There's no such thing as a "square deal" anymore. This week's Spotlight explores how brokers are adapting to a tougher commercial lending market using faster, more flexible non-bank solutions.

Commercial lending has shifted – and brokers are right at the centre of it. As bank appetite tightens, costs rise, and deals become more complex, the old playbook isn't holding up. What's replacing it is faster, more flexible, and more strategic non-bank funding.

Broker Daily's Julian Barnes is joined by Michael Volkiene, general manager of loan origination and credit at Msquared Capital, to unpack how brokers are adapting and why non-bank lending is becoming a critical part of the solution.

This isn't about replacing banks – it's about filling the gaps they leave behind using short-term capital to unlock opportunities, manage time pressure, and create a pathway back to traditional funding.

And increasingly, brokers are doing exactly that.

Here's what's driving the shift:

• Brokers are reshaping deals with short-term, flexible non-bank funding to bridge gaps and secure opportunities.
• Speed, certainty, and transparency are becoming critical as bank appetites shift.
• A more strategic, long-term approach is helping brokers retain clients and navigate complexity.

In a market that's only getting tougher, the brokers who win won't just be the ones who find a lender – they'll be the ones who know how to structure the deal.

Offshoring is quickly becoming a core part of how brokerages operate – but it's not without trade-offs.

In this week's Broker Daily Uncut, Julian Barnes is joined by Finni brokers Costa Arvanitopoulos and Rebecca Carlson to break down how offshore teams, AI tools, and lender strategies are reshaping the broker workflow. From cost and scalability to training and service quality, they explore where offshoring adds value – and where it can create friction.

They also take a look at Macquarie Group's move to bring roles back onshore, alongside rising refinancing competition, including aggressive retention tactics from major banks.

Beyond operations, the discussion covers softer auction markets, moderating price growth, investor activity across states, and the limited impact of niche first home buyer schemes. It also touches on emerging tech, from AI-driven processing to early moves in crypto-backed lending.

If your business depends on you fixing everything, is it really scalable?

In this week's Business Accelerator, Alex Whitlock and Jason Back take a closer look at why many growing brokerages hit a ceiling – and what's really causing it.

They break down how brokers often mistake activity for progress – staying stuck in reactive mode as they juggle files, solve problems, and step in to fix team mistakes. But without clear roles, structured workflows, and consistent training, those same issues keep resurfacing, making growth harder – not easier.

True scale comes from building a business that runs without constant intervention, where systems drive consistency, teams take ownership, and productivity is measured by outcomes – not effort.