Jonathan
Al-Aaraj

Why I built CoreLend differently

Most mortgage brokers are measured on volume. How many loans they settle in a month, how quickly they can process an application. I understood that model, and I didn't want to replicate it.

The clients I find most rewarding to work with are the ones the system doesn't handle well. Business owners with complex income. Self-employed people who pay themselves through a trust or company. High income earners whose loan structure is working against them rather than for them.

These clients often get underserved, either knocked back unnecessarily, or approved but set up in a way that costs them far more than it should. Getting that right requires actually understanding their situation, not just running it through a serviceability calculator.

What "structure-first" actually means

It means I don't start the conversation by talking about rates. Rates matter, obviously. A rate reduction helps, but a proper restructure can often deliver significantly more value over the life of the loan. So we start with the structure, then find the most competitive rate within that structure.

Who I work with best

Business owners who pay themselves dividends or through a trust. Self-employed people with 1–2 years ABN history who keep getting knocked back. Property investors building a portfolio who want to protect their future borrowing capacity. And people who've been with the same bank for years and suspect they're overpaying, but haven't had anyone give them an honest answer.