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Milestones

2000

2005

2022

2024

Bluestone Home Loans enters the market, introducing tailored solutions for customers with unique financial circumstances.

2000

Bluestone expands its range of home loan products to cater to a wider audience, including self-employed individuals and those with unique financial situations.

2005

Bluestone Home Loans launched SMSF Residential Investment Home Loans

2022

Bluestone Home Loans reaches $1 billion in lending. It was ranked #1 Non-Bank in the Mortgage Professional Australia broker survey, winning gold across numerous categories.

2024

25 years of opening doors to the Australian dream

The mortgage sector can sometimes be characterised by rigid frameworks and cookie-cutter assessments, but Bluestone Home Loans stands apart by embracing a philosophy centred on creating or providing solutions tailored to specific, often unconventional, needs or situations. Its strategy goes beyond simple risk mitigation, instead focusing on how each financial scenario can be understood and addressed. By applying this lens, the company has not only transformed the lending experience from a potentially intimidating process to a collaborative journey of financial possibility but is also continually working to improve its processes.

Central to this approach is Bluestone’s 25-year-long dedication to continuous improvement, enabling it to keep delivering exceptional experiences to both brokers and borrowers year after year. Bluestone does this by cultivating partnerships that are built on mutual understanding, broker education and a shared goal of helping clients achieve their financial dreams. By investing in relationships, providing targeted support and developing specialised lending products, Bluestone lifts the veil behind each application to find solutions for borrowers with unique financial circumstances.

Spotlight

Homeownership is a fundamental part of the Australian dream. However, the path can be challenging, especially when traditional lending can be strict and unforgiving. We’re here to change that. Since 2000, Bluestone Home Loans has been helping borrowers with complex or unique financial situations access the market with confidence – offering a chance to purchase property, when others won’t, by providing tailored lending solutions. We empower brokers to serve a broader range of clients, from self-employed professionals to borrowers with past credit issues or those seeking niche lending options. With a 25-year legacy, Bluestone Home Loans has become a trusted leader in the Australian lending market, known for delivering innovative, flexible and straightforward solutions that break the mould of traditional lending.

Company Profile

YEARS SINCE FOUNDING

15,000+

NUMBER OF ACCREDITED BROKERS

50%

REDUCED TIME TO APPROVAL OVER LAST 12 MONTHS BY

33%

GROWTH IN BDM TEAM OVER LAST YEAR

80+

BROKER NPS

Bio

Spotlight

Milestones

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Accolades

Company Profile

Years of experience

tenure at current position

3 years

career highlight

Being picked to lead ORDE's distribution team

Bluestone Home Loans

BDMs in the spotlight

Celebrating 25 years of innovation, Bluestone’s focus on solutions and broker partnerships helps it simplify the complex and drive next-level service

Read on

AARON TAYLOR, BLUESTONE HOME LOANS

Karen Adams

Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent

Read on

The Bluestone team pride themselves on staying attuned to the needs of the market and evolving products and processes to meet them. “We assess each deal on a case-by-case basis, leveraging our experience to deliver tailored solutions,” says Aaron Taylor, head of non-standard lending at the non-bank lender. “We value broker feedback – it’s an opportunity to refine our approach and stay ahead of the curve.” In a market that’s constantly shifting, Bluestone is committed to adapting, ensuring it’s always delivering solutions that work for borrowers today – not relying on yesterday’s thinking, as some lenders risk doing. “Every deal gets reviewed based on its merits, which is really important in this space,” says Adam Livas, state sales manager for Qld/WA.

Bluestone recognises that brokers are on the frontlines of the market every day, providing invaluable insights into evolving trends and challenges. In this dynamic environment, brokers are seen as partners, sharing perspectives that help Bluestone remain agile and ahead of the curve. “That’s the best thing about working with brokers,” says Taylor. Indeed, Bluestone’s success is fundamentally anchored in its broker network. Tommy Lee, state sales manager for NSW/ACT and SA, speaks to this connection: “Bluestone’s success is underpinned by the strength of the broker channel,” he says. Brokers clearly agree, ranking Bluestone the country’s top non-bank lender in the 2024 Brokers on Non-Banks survey conducted by Australian Broker’s sister publication, Mortgage Professional Australia. Multiple brokers surveyed specifically mentioned the non-bank for “its BDM support”, which consistently helps with speed and efficiency.

Bluestone grew its BDM team by 33% in 2024 and introduced a state-based leadership model. Lee says this company-wide commitment is an important contributor to its success: “By having more feet on the ground, we’ve been able to develop and build closer and deeper relationships [with brokers],” he says. “We’ve also grown our underwriting team here in Sydney.” People such as Taylor and head of specialised distribution Richard Chesworth have played a key role in helping BDMs reach out to local brokers through educational workshops to explain the benefits of working with Bluestone. These roadshows have become a critical part of the non-bank’s strategy. Livas has only recently joined Bluestone and notes that the focus on innovative solutions is boosting business overall. “There’s a whole lot of growth going on here, and it’s a really exciting time to be a part of the business,” he says. Bluestone’s near prime and specialist products are in high demand as complex and unique financial circumstances trend upwards among borrowers. Another area that brokers sometimes find intimidating due to the more complicated transactions involved is self-managed super funds lending – but Bluestone is seeing strong performance in this area.

“We provide a lot of education to the network around showing brokers how easy it actually is,” says Leith Wickstein, state sales manager (Vic/Tas) at Bluestone. “It’s not as complicated as they may think. [SMSF expertise] then provides them with a great opportunity to grow their revenue through diversification and helps with referral partners by providing additional security for those clients.” The area is growing in popularity as Australians look to secure their financial futures after retirement. “We’re seeing a lot more of your mum-and-dad [customers] setting up investment properties under their super,” says Wickstein. Bluestone can see the results of such efforts not only in its own success but in the growing profile of non-banks in the lending economy overall and the ever-increasing market share that brokers command in the mortgage space. Likewise, the most recent quarterly survey from the MFAA puts the share of all new home loans written by mortgage brokers at a record-breaking 74.6%.

“We assess each deal on a case-by-case basis, leveraging our experience to deliver tailored solutions”

“Bluestone’s success is underpinned by the strength of the broker channel”

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Aaron Taylor

Tommy Lee

Leith Wickstein

Adam Livas

Find out more

La Trobe Financial head of distribution Michelle Bannister shares her career journey, hoping to inspire more women to join the finance industry

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Published 10 Feb 2025

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Evolution is strength

“We’re seeing more and more self-employed applicants or those with unique financial circumstances and complex scenarios”

TOMMY LEE, BLUESTONE HOME LOANS

Expanding support where it counts

LEITH WICKSTEIN,BLUESTONE HOME LOANS

The shift to more boots on the ground for Bluestone coincides with market trends that benefit from the flexible lending approaches used by non-banks. This creates more opportunities for lenders like Bluestone and the brokers it works with. “We’re seeing more and more self-employed applicants or those with unique financial circumstances and complex scenarios,” says Wickstein. The strained financial circumstances of many borrowers are exacerbated by the higher cost of living and the Reserve Bank of Australia’s reticence to lower rates; more economists now predict the initial cut from the current cash rate of 4.35% won’t happen until mid-year. Borrowers in cities like Sydney face an even higher hurdle in securing a loan due to the upward march of median house prices. For business owners, the Australian Tax Office is also cracking down. This can lead to cash flow issues for borrowers. The Fifth Quadrant SME Sentiment Tracker survey has consistently shown that the number one reason for extra funding over the last 12 months has been the need for working capital, which is being given more than twice the priority of any other funding need. Bluestone frequently works with brokers to assist in addressing this problem. “We can help clients improve their cash flow and reduce debts, such as ATO debts,” says Wickstein.

A market on the move

Tommy Lee State sales manager (NSW/ACT and SA)

“Pressure is a Privilege”– Billie Jean King

FAVOURITE QUOTE

Adam Livas State sales manager (Qld/WA)

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day” – Jim Rohn

FAVOURITE QUOTE

Leith Wickstein State sales manager (Vic/Tas)

“Watching people in my teams and brokers in my network grow and thrive in their roles and business”

CAREER HIGHlIGHT

Aaron Taylor Head of non-standard lending

“Working as a non-bank BDM across New Zealand and Australia”

Career highlight

Executive leaders

Looking forward to more change

Established in 2000 and now sporting a refined new look, Bluestone is a well-known player in the non-bank space, but there is no doubt that 2025 will usher in more change – that’s par for the course for a lender that is so responsive to evolving market needs. Livas says the firm’s 25th anniversary marks a time to both count achievements to date and get ready for the next quarter century. “We’ve reflected on where we’ve come from and are looking forward to the future,” he says. But the driving force will remain a laser focus on customer service. “We truly understand the broker network and work with our brokers and customers for the best possible outcome … service is a big, big part of that focus,” Livas says. “We’re a solution-based lender, so being able to do that stuff – really pull the file apart and really look for the best outcome for the customer – is really important.”

This willingness to listen and meet a huge range of customer needs has been key to Bluestone’s growth over a quarter century, allowing it to refine its offerings continuously and remain relevant and valuable to brokers. “Each application that comes through our system [helps us] to learn, innovate … and produce products that can help customers reach that idea and that dream of homeownership,” says Taylor. The next 25 years will no doubt see Bluestone continue its growth, constantly pushing the boundaries towards optimal performance where there is no upper limit, only the next refinement. “We’re committed to strengthening our connections and delivering exceptional service through the broker channel for our customers, and we’ll continue to adapt and innovate with new products to support them,” says Livas.

“We truly understand the broker network and work with our brokers and customers for the best possible outcome … service is a big, big part of that focus”

ADAM LIVAS, BLUESTONE HOME LOANS

Tommy Lee

Adam Livas

Leith Wickstein

Aaron Taylor

AARON TAYLOR, BLUESTONE HOME LOANS