The right loan structure is
half the investment strategy.
Echidna Equity helps property investors all over Australia access the right finance, structure their lending correctly, and build portfolios that compound over time. No fees for our service.
Investment Lending in Sydney and All Over Australia
Getting the property right is only half the job.
Most investors spend months researching properties and ten minutes thinking about their loan. That's the wrong order. How you structure your investment lending has a direct impact on your cash flow, your borrowing capacity for future purchases, and your tax position.
We work with first-time investors buying their second property and experienced investors managing portfolios across multiple lenders. In both cases, the conversation starts with strategy, not rate.
We compare 75+ lenders, including green and ethical options for energy-efficient properties, identify the right structure for your goals, and manage the full process so you can focus on finding the right property.
We're based in Sydney, but we work with investors buying property all over Australia. Your loan strategy doesn't depend on where you live or where the property is — most of our work happens by phone, video call and email.
What We Do For Investors
Finance that's built around your portfolio, not just your next purchase.
Investment lending is more nuanced than owner-occupied lending. Here's what we bring to the table.
Loan Structure Strategy
Interest-only versus principal and interest, cross-collateralisation risks, offset positioning, and how to keep your loans separated so future borrowing isn't compromised. We map this out before you commit to anything.
Borrowing Capacity Modelling
We calculate your current and future borrowing capacity across different lender policies so you know how many properties you can realistically acquire and in what order.
Portfolio Lending
Managing multiple properties across different lenders requires careful coordination. We keep track of your full lending picture and make sure each new purchase is set up to support the next one.
Equity Release
If your existing properties have grown in value, we can help you access that equity to fund your next deposit without disturbing your current loan structure.
Why Structure Matters
The wrong loan structure can limit your entire portfolio.
These are the structural decisions that trip up investors most often. Getting them right from the start is far easier than unwinding them later.
Cross-Collateralisation
Linking multiple properties as security for one loan gives lenders more control over your portfolio than you should want. We keep loans separate where possible to protect your flexibility.
Interest Only vs Principal and Interest
Interest-only periods preserve cash flow and can make sense during growth phases. But they are not always the right call, and lenders assess them differently. We model both scenarios for your situation.
Debt Recycling
Using your owner-occupied offset to pay down non-deductible debt while drawing investment equity can significantly improve your after-tax position over time. We work through this with you and your accountant.
Lender Policy Differences
Not all lenders assess rental income the same way. Some shade it at 75%, others at 80%. Some cap the number of investment loans they'll hold per borrower. A handful, including green and ethical lenders, also offer a further rate discount for energy-efficient rental properties. Knowing these differences upfront shapes which lender we approach first.
Serviceability Buffers
APRA's 3% serviceability buffer means lenders assess your ability to repay at a rate significantly higher than what you'll actually pay. We find lenders whose policies give your application the best chance of approval.
Future Borrowing Capacity
Every loan you take reduces your capacity for the next one. How you structure today's purchase directly affects how many properties you can buy tomorrow. We plan for the portfolio, not just the deal in front of us.
Who We Work With
Whether it's your second property or your sixth, we've seen it before.
Investment situations vary widely. Here are the types of investors we commonly help.
Owner-Occupiers Buying Their First Investment
You own your home and want to leverage its equity to enter the investment market. We map your borrowing capacity, identify the right structure, and make sure your owner-occupied loan isn't compromised in the process.
Growing Portfolio Investors
You already have one or two investment properties and want to keep adding. We manage your full lending picture across lenders to make sure each purchase keeps the door open for the next.
Investors with Complex Income
Commission, self-employed income, or income from multiple sources can complicate investment applications. We know which lenders assess these most favourably and structure your application accordingly.
Expat Investors
Australian expats, including those based in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia, regularly use us to invest in Australian property from abroad. We navigate the foreign income and residency policy differences across lenders.
How It Works
Strategy first. Finance second.
We don't start with lenders. We start with your portfolio goals and work backwards from there, wherever in Australia you're investing.
Portfolio strategy session
We discuss your goals, current position, and how many properties you're aiming to acquire and over what timeframe.
Borrowing capacity review
We map your current and projected capacity across different lender policies and identify the best sequence for future purchases.
Lender and structure recommendation
We present the right lender and loan structure for this purchase, with an eye on how it sets up the ones that follow.
Application and settlement
We manage the full process through to settlement and stay in contact as your portfolio grows.
Client Story
When the bank said no, the portfolio kept growing.
Getting the right lender is often the difference between a portfolio that stalls and one that compounds.
John and Sandra: From Two Properties to Four
John and Sandra came to us with a $1.6 million loan, two investment properties, and two problems most lenders wouldn't touch. John's income was commission-based and Sandra had just started a new role. Every direct approach hit a wall. We found a lender that assessed their full financial position rather than just employment tenure, refinanced their existing loan, and saved them over $250,000. With the freed equity, they purchased their third property within six months and their fourth within two years.
The Team
You'll always know who's managing your portfolio strategy.
We keep our client load manageable by design. Every file is handled directly by Lorenzo or Tom, not passed to a junior processor or lost in a queue.
Lorenzo Suarez
Lorenzo runs the end-to-end process for most client files, from initial strategy and lender selection through to submission, approval, and settlement.
If your situation is straightforward, he will make it fast. If it is complex, he will find the way through.
Cert IV Finance & Mortgage Broking
Tom Williams
Tom co-founded Echidna Equity with a clear brief: personal service, genuine lender access, and a business that gives back. He oversees strategy and stays close to every client relationship.
When he says the job is not done until clients start defying gravity, he means it literally.
Cert IV Finance & Mortgage Broking
Why This Matters To Us Too
We put a portion of our own profit behind conservation, not just your portfolio.
Building a property portfolio is a long game, and so is looking after the country you're building it in. A portion of Echidna Equity's profit goes to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which protects native species and manages land across Australia.
We don't think a mortgage broker can solve conservation on its own. But we can make sure some of what we earn from every settlement, including yours, goes toward looking after the land your investments sit on.
A share of our profits is donated to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, supporting the protection of native species and habitat across Australia.
It's a small, ongoing commitment built into how we do business — the same one we made long before you found this page.
Common Questions
What investors ask us most.
Investment lending raises questions that owner-occupied borrowers rarely need to think about.
Get in Touch
Speak to a broker today.
Fill in the form and Lorenzo or Tom will be in touch within one business day. No obligation, no sales pitch — just a straight answer on what's possible for your portfolio, wherever in Australia you're investing.
Book a free strategy session
We'll get back to you within one business day.
By submitting this form you consent to Echidna Equity contacting you regarding your enquiry. We do not share your details with third parties. General information only — this does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice.
Message received.
Lorenzo or Tom will be in touch within one business day.
Let's map out your next purchase.
Book a strategy session with Lorenzo or Tom. We'll look at your full position and tell you exactly what's possible and how to structure it, wherever in Australia you're investing.
Echidna Equity Pty Ltd ACN 678 592 713. Credit Representative Number 562940 of Australian Credit Licence 384704. Suite 302, 13/15 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000. Echidna Equity is based in Sydney and provides mortgage broking services to clients all over Australia. General information only. This does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Credit criteria, terms and conditions apply. Investment property lending involves risk. Interest rates, fees and product features are subject to change without notice. We recommend seeking independent financial and tax advice before making any investment decision.