Adviser and lender collaboration: keeping the client at the centre

A business loan with an engaged adviser behind it is usually a better loan: cleaner numbers, faster answers and fewer surprises. But collaboration can also go wrong — duplicate requests, conflicting figures, clients left out of conversations about their own business. This page sets out a simple working model that keeps everyone pulling in the same direction.

Three principles that make it work

1. The client is always at the centre

The client is the applicant, the borrower and the decision-maker. Every message about their file should include them. That protects the client, protects you professionally, and avoids the awkward moment when a client learns about a lender’s question second-hand.

2. Every item has one owner

Before documents start moving, agree who supplies what. A file where both the accountant and the bookkeeper send a year-to-date P&L — with slightly different numbers — creates questions that didn’t need to exist. Our Link-up checklist builder produces a list already split into owner and adviser columns, which works well as the agreed register.

3. One channel per file

Pick one thread — usually email with the lending specialist, client copied — and keep everything there. Phone calls are fine, but follow each one with a two-line written summary so there’s a record.

Who does what during the file

Stage	Client	Adviser	Lending specialist
Enquiry	Completes form, notes adviser referral	Helps frame the need (optional)	Reads enquiry, calls client
Discovery	Explains purpose, amount, situation	Supplies figures if authorised	Identifies suitable lender
Documents	ID, bank statements, property details	Financials, returns, BAS, ATO statement	Checks completeness, submits
Assessment	Answers business questions	Explains unusual items	Manages lender questions
Offer	Reviews and decides	Reviews terms if client asks	Explains offer and next steps
Settlement	Signs documents and guarantees	—	Coordinates settlement

Handling lender questions well

Most loans involve a round of questions after the lender reads the file. How they’re handled has a big effect on timing.

• Answer the question asked. Short, factual, with the source document attached if relevant.
• Don’t speculate. If you don’t know, say so and say who does.
• Keep figures consistent. If an answer changes a number already supplied, say so explicitly and explain why.
• Acknowledge quickly. Even “received, will reply by Thursday” stops the file stalling.

Boundaries worth keeping

Collaboration works best when everyone stays in their lane:

• Advisers don’t promise outcomes. No one can guarantee approval.
• Advisers don’t negotiate terms on the client’s behalf unless the client explicitly asks them to.
• Specialists don’t give tax advice. Questions about structure or tax consequences go back to the accountant.
• Nobody acts outside the client’s authority. When in doubt, check.

The Tax Practitioners Board register lets anyone confirm a tax or BAS agent’s registration. Clients sometimes like to know their adviser’s registration is current; there’s no harm in pointing them to it.

When advisers and lenders see things differently

Occasionally an adviser and a lender will read the same numbers differently — an add-back the lender won’t accept, or a property value lower than expected. That’s normal. The best approach is a factual exchange through the specialist: what the adviser sees, what the lender’s policy allows, and what alternatives exist. Sometimes a different lender is the answer; that’s part of why matching matters.

An illustrative timeline of a well-run file

Here’s how a smooth file might look for a hypothetical joinery business seeking a line of credit, with its accountant and bookkeeper involved:

• Day 1: The owner completes the enquiry with the accountant during a meeting, noting the referral. The owner emails a short authority naming the accountant and bookkeeper.
• Day 1–2: The specialist calls the owner, confirms the purpose and amount, and sends a single document list split by owner, accountant and bookkeeper.
• Day 3–5: The bookkeeper sends reconciled bank statements and aged debtors; the accountant sends financials, returns and a one-page note on a loss in the prior year; the owner sends ID.
• Day 6: The lender asks two questions — one about a large related-party payment, one about a dishonour in March. The accountant answers the first, the bookkeeper the second, both within a day, owner copied.
• Following days: Assessment and offer. The owner asks the accountant to read the terms before signing.

Nothing in that timeline is unusual. It’s simply what happens when roles are clear. The timing is illustrative and varies with every lender and file.

Message templates that save time

Acknowledging a lender question:

“Thanks — received. I’ll confirm the breakdown of the related-party payment with supporting ledger detail by Thursday. [Client] copied.”

Answering it:

“The $18,000 payment on 14 May was a repayment of a director loan made in FY24 to fund equipment. The loan account and repayment are shown in the attached ledger extract. [Client] copied.”

Flagging a change:

“Please note the YTD P&L sent on Monday has been updated for a supplier invoice posted late. Revised net profit is $2,100 lower; revised report attached.”

Figures are illustrative. The pattern — short, factual, client copied, evidence attached — is what matters.

After settlement

Good collaboration doesn’t end at settlement. Advisers who keep an eye on the new facility can help the client:

• Track repayments in the cash forecast
• Plan for the facility’s review or expiry date
• Spot early if the business needs to restructure the debt

Start a well-run file

If you have a client who needs finance and you’d like to stay involved, the process starts simply. Complete the enquiry with your client, noting your name, firm and that you referred them. There’s no credit check when they enquire, their details are linked to one suitable lender rather than a list, and a real specialist calls the client before involving you. Encourage accurate answers on the form so the file starts in the right place. Refer a client today.