Bluestone Home Loans keeps raising the bar.
The non-bank lender smashed its own record, racking up more than $1.2 billion in new loan applications in a single month, the largest volume in Bluestone’s history. The blockbuster month further underscores Australia's growing non-bank sector.
"We're incredibly proud of this milestone, and it pushes us to aim even higher," Mark Jones, Bluestone's chief executive officer, told Australian Broker.
He added that: "We're not slowing down. We're simplifying how we operate, expanding where we can help and strengthening the broker partnerships that drive long-term, sustainable growth.”
Market dynamics contributed to the surge, Jones said, including "the consistent demand for flexible, well‑explained lending solutions. That reliability is what’s kept applications flowing over time."
He added that: "Brokers continue to choose Bluestone because they know we can support a wide range of borrower needs, especially for self‑employed clients and those with more complex situations."
All types of loans were popular at the start of 2026, the company said, but alt-doc lending and specialist loans continued to outperform.
"We support a large number of self‑employed borrowers, and demand in that segment has been consistently high," said Tony MacRae, chief commercial officer at Bluestone.
And momentum isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon, even as inflation bites, geopolitical tensions flare and the market frets over more rate hikes.
"Rate changes can squeeze serviceability, which means more clients sit just outside the traditional box. That’s when brokers turn to us," MacRae explained. "We look at how someone really earns and give brokers options to keep good clients moving. Clear credit conversations and steady turnarounds help brokers stay in control, even as rates shift."
But setting aside market trends, Bluestone, which turned 25 last year, has long been on a growth trajectory.
In February, the non-bank lender joined Loan Market Group's (LMG) commercial lending panel, helping expand the firm's reach in Australia's growing commercial lending sector. The move followed Bluestone's launch of commercial property investment and residential construction loans last November. A month earlier, Bluestone launched expat loans and residential loans with limits up to $5 million.
Meanwhile, Bluestone's alt doc loan volume surged 260% in 2024, year-over-year — or up 39-fold since 2019. In 2025, the firm reiterated that its specialty lending business continues to be a major growth driver.
That same year, Bluestone took home the "Rate Money Non-bank of the Year" award at the 2025 Australian Mortgage Awards (AMAs), which was hosted by Australian Broker parent company Key Media.
Expansion plans continued with the addition of former Better Choice Home Loans National Manager Sales and Strategic Partnerships Paul Bakker, who Bluestone tapped for the newly-created role of head of strategic partnerships.
