Industry veteran joins MPA Pod to discuss the state of commercial broking in 2026
In this latest episode of MPA Pod, Chris Thomas, head of NAB’s commercial broker channel and equipment finance sales, looks back on a strong year for Australian business and commercial lending, despite persistent uncertainty and the lingering after-effects of COVID-era disruption.
Business owners “put the shoulder to the wheel”, and system data showed robust business lending growth across majors and non‑majors, says Thomas.
For the commercial broker channel, 2025 was a year of rapid maturation.
Commercial brokers firmly cemented their role as “trusted advisers”, underpinned by long-standing relationships with clients and deep understanding of their businesses.
Thomas notes a growing cohort of new entrants, particularly ex‑bankers from corporate and top‑end business banking, which he believes will further professionalise and expand the channel in coming years.
Looking to 2026, Thomas expects conditions to remain complex, with NAB pencilling in the possibility of two rate rises and continued divergence between segments, with larger SMEs and corporates likely to drive demand while smaller SMEs remain more rate-sensitive.
Yet he argues that uncertainty breeds opportunity for brokers who invest the time to deeply understand their clients and coordinate complex deals, particularly around SME succession planning – an area he sees as quietly generating significant activity across the country.
Listen now to get the full picture from one of commercial lending’s most respected voices:
