Bernie Lewis Home Loans

What Bernie Lewis Home Loans does

Bernie Lewis Home Loans is a South Australian mortgage broking business founded in 1987 by Bernie Lewis, who pioneered mortgage broking in the state. The company operates through two offices (Parkside headquarters and Christies Beach South Coast) and is legally held by ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd under Australian Credit Licence 384404. It is part of the Money Quest Group (MQG) aggregator network, which provides access to over 60 lending institutions, while Bernie Lewis itself directly services more than 40 residential lenders plus commercial, asset finance, and business funding lenders.

The firm offers a comprehensive suite of finance products including first home loans, next-home/upgrader loans, refinancing, commercial property loans, residential investment loans (including SMSF finance), car loans, building and renovation loans, asset finance, and reverse mortgages. Supplementary tools include a financial calculators suite, free property reports, and a Members Hub client portal. A sister company, BLHL Property Conveyancing, provides settlement and document lodgement services, enabling end-to-end purchase support.

Bernie Lewis Home Loans operates on a broker-assisted sales model, generating revenue through upfront and trail commissions paid by lenders upon loan settlement, with the service offered free to borrowers. Distribution is predominantly direct through face-to-face consultations, phone enquiries, and online contact form submissions, supplemented by a referral-driven go-to-market motion and community sponsorships. The customer base consists of individual residential borrowers and property investors across South Australia, with no institutional or enterprise clients disclosed.

Name

Bernie Lewis Home Loans

Legal name

ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd

Website

https://bernielewis.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bernie Lewis Home Loans is a South Australian mortgage broking business founded in 1987, providing residential, investment, commercial, asset, and reverse-mortgage finance to individuals and investors via a 40+ lender panel across its Parkside and Christies Beach offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Broking

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Equity Loan & HELOC Intermediation (FSAEAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Assets — Real Estate Debt (Whole Loans, Mezzanine, CMBS/CLO) (FSAHAIAB), Home Improvement Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAE), Renovation Mortgage Origination (FHA 203(k), HomeStyle, CHOICERenovation) (FSALAAAL)

Keywords

• Mortgage broking services
• Home loan brokerage
• Residential lending advice
• Refinancing services
• Investment property finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Parkside

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Commission from lenders: Bernie Lewis Home Loans earns commission payments from lenders when loans are settled. This is the standard mortgage broker revenue model in Australia where brokers receive trail commission from the lender over the life of the loan and upfront commission at settlement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bernie Lewis Home Loans is a South Australian mortgage broking business that helps individual consumers select, apply for, and settle home loans and related finance products. It arranges residential, investment, commercial, construction, asset, vehicle, SMSF, and reverse-mortgage finance through a panel of 40+ lenders accessed via the Money Quest Group aggregator, with the broker service provided free to customers and the firm earning commission from lenders at settlement.

Product overview

Bernie Lewis Home Loans is a South Australian mortgage broking business offering a comprehensive suite of home loan and finance products through a network of experienced brokers. The core offering spans first home loans, next home/upgrading loans, refinancing, commercial property, investment loans, car loans, building and renovation finance, asset finance, and reverse mortgages. Supplementary tools include a financial calculators suite (borrowing power, repayment, stamp duty, budget), home loan pre-approval, free property reports, published interest rate tables, SMSF finance, and a Members Hub client portal. The group also includes BLHL Property Conveyancing, a conveyancing sub-brand. All products are facilitated through over 60 lending partner institutions accessed via the brokers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Home Loans Mortgage broking service for first home buyers covering deposit guidance, pre-approval, and choice between established and new-build property pathways.
• Next Home Loans Financing solutions for homeowners purchasing their next property, including subject-to-sale, bridging finance, and transition-to-investment strategies.
• Refinancing Home loan refinancing to switch lenders, consolidate debt, access equity, or reduce interest costs, including SMSF refinance specialist support.
• Commercial Property Loans Commercial and industrial property finance solutions for investors, owner-occupiers, self-employed individuals, and SMSF clients across South Australia.
• Investment Loans Residential property investment finance including SMSF investment loans, equity access products, and tax-gearing strategies (negative and positive).
• Car Loans Vehicle finance solutions for consumer and business use, covering new and used cars, bikes and vans, with quick approval and settlement turnaround.
• Building and Renovating Loans Construction and renovation finance including land loans, stage-payment construction loans, house-and-land packages, and equity-release for renovations.
• Asset Finance Asset finance for individuals and SMEs covering boats, caravans, motorbikes, business equipment, and other high-value assets with rapid settlement.
• Reverse Mortgages Reverse mortgage products for residential property owners aged 60+, allowing lump-sum or regular-payment access to equity without requiring repayment while living in the property.
• Variable and Fixed Rate Home Loans Core lending products encompassing standard variable, basic variable, offset variable, and fixed-rate loans (1-5 year terms) for owner-occupied and investment purposes.
• Interest Rate Comparison Service Published rate table displaying owner-occupied and investment principal and interest rates across variable and fixed-term products, updated regularly.
• BLHL Property Conveyancing Property conveyancing services led by registered conveyancer Helen Romanowski, handling document lodgement, title searches, contract conditions, and settlement coordination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients have chosen Bernie Lewis Home Loans for over 35 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Money Quest Group (MQG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMoney Quest Group is the parent/mortgage aggregator network that Bernie Lewis Home Loans operates under. MQG is one of Australia's leading boutique mortgage broking businesses with a network of more than 600 brokers nationwide. MQG provides Bernie Lewis with access to a range of finance products from more than 60 lending institutions and suppliers, and exclusive access to in-house benefits and services.
• ratesonline.com.au Pty LtdcoreOthersRatesonline.com.au Pty Ltd (ACN 122 052 582) trades as Bernie Lewis Home Loans and holds Australian Credit Licence 384404. This is the legal entity operating the Bernie Lewis brand.
• BLHL ConveyancingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLHL Property Conveyancing is a sister company that works closely with Bernie Lewis Home Loans mortgage brokers to provide clients assistance when purchasing or selling property. Services include document completion and lodgement, title searches, contract condition fulfillment, and settlement liaison. Owner Helen Romanowski has 23 years of experience as a registered conveyancer.
• South Port Surf Lifesaving ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner where Bernie Lewis Home Loans brokers Andrew Stoodley and Jason McGaffin are sponsors and supporters. A surf boat is named after Jason McGaffin. This represents community involvement and brand visibility.
• Morphett Vale Football ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner where broker Andrew Stoodley is a sponsor. This represents community involvement and local brand visibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Lendi: Online-first Australian mortgage broker offering home loan comparison and digital application. Operates in adjacent space with overlapping customer base but distinct technology-led delivery model.
• Domain Loan Finder: Digital mortgage comparison and broker matching service from Domain Group. Targets the same first home buyer and refinancing segments with a technology-led funnel that competes for leads traditional brokers like Bernie Lewis capture through referrals.

Direct peers

• Aussie Home Loans: Major Australian mortgage broker retailer with 200+ stores and broker network serving similar residential mortgage and refinancing customers. Comparable product breadth and commission-based economics, though at much larger scale and owned by CBA.
• Mortgage Ezy: Australian mortgage broker focusing on home loans, refinancing, and investment property lending, with multi-lender panel access. Comparable scale and customer segments to Bernie Lewis, with a digital-first overlay alongside broker relationships.
• AFG (Australian Finance Group): One of Australia's largest mortgage aggregators with thousands of brokers nationwide, providing lender panel access, technology, and compliance support to member brokerages. Highly comparable business model of broking intermediation at scale.
• Loan Market Group: One of Australia's largest mortgage broker networks with a similar aggregator model and broad lender panel access. Directly comparable in business model, commission-based revenue structure, and customer segments (first home buyers, refinancers, investors).
• Smartline (NAB-owned broker network): Direct competitor in Australian personal mortgage broker network, now owned by NAB. Both operate multi-broker franchise-style structures matching customers to multiple lenders with relationship-led service models.
• Mortgage Choice (MyState Home Loans): Long-established direct competitor Australian mortgage broker brand (now owned by MyState Bank), serving first home buyers, refinancers, and investors through a franchise/broker network with access to a broad lender panel.

Broad incumbents

• Connective Home Loans: Australian mortgage aggregator and broader finance services platform (including asset finance, commercial), comparable to Money Quest Group's role providing back-office, lender panel, and compliance support to Bernie Lewis.

Others

• RateMyLender: Australian mortgage broker directory and lead-generation platform that connects borrowers with local brokers. Enables comparison shopping and overlap with Bernie Lewis' customer-acquisition funnel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BernieLewisGroup
• Xx.com/bernielewis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bernie Lewis Home Loans