house expertise. “We have direct access to anyone in head office or the directors themselves whenever we need advice or need to resolve any issues,” he says. Lawrence emphasises the value of support within the network. “I really liked the level of collaboration within the network, as Ryan said, not only head office but other franchisees,” she says. “I reached out to franchisees I’d never spoken to before,” says Lawrence, who is another recent addition to the network. “They took my calls, answered my questions and helped me … This is a big point of difference from where I’ve come from and a great advantage over other broker networks.” Gair sees this kind of cooperation among franchisees all the time. “Franchisees give each other advice about solutions for different situations. That allows not just us at head office to be able to come up with ideas, but collectively as a group we can come up with great ideas and then push that out to everybody in the network so everyone benefits,” he says.

A collaborative franchising model

As the Rate Money network expands, franchisees are identifying opportunities in underserved markets. Queensland, in particular, has emerged as a hotspot for growth.

Opportunities in underserved markets

“As interest rates start to come down and consumer confidence returns, construction will stabilise, and we’ll see affordability improve, leading to more house growth. That’s the ultimate aim,” says Gair. Areas such as construction loans will be lifted by a likely looser monetary policy from the Reserve Bank of Australia in future. The four major banks expect the RBA to begin cutting rates some time in the first half of 2025.

Source: MFAA quarterly survey

Apr–Jun 2020

Apr–Jun 2022

Apr–Jun 2024

July–Sep 2024

Mortgage broker market share snapshot

Proportion of new home loans written by mortgage brokers

80 70 60 50

57.0%

68.0%

73.7%

74.6%

Reserve Bank of Australia cash rate target

18 Feb 2025

-0.25

4.10

10 Dec 2024

0.00

4.35

6 Nov 2024

0.00

4.35

25 Sep 2024

0.00

4.35

7 Aug 2024

0.00

4.35

19 Jun 2024

0.00

4.35

8 May 2024

0.00

4.35

20 Mar 2024

0.00

4.35

7 Feb 2024

0.00

4.35

6 Dec 2023

0.00

4.35

8 Nov 2023

+0.25

4 Oct 2023

0.00

4.10

6 Sep 2023

0.00

4.10

2 Aug 2023

0.00

4.10

5 Jul 2023

0.00

4.10

7 Jun 2023

+0.25

4.10

3 May 2023

+0.25

3.85

CHANGE

DATE

CASH RATE TARGET

“I think Queensland has huge growth potential for self-employed because … there’s nobody really heavily marketing to the self-employed client,” says Lawrence. “So for me, that’s a great opportunity for myself and Rate Money.” Gair agrees, highlighting the state’s demographic fit and further growth opportunities. “[Queensland] has been an area that we’ve been trying to open up in for quite a fair amount of time,” he says. “We also see big growth opportunities in both capital cities and regional hubs across the country.” Commercial lending and construction loans are also emerging as promising sectors. “Commercial lending presents a huge opportunity,” Gair explains. “There’s increasing demand for buying commercial property through self-managed super funds, and our enhanced product offerings can now cater to a wider range of self-employed customers.” Areas such as construction loans will be lifted by a likely looser monetary policy from the Reserve Bank of Australia in future. The four major banks expect the RBA to begin cutting rates some time in the first half of 2025.

Source: RBA

4.35

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee