Buying property inside your self-managed super fund means a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA), a bare trust, the sole-purpose test and liquidity rules — and only a handful of lenders who write these loans well. We arrange the lending side end-to-end, working alongside your accountant and financial adviser.
SMSF property lending isn't a normal home loan with a different name — the structure is regulated and the order of steps matters.
The property is held in a separate holding (bare) trust until the loan is repaid, under a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement. If the loan ever defaults, the lender's recourse is limited to that single asset — the rest of your super is protected. The trust must exist before contracts are signed in most states, in the right names. We sequence this with your accountant so nothing has to be unwound.
The investment must exist solely to provide retirement benefits. In practice: you and related parties can't live in, rent or use a residential property your SMSF buys — it has to be a genuine arm's-length investment. (Commercial is the exception: your fund can own your business premises and lease them back to your business at market rent.)
The big four largely left SMSF lending years ago — this market belongs to specialist and non-bank lenders, and rates and policies differ sharply between them. Residential vs commercial security, LVR caps, liquidity tests, trustee requirements — matching your fund's position to the right SMSF lender is exactly the kind of work a broker exists for. Existing SMSF loans set up years ago are often well worth a refinance review.
You, your accountant/adviser and us align on whether the numbers stack up: deposit, liquidity, contributions, rent.
Fund deed reviewed, bare trust & trustee set up in the right order — before any contract is signed.
We compare the SMSF lenders on our panel, package the application and manage valuation and approval.
We coordinate lender, conveyancer and accountant so the fund settles cleanly and compliantly.
No. Under the sole-purpose test, a residential property bought by your SMSF can't be lived in or rented by you or any related party — it must be a genuine arm's-length investment. Business premises are the exception: your SMSF can own your commercial premises and lease them back to your business at market rent.
Most SMSF lenders want the fund to put in roughly 20–30% of the price plus costs, and to keep a liquidity buffer (commonly around 10% of the property value) in the fund after settlement. Exact numbers vary by lender — it's one of the main things we compare.
It's the separate holding trust required under an LRBA: it holds the property until the loan is repaid, so the lender's recourse is limited to that asset alone and the rest of your super is protected. It must be established correctly and in the right order — we sequence this with your accountant.
Yes — several lenders refinance existing LRBAs and pricing varies widely. If your SMSF loan is a few years old, a review is often worthwhile; we'll benchmark it across the SMSF lenders on our panel.
Bring your accountant's thinking — we'll bring the lender knowledge. A free, obligation-free chat will tell you whether the numbers work before you spend a cent on structures.
